Overview
- Researchers at King’s College London reported a significant association between higher circulating theobromine and younger biological age estimates.
- The pooled analysis covered 1,669 adults across two cohorts, including 509 in TwinsUK and 1,160 in Germany’s KORA study.
- Biological ageing was gauged from blood using DNA methylation clocks and telomere length measurements.
- Other metabolites from cocoa and coffee were examined but did not show comparable links, suggesting an effect specific to theobromine.
- The team, publishing in Aging, urged caution on chocolate consumption due to sugar and fat and plans studies to test causality and possible interactions with polyphenols.