Dark chocolate: Everything you need to know and how it could slow aging

King's College London discovers that higher levels of a key compound found in dark chocolate is linked to a ‘younger’ body in terms of health and function

Dark chocolate could help slow down the ageing process, research suggests.

Scientists tested people for levels of a compound found in dark chocolate and those with more of it appeared biologically younger on average when compared to their actual age. Blood tests checked for the key compound is called theobromine which is found in cacao plants - the bitter raw ingredient for chocolate .

Researchers at King's College London compared them with markers of biological ageing, which indicates how old the body is in terms of health and function rather than years lived.

Jordana Bell, professor of epigenomics at King's College London, said