By Stephen Beech d

Dark chocolate may slow down aging, suggests a new study.

A key chemical found in the sweet treat could reduce the rate of biological aging, say scientists.

Researchers from King’s College London made the "very exciting" discovery that the chemical theobromine - a common plant compound that comes from cocoa - may have anti-aging properties.

Their study compared levels of theobromine - an alkaloid most commonly known as being poisonous to dogs - in people’s blood, with blood-based markers of biological aging.

Biological age markers indicate how old your body seems based on its health and function, as opposed to the years you have lived.

The markers are based on patterns of small ‘bookmarks’ on our DNA, called methylation, that change over the course of our lives

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