Stick to commonsense advice. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Don’t smoke. And consume dark chocolate.
A study led by geneticist Dr. Ramy Saad at King’s College, London (KCL), found that higher blood levels of theobromine, an alkaloid found in cocoa beans, matched slower biological aging. Dr. Saad’s research focuses on how molecules influence DNA aging markers in human blood.
Related: Dr. Bronner sends us dark chocolate to review
“This is a very exciting finding, and the next important questions are what is behind this association,” he says.
“Our study finds links between a key component of dark chocolate and staying younger for longer,” adds Professor Jordana Bell, a professor of epigenomics at KCL. We wonder if chocolate camel milk will ever appear in these studies.
Researchers are exploring the possibility that theobromine works together with cocoa flavanols, compounds thought to improve cardiovascular health. Polyphenols, health-boosting compounds that exist in fruit and vegetables, are found in cocoa too, and may be part of the molecular action working to slow aging.
Christina Summers of Brooklyn is on a one-woman crusade to improve the quality of hot chocolate. She imports a thick luscious version from Italy.
“This study identifies another molecular mechanism through which naturally occurring compounds in cocoa may support health,” said Dr. Ricardo Costeira, a postdoctoral researcher working at KCL.
An additional PubMed study from 2022 on cardiovascular risk factors on humans and animals suggested that theobromine favorably influences inflammation, high blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
Study results skew positive for chocolate as a health and life booster, although research is ongoing: laboratory experiments, detailed dietary records, and long-term trials are still ahead to understand how theobromine interacts with human aging.
We simple folk know that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption and enough sleep naturally affect how a person ages. Others include stress, and home and work satisfaction. And always, genetic factors.
So we can’t control everything that affects how long we live, but we can work on our quality of life. Science gives conditional approval to chocolate – in moderation – as part of a health-boosting diet. And we don’t need research to identify that pop of sensation we get from chocolate as pleasure.
Avoid chocolates heavy in sugar and added fat; they subvert the health benefits you’re looking for. Instead, go with fair-trade, organic chocolate with a high cocoa percentage.
Following is an easy recipe for making hot chocolate at home. Because why pay for commercial chocolate powder when you can save money making your own?
Mix For Hot Chocolate Italian Style
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper or cayenne flakes for optional spicy kick
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until powdery.
- Alternately, grate the chocolate finely and stir it into the remaining ingredients.
- Heat one cup milk of choice in a saucepan over medium heat until steam rises.
- Add 3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix.
- Heat, stirring 1-2 minutes, until the mix is completely dissolved and the cocoa simmers.
- Serve.
Notes
Here’s to your health!
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
