New research reveals: the surprising connection between dark chocolate and aging

The study published in the journal Aging on December 10, 2025 analyzed the levels of this compound in the blood and linked them to indices used to measure the rate of biological aging of the body.

What is biological age?

In the study, the researchers observed that people with higher levels of theobromine in their blood looked biologically younger than their actual age. The team was based on analyzing data from two large European groups: the British TwinsUK group with 509 participants, and the German KORA group with 1,160 participants.

Why exactly theobromine?

The researchers used two methods to measure biological age: DNA methylation analysis, and measuring the length of telomeres – the ends of chromosomes that gradually shorten with aging and are linked to increased risks of age-related diseases. The results showed that an increase in theobromine levels was associated with better indices in both indices.

Caution is required