Why 'elixir of youth' found in dark chocolate isn't quite as good as it sounds
It may sound like an excuse to indulge over the festive season, but it’s actually not
Wrinkles becoming increasingly pronounced? Arthritis starting to kick in? Nine o’clock feeling more and more like bedtime? Some say age is an attitude, not a number, but getting older often brings biological changes that cannot be ignored.
However, new research has discovered that a substance called theobromine may help people stay younger for longer. And, with Christmas approaching, you will probably be delighted to learn that this new ‘elixir of youth’ (our words, not the scientists, we’re pretty sure they’d want us to say) is found not in celery or bran or some other unappetising ‘healthy’ food, but in dark chocolate.
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“Ooh,” we can hear you say, “that’s a very interesting piece of research, now please pass the box of choccies, I want to rediscover my youth.”
Not so fast! For while theobromine has been linked to an extended lifespan, the scientists are “not saying that people should eat more dark chocolate”, just that the discovery could “hold clues to healthier, longer lives”.
So put that luscious dark chocolate cherry back in the box and we’ll bring you some nice celery and low-fat cottage cheese instead.
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