The secret to youth is something many have longed for and now scientists might have found the answer. A study has found that one delicious treat could help slow down the ageing process.

Research has found that a compound found in chocolate could help you stay “younger for longer”. Scientists at King's College London discovered that theobromine, a naturally occurring plant compound found in cocoa, may possess anti-ageing qualities.

The research, released in the journal Ageing, examined theobromine levels in participants' blood alongside blood-based indicators of biological ageing. Biological age markers reveal how old your body appears based on its wellbeing and functionality, rather than chronological age.

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These indicators rely on patterns of tiny “bookmarks” on our DNA, known as methylation, which alter throughout our lifetime. Drawing from two European groups, 509 participants from TwinsUK and 1,160 from KORA, the findings showed that individuals with elevated theobromine levels in their bloodstream had a biological age younger than their chronological age.

Professor Jordana Bell, the paper's senior author and Professor in Epigenomics at King's College London, said: "Our study finds links between a key component of dark chocolate and staying younger for longer.” However, she cautioned that these findings don’t mean you should eat lots of chocolate.

As reported in a King’s College London release, she said: “While we're not saying that people should eat more dark chocolate, this research can help us understand how everyday foods may hold clues to healthier, longer lives."

The researchers also investigated whether other compounds present in cocoa and coffee demonstrated similar associations but discovered that this effect appeared to be unique to theobromine. The scientists employed two methods to evaluate the biological age of study participants.

One examined chemical modifications in DNA to gauge how rapidly someone is ageing. The other measured the length of telomeres, the protective structures at chromosome ends. Shortened telomeres are linked with ageing and age-related conditions.

Plant compounds in our diet may influence how our bodies age by altering the manner in which our genes are activated or deactivated. Some of these compounds, known as alkaloids, can interact with the cellular mechanisms that regulate gene activity and help determine health and longevity.

Theobromine, an alkaloid best recognised for being toxic to dogs, has been associated with health advantages in humans, including a reduced risk of heart disease. Nevertheless, it has not been extensively studied otherwise.

Dr Ramy Saad, principal researcher at King's College London, who also works at University College London and practises as a clinical genetics doctor, said: "This is a very exciting finding, and the next important questions are what is behind this association and how can we explore the interactions between dietary metabolites and our epigenome further? This approach could lead us to important discoveries towards ageing, and beyond, in common and rare diseases."

The research team, which includes Professor Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, a Professor of Human Nutrition at King's College London, is investigating potential future research directions to examine these findings more thoroughly. One remaining question is whether this effect is specific to theobromine on its own, or if theobromine might work alongside other compounds found in dark chocolate, such as polyphenols, which are recognised for their positive impacts on human health.

Dr Ricardo Costeira, a postdoctoral research associate from King's College London, commented: "This study identifies another molecular mechanism through which naturally occurring compounds in cocoa may support health. While more research is needed, the findings from this study highlight the value of population-level analyses in ageing and genetics."

However, despite these encouraging results, the researchers emphasise that simply consuming more dark chocolate isn't necessarily advantageous, as it also contains sugar, fat and other compounds, and additional research is required to comprehend this relationship in greater detail.