Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Dark Chocolate and the Aging Clock
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1019 Dark Chocolate and the Aging Clock
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr. David Niesel
And I’m Dr Norbert Herzog.
If you love dark chocolate, keep your love affair because we just keep finding ways it’s good for us.
A new study uncovered a chemical called theobromine in dark chocolate that may slow biological aging. No, milk chocolate doesn’t have it; your chocolate must contain at least fifty percent cacao solids.
The chemical theobromine may slow aging by altering the epigenetic marking of our DNA. Think of the DNA as the hardware in a computer and the epigenome as the software that tells the hardware which programs or in this case, genes, to run.
A person’s health and mortality are impacted by which genes are or are not active. This study looked at cells in the blood of almost seventeen hundred people including five hundred twins.
People with the highest levels of theobromine had lower levels of biological aging when researchers examined the epigenetic markings on their DNA.
They also looked at a second biomarker of biological aging by measuring cells’ telomere length. As we age, the telomere, which is a cap structure at the ends of our chromosomes, shortens destabilizing them.
People with high theobromine levels had the longest telomeres, but it’s too early to conclude without more studies whether theobromine is behind these findings.
What we do already know is that the antioxidants in dark chocolate may improve mood, protect our heart health, and even help prevent dementia. I’m so glad this is one treat I can indulge in without guilt!
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or listen to our podcast on your favorite podcast service.
