Food for thought
Research has linked the antioxidants found in cocoa with anti-ageing. But can chocolate really keep the years off?
Chocolate that keeps you young. As health headlines go, this one’s up there with margaritas that boost your microbiome and pasta that makes your hair grow. But while we wait patiently for the latter, researchers are working on the former. I’m talking about cocoa – and it’s copious quantities of flavanols, the natural compounds that are causing a buzz among scientists searching for the elixir of youth.
Quick recap if you’re drawing a blank: the flavanols in cocoa are one of six types of flavonoids that can be found in certain fruits, vegetables and other plant-based foods. In fact, some of the best sources also happen to be the most delicious – berries, red wine, tea and cocoa are all brimming with the stuff. While flavonoids are best known for their antioxidant properties, research shows they have plenty of other health benefits, too. First up, they’ve been shown to reduce inflammation, a condition linked with several life-limiting diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer, as well as several autoimmune diseases and oxidative stress – the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Basically, flavonoids can quite literally keep you young at heart. But inflammation is also associated with several age-related mental conditions, such as cognitive decline and impaired memory. Earlier this year, research published in the journal BMC Medicine found a link between flavonoid intake and the prevention of dementia. This happens thanks to flavonoids’ ability to stimulate the production of nitric oxide, which helps dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow. The more blood flowing oxygen to your brain, the better it will function – and the better your memory will work, too. That’s before you consider research demonstrating flavanols’ aesthetic achievements. One study published in the Journal Of Nutrition found that cocoa flavanols specifically improved skin elasticity and the appearance of facial wrinkles, while Canadian researchers found they played a role in preventing skin ageing from UV light
