Having chocolate, coffee or tea in combination with zinc can help fight aging

Although the mere thought of chocolate can bring joy to most people's faces, few people would badociate it with the fight against aging. But chocolate in itself does not have that effect on you; only when it is combined with zinc, claims a new study.

Aging and low life expectancy are caused, at least in part, by oxidative stress, said researchers from the University of Erlangen – Nuremberg in Germany.

A compound in foods – such as coffee with wine, tea and chocolate – with zinc can help protect you from oxidative stress.

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The study, published in the journal Nature Chemistry, discovered that Zinc can activate an organic molecule that helps protect against oxidative stress.

"It is certainly possible that wine, coffee, tea or chocolate will be available in the future with added zinc", said Ivana Ivanovi-Burmazov of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. "However, any alcohol content would destroy the positive effects of this combination", said Ivanovi-Burmazovi.

This component of foods like chocolate is a group of hydroquinone found in polyphenols, the vegetable substances responsible for smell and taste, researchers said.

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Zinc activates the hydroquinone groups, producing a natural protection against superoxide, a byproduct of human cellular respiration that damages the body's own biomolecules, for example proteins or lipids, as well as the human genome.

Superoxide is thought to play a role in the aging process and in a number of diseases such as inflammation, cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. Hydroquinone alone is not able to break down superoxide. However, if zinc and hydroquinone combine, a metal complex is created that mimics the superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD).

These enzymes created by the combination of zinc and chocolate protect the body from degradation processes caused by oxidation and have an antioxidant effect.

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In this way, superoxide can be metabolized and damage to the body avoided; oxidative stress is avoided. For the first time, the function of this enzyme has been copied without returning to the redox-active transition metals such as manganese, iron, copper or nickel.

Zinc is much less toxic than transition metals, which makes it possible to create new drugs or supplements with fewer side effects, researchers said. It would also be plausible to add zinc to foods containing hydroquinone naturally to improve health, they said.

Although metals can also have an antioxidant effect, all positive effects are quickly offset by the fact that if they take too much, they can increase oxidative stress.

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