Chocolate for Ageing? Friendship & The Nervous System Explained

The Wellness Scoop

Mental Health, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.7 • 5.9K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2026

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week we’re unpacking three of the health stories that have been everywhere as January gets underway. We start with why friendship and social connection are now being talked about as a serious health issue, from loneliness in our 30s to the growing evidence that connection supports mental health, reduces inflammation and even influences longevity. We then look at the headlines linking dark chocolate to ageing, breaking down the new research on cocoa compounds and biological age, why it was picked up so widely, and what it does and doesn’t mean in real life. As ever, context matters more than hype. Finally, we dive into the nervous system and the vagus nerve, one of the biggest wellness trends heading into 2026. We explain what’s actually going on beneath the buzz, why so many people feel overstimulated and wired, and what genuinely helps your nervous system feel calmer and more regulated, without falling for quick fixes. Order your copy of Ella's new book: ⁠⁠⁠Quick Wins: Healthy Cooking for Busy Lives⁠⁠⁠ Pre-order your copy of Rhi's upcoming book: ⁠⁠⁠The Fibre Formula⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by SimProve. SimProve is a live and active bacteria supplement and it's
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1:28.3	Welcome to the Wellness Scoop, your weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration. And as always, we are here as your host. I'm Ella Males. And I'm Rihanna Lambert. And after a decade in the wellness industry, we know how overwhelming and confusing health advice can be. So we created this
1:45.1	podcast to cut through the noise and make healthier living, simple, fun and personal. And guys,
1:50.9	as we are coming up to our one year birthday, we just hit, as of last week, five million downloads,
1:59.0	which is mega.
2:03.2	Every time you say the numbers, I just laugh.
2:06.6	It's like this instinctive protective mechanism of shock.
2:07.5	I know.
	...

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