OVERVIEW
Dark Chocolate Benefit For Pregnancy. During pregnancy, when you’re eating for two, you sometimes have strange and sudden cravings. One of which is pretty much guaranteed: chocolate! We have to say it: when you’re out of chocolate in the evening, sending your partner out to get some is justifiable!
Benefits of dark chocolate early in pregnancy
Chocolate especially dark chocolate contains flavonoids. This is a naturally occurring compound that is part of the polyphenol family, which is rich in antioxidants. Many foods contain flavonoids, including vegetables, berries, red wine, and green tea. Then some research suggests they may lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other common diseases. Flavonoids also may improve vasodilation, or the widening of the blood vessels, thus improving blood pressure.
This latest study of chocolate and pregnant women tried to determine whether flavonoids might affect women’s blood pressure or fetal growth. They split women into two groups and had them eat a small amount of chocolate daily. One group ate chocolate with a high flavonoid content and the other ate chocolate with a low flavonoid content.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Result: Dark Chocolate Benefit For Pregnancy
While they didn’t find any benefits on blood pressure. Also on the size of the placenta or the baby’s birth weight, both groups did show some improvement in blood flow to the uterine arteries. That blood flow helps the placenta develop and function normally, leading to good pregnancy outcomes.
This study did not examine whether chocolate itself was good for pregnant women and their babies. It looked specifically to see whether there were any differences in the outcomes of the two groups of women. Those who ate high levels of flavonoids compared to those who ate fewer flavonoids. There was no control group of women who didn’t eat chocolate.
It’s also important to note that these women were eating this chocolate during the late first trimester to the end of the second trimester. The study did not require the women to eat chocolate in the third trimester.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Is eating dark chocolate good or bad during pregnancy?
Eating chocolate when you’re pregnant is perfectly safe. But, of course, you should enjoy it in moderation, paying close attention to caffeine, sugar, and calorie levels. You should choose high-quality chocolate that is, ideally, low in sugar.
Caffeine is a stimulant that can harm the fetus, so pregnant women should not consume more than 20g per day in total. 100g of dark chocolate contains about 8g of caffeine, so enjoy it in moderation and don’t drink too much coffee.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Eating dark chocolate while pregnant: Dark Chocolate Benefit For Pregnancy
The benefits that chocolate provides depend on the percentage of cocoa that it contains. So the darker the chocolate, the more it will benefit both the mother and child.
You don’t have to completely avoid milk chocolate when pregnant, but it’s less suitable as it’s higher in sugar.
Researchers at Yale University have shown that eating chocolate reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia by almost 70% due to the theobromine contained in cocoa, which has diuretic, cardiotonic and vasodilatory effects.
For this reason, we recommend eating around 30g of dark chocolate from the first trimester onwards to improve circulation and reduce blood pressure. In addition, chocolate improves mood and reduces stress by increasing levels of endorphins and serotonin in the brain.
It should also be remembered that dark chocolate is high in iron and magnesium. Iron is essential for maintaining hemoglobin levels during pregnancy and magnesium helps metabolize fatty acids.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Eating chocolate while pregnant makes the child (and mother) Happier
A study published in New Scientist Magazine revealed that women who had eaten chocolate gave birth to happier and more lively babies. The researchers randomly selected some mothers with six-month-old children. And asked them how often they had eaten chocolate during their pregnancy. They were then asked to rate how happy their children were. Mothers who ate chocolate more frequently during pregnancy gave their children a higher happiness rating than mothers who did not eat it regularly.
Another interesting outcome of the study revealed that eating chocolate protected children from maternal stress. The mothers who never ate chocolate showed high levels of stress during pregnancy.
For mothers with a sweet tooth, we recommend chocolate with Piedmont Hazelnuts. They, as well as being delicious and crunchy, are perfect for reducing LDL cholesterol and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Warning: Dark Chocolate Benefit For Pregnancy
We only recommend avoiding chocolate if you struggle to control your blood sugar or have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy brings enough stress and things to worry about. Fortunately, craving chocolate at midnight isn’t one of them!
I was taken a little aback when I read these headlines in February 2016: “Pregnant women rejoice! Chocolate during pregnancy has awesome health benefits,” and “Daily chocolate during pregnancy helps mom and baby.”
Another study result:
They were referring to a study presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting that looked at the effects of daily chocolate intake during pregnancy. While these headlines appeared to be cause for celebration, it’s important to pause and look a little more closely at the study’s details – which didn’t receive as much attention in the press. Specifically, I was concerned about when during pregnancy these women were given chocolate.
At about the same time, this study was being presented, my pediatric cardiology colleagues and I were treating a patient in her third trimester whose baby we suspected had prenatal constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus, in which a blood vessel that connects the right side of the heart to the aorta in a fetus begins to close prematurely.
In looking at a possible cause, we made sure the patient wasn’t taking any medications that could trigger this. Then a cardiologist asked about her diet, and specific foods high in flavonoids – grape juice, red wine, and chocolate! She shared a study with us that looked at the association of these substances and changes in blood flow in the ductus arteriosus.
Read also: Cloves and Bay leaf for pregnancy
Epilogue:
So here we were worried about a possible negative side effect of chocolate consumption late in pregnancy while a highly publicized study was touting possible benefits early in pregnancy!
Women often want to know what not to eat while pregnant. We warn them to avoid foods such as soft cheeses, uncooked seafood, and alcohol, but we don’t want to deprive them of everything they love! So, is dark chocolate safe for you and your baby during pregnancy? Let’s take a look.
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