More Health Benefits Of Chocolate: Reduces Risk Of Pregnancy Complication

More Health Benefits Of Chocolate: Reduces Risk Of Pregnancy Complication in General Healthcare

There has been plenty of research showing that eating chocolate — dark chocolate in particular — can actually be beneficial for your health.

So what are the health benefits of chocolate?

Studies have provided a strong link that consuming dark chocolate in moderation can ease blood pressure, widen arteries, and help blood circulation.

Now, a new study is adding on to chocolate’s health advantages.

Researchers at Yale University recently found that expecting mothers who eat chocolate reduce their risk of a condition that suddenly raises their blood pressure during pregnancy, known as preeclampsia.

The main factor is a chemical abundant in chocolate called theobromine, which is known to have positive effects on the cardiovascular system.

In the study, 2,291 women were asked how much chocolate they ate during their first and third trimesters of pregnancy. Researchers also looked at the levels of theobromine in umbilical cord blood, reported Reuters Health. All the women in the study delivered one child.

The results?

Pregnant women in their third trimester who ate at least five servings of chocolate were 40 percent less likely for developing preeclampsia than women who ate chocolate less than one week. Women in their first trimester were 19 percent less likely to get the condition.

The study also suggested the higher the concentration of theobromine helped reduce risk — those with the most theobromine in their umbilical cord blood had a 69 percent lower risk of preeclampsia.

Remember: there are calories and fat in chocolate, but the links between chocolate and good health are still strong.

“Our results raise the possibility that chocolate consumption by pregnant women may reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia,” wrote the researchers in their report.

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