by Jude Coyle

Created on: July 15, 2010   Last Updated: July 16, 2010

According to studies, women crave chocolate during pregnancy more than any other food. Which isn't really surprising. Any chocoholic who had made it through gestation will tell you that nothing under the sun has ever tasted so wonderful at that time in their lives as French silk pie from Baker's Square, or Eli's double chocolate chip cheesecake, or even Jello chocolate pudding.... It's heaven on a spoon. Hershey's Special Dark is good enough to make one's eyes roll up in the back of the head as it lusciously melts over the tongue. 

At best pregnancy is stressful. Enough so, Mom will think of something else, something calming when having to face aggravation, large and small. It's hard knowing the that most special moment in a woman's life is about to happen, and some know-it-all says, "No! Too much caffeine! Too much sugar!" And how stressful is it to not be able to see one's feet?  A chunk of a Toblerone would be so satisfying. Then when doctor lectures Mom about how she can no longer be selfish. She isn't eating for two, she's developing a new living creature, and she must keep in mind the health of the baby. Of course Bryer's Double Chocolate Moose Track's Ice Cream could be just what Mom needs when she finds out how high her health insurance deductible is. So calming....

Well, Mom, good news. Ask your doctor. He or she will tell you that chocolate isn't as bad as we've always thought it was. In fact, it has beneficial side effects. 

First off, studies have found that Moms who indulge in large amounts of dark chocolate, and the darker the better, are less likely to suffer from pre-eclampsia. In particular was a study performed in 2008 at Yale. According to their findings, there is a chemical, called theobromine, in chocolate, which is known to stimulate the heart, relax smooth muscle and dilate blood vessels. Pre-eclampsia is a condition that causes hypertension in pregnant women, and is identified by significant amounts of protein in urine. Studies have shown that women with large amounts of theobromine in their cord blood after delivery were less likely to suffer from pre-eclampsia than women without. In fact, women who eats five or more helpings of chocolate a week during the last trimester has a 40% less chance of developing it. 

Another study conducted at the University of Helsinki in Finland in 2004 found that mothers who consumed high amounts of chocolate during their pregnancy had happier babies. Six months after birth, new mothers were asked to grade their babies on such attributes as fear, soothability, smiling and laughter, etc. They found that these babies were generally happier, less fearful and easier to sooth than babies whose mothers didn't indulge. 

Chocolate is rich in magnesium, which is an important catalyst for fatty acid metabolism, and more magnesium is needed in the development of the fetus’ brain. Chocolate also has antioxidant qualities, which are important in the fight against cancer and cardiovascular disease, and to bolster the immune system.

Before inhaling that chocolate cupcake, doctors stress that chocolate consumed during pregnancy should be as dark as possible. Sugar, calories, fat and other additives are a concern. Milk chocolate particularly, is discouraged as dairy interferes with the absorption of flavonoids.

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