X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Pregnant Women Should Eat More Chocolate, a Study Suggests

4 min read
Pregnant Women Should Eat More Chocolate, a Study SuggestsPregnant Women Should Eat More Chocolate, a Study Suggests

Chocolate during pregnancy has awesome health benefits but only for a limited period.

‘Pregnant women eat chocolate!’ announced news headlines last year. These articles described a study that found eating chocolate daily can benefit your unborn baby!

Given the lengthy list of foods that women are told to avoid during pregnancy – including seafood, soft cheese and alcohol – this news is likely warmly welcomed by mums-to-be. Plus, most women love chocolate!

It’s the flavonoids

Chocolate – particularly dark chocolate – contains flavonoids. This is a naturally occurring compound that is rich in antioxidants. Flavonoids are part of the polyphenol – a type of phytochemical – family.

Many foods such as vegetables, berries, red wine, and green tea contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are known for lowering the risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other common diseases.

Chocolate contains a type of flavanols that has been linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular problems and lower cholesterol. The darker the chocolate, the more flavanols It has.

The study presented to the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine concluded that eating chocolate everyday has positive effects on a pregnant mum’s foetal growth and development. This is because flavonoids in the chocolate improves blood flow in the mother’s body.

Increased blood flow helps the placenta to develop and function normally. This should result in a good outcome for the pregnancy.

Pregnant women eat chocolate but know when to stop

Pregnant Women Eat Chocolate

Talk to your doctor about what you can eat in your third trimester. Pregnant women eat chocolate in moderation. | Image Source: Pexels

But Dr Robyn Horsager-Boehrer from the UT Southwestern says it is important to look a little closer at the details of this study.

She points out that the study did not examine whether chocolate itself was good for pregnant women and their babies.

“I am also specifically concerned about when pregnant women should be eating chocolate.”  Are there possible negative effects of eating dark chocolate during the third trimester?

“Doctors have known for a long time that anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen can cause pulmonary hypertension in pregnant women. So, we caution expectant mums not to take them especially in the third trimester,” says Dr Robyn.

She says research as also found that food rich in polyphenols (such as dark chocolate) can also trigger this condition.

“In this study, pregnant women were eating chocolate during the first trimester and second trimester. This study did not require the women to eat chocolate in the third trimester.”

Pregnant women eat chocolate in moderation

Robyn concludes that expectant mums can eat a little chocolate early in their pregnancy. As the study concludes, it can benefit your blood flow and therefore, your baby.

“And, when you get to your third trimester, talk to your doctor about whether you should scale back on your chocolate consumption,” she says.

Also remember that chocolate doesn’t have much nutritional value. So you never want to go overboard with it.

If you’re going to have chocolate during pregnancy, here are 6 things to remember: 

pregnant women eat chocolate

Pregnant women eat chocolate in moderation. | Source: Pexels

1. Keep it pure
If you want chocolate, have chocolate not a chocolate cake.  This gives the intense chocolate flavour without the extra calories and unhealthy fats

2. Opt for dark
The darker the chocolate, the more flavonoids (and usually less sugar) it contains.  This is the stuff that is rich in antioxidants. 

3. Think bite-size
30 grams a day is a bite-size amount of chocolate. Remember moderation is key. 

4. Savour it
Slow down and enjoy it instead of gobbling it down on the go. This maximises the pleasure of eating it and stops you from overeating. 

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Centre

Also read: Dark chocolate can correct hormonal imbalance

 

Partner Stories
Reducing The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: What You Should Know
Reducing The Risk Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: What You Should Know
A Life-Changing Decision Mums Might Need to Make Before Birth
A Life-Changing Decision Mums Might Need to Make Before Birth
What Medications Are Not Safe To Take During Pregnancy?
What Medications Are Not Safe To Take During Pregnancy?
Mums-to-be, nutrients for you means nutrients for two!
Mums-to-be, nutrients for you means nutrients for two!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

ddc-calendar
Get ready for the baby’s arrival by adding your due date.
OR
Calculate your due date
img
Written by

Elaine Boey

  • Home
  • /
  • Pregnancy
  • /
  • Pregnant Women Should Eat More Chocolate, a Study Suggests
Share:
  • Chocolate Origin calls out to all choco lovers!

    Chocolate Origin calls out to all choco lovers!

  • Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Can Help Correct Hormonal Imbalance in Women

    Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Can Help Correct Hormonal Imbalance in Women

  • 10 Signs Your Husband is Cheating, According to a Former Mistress

    10 Signs Your Husband is Cheating, According to a Former Mistress

  • Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

    Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

app info
get app banner
  • Chocolate Origin calls out to all choco lovers!

    Chocolate Origin calls out to all choco lovers!

  • Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Can Help Correct Hormonal Imbalance in Women

    Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Can Help Correct Hormonal Imbalance in Women

  • 10 Signs Your Husband is Cheating, According to a Former Mistress

    10 Signs Your Husband is Cheating, According to a Former Mistress

  • Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

    Why it's getting harder to keep baby safe in this world

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on pregnancy.