Eating Chocolate While Pregnant Is Actually Good for Your Baby

You may not be able to have your usual morning and afternoon lattes or that evening glass of rosé, but there will be chocolate! A new Canadian study found that eating chocolate while pregnant is actually good for both you and your baby.

Researchers at the Université Laval Québec City now say chocolate high in flavanol—antioxidants naturally found in cocoa—contributes to fetal growth and placenta efficiency.  What’s more, chocolate is also said to reduce the risks of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure.

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In the study, researchers followed 129 pregnant women with single pregnancies between 11 and 14 weeks gestation. The women—some eating high-flavanol chocolate and others low-flavanol—consumed 30 grams of chocolate every day for 12 weeks. The study ultimately found that both groups showed marked improvement and concluded that chocolate could have a positive impact on placenta and fetal growth and development, although chocolate’s effects are not solely due to the flavanol content.

So next time you have a serious craving for chocolate, give in! It really is good for you.

Now you’ll want to read this article on the 10 Things You Should Never Say to a Pregnant Woman.

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