Guest Author - Deborah Markus

In yet another example of chocolate's potential health benefits, a study from Yale University suggests that the consumption of chocolate by pregnant women may lower their chances of developing preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is unusual but not rare, as it affects between three and eight percent of all pregnancies. The mother's blood pressure rises and she retains a great deal of fluid. Protein in the urine is also a symptom of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a leading cause of premature birth, and in the worst cases, it can lead to miscarriage and infant death. Left untreated, preeclampsia can also develop into eclampsia, which can cause convulsions, coma, and even death to the mother.

No one knows what causes preeclampsia, and though it can be treated (often with bed rest and magnesium sulfate), there is no cure. All that can be hoped for and worked toward are the safe delivery of the baby and the recovery of the mother. Because it can develop suddenly, and can occur at any time during pregnancy (though it's most likely in the last trimester), it is crucial that expectant mothers have proper prenatal care by a knowledgeable, competent caregiver.

It's clear, then, that some good news regarding this condition is cause for celebration. The Yale study doesn't offer a cure, but the information it offers may give women a better chance of enjoying a healthy pregnancy and a full-term birth.

According to a Reuters Health report, an online article at Medical News Today's site, and other news sources, chocolate may help prevent women from developing preeclampsia.

Women in the study were checked for the presence of theobromine in their umbilical cord blood. Theobromine, a chemical cousin of caffeine and a mild stimulant, is a bitter alkaloid found in cacao and chocolate. It crosses the placental barrier, and so can be used as a biomarker to check the mother's consumption of chocolate. This is naturally a more reliable test of how much chocolate has been eaten than word of mouth, since memory can be faulty and embarrassment might set in when the subject is questioned as to how much of a treat she has eaten.

The women in the study who consumed the most chocolate during their pregnancies were least likely to develop preeclampsia. Women who had less than one serving a week during their last trimester were most likely to develop it.

Bear in mind the numbers under discussion -- 5.5 percent of women on the lowest end of the chocolate-consumption spectrum developed preeclampsia, compared to 2.9 percent of women who ate more of it. Potentially very significant -- but the scientists themselves stress that this study is just the beginning of the research that still needs to be done.

As usual, it should be kept in mind that dark chocolate is a better bet than milk for health benefits, and chocolate should be enjoyed as a treat. The only thing it should possibly be replacing in one's diet is another dessert.