CHOCOLATE Chocolate contains threobromine and flavanols that are known to promote cardiovascular health. As preeclampsia is characterized by cardiovascular dysfunction, could chocolate be used to prevent preeclampsia?
KEY FINDINGS A case-control study of 1681 women found that women eating 5+ servings of chocolate a week had a 40% decreased risk of preeclampsia compared to those consuming 1 serving or less a week in the third trimester of pregnancy (Epidemiology, 2008) Another cohort study in 2010 supported these findings, reporting more than a 50% reduction in risk of preeclampsia with regular chocolate consumption during pregnancy compared with no chocolate consumption. (Ann Epidemiol, 2010) A RCT found blood pressures in the third trimester of pregnancy were KEY FINDINGS lower in women who consumed 30 grams of chocolate daily (treatment group) compared to women who did not (control group, regular diet). The study did not report the rates of preeclampsia between the groups. (Fetal Diag Ther, 2012) A recent trial randomized women to consume 30g of high quality dark chocolate or 30g low quality chocolate daily. There was no difference in the risk of preeclampsia between the groups. (Fetal Diag Ther, 2017) Another RCT started around the same time had to stop due to low recruitment rates and high drop-out rates. The researchers found that women did not want to continue with the study if they were randomized to the no chocolate group.
CONCLUSION While delicious, the benefit of chocolate for the prevention of preeclampsia is not known at this time.