Chocolate May Reduce the Risk of Miscarriage
Pregnant chocolate lovers will no doubt be happy to know that their chocolate cravings may actually be good for them and their unborn babies. A new research study has shown that eating chocolate on a daily basis appears to lower the risk of suffering a miscarriage. The research also found that suffering from morning sickness significantly reduced the chances of miscarriage. In fact researchers found that when it came to morning sickness the more morning sickness the better the protection.
In fact consumer health advocate and holistic nutritionist Mike Adams has stated “chocolate is a genuine healing food”. Many recent studies have suggested that chocolate may hold the ability to help prevent cancer, boost the function of the liver and improve both energy levels and mood.
The key to realizing these potential benefits, however, is to be sure you are getting genuine cacao, and not chocolate that is comprised primarily of fat and sugar. It is important to look for a cacao content of at least 75 percent, and preferably higher, and to buy organic brands of chocolate whenever possible. This will allow chocolate lovers to indulge and satisfy their sweet tooth while enjoying health benefits at the same time. The researchers from a recent study have claimed that chocolate also helped pregnant women to boost their mood and their energy levels.
This miscarriage study also showed that there was no evidence that women who work full time face a greater risk of miscarriage compared to those who worked part time or stayed at home. This was true even if the job in question involved standing for more than six hours a day or required heavy lifting. However, those women who said that their jobs were demanding or stressful were at significantly greater risk for miscarriage within the first three months of pregnancy.
The study also found that women were at greater risk of a miscarriage if the father of the child was over 45. Women who were underweight prior to becoming pregnant were also found to be 72% more likely to suffer a miscarriage during the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy.
Of course further research is ongoing into the various causes and risk factors for miscarriage, and women who are pregnant should be sure to keep in close contact with both their primary care physicians and their obstetricians. The best defense against any of these risk factors is good prenatal care.
