Expectant mothers who give into their chocolate cravings are 50 percent less likely to develop preeclampsia, according to a new study from Yale University. AOL Health reports that preeclampsia affects 5 to 8 percent of all pregnant women in the U.S., and often causes high blood pressure, blurred vision, swelling in the legs and headaches. In severe cases, it can lead to liver problems, seizures, premature birth, stillborn babies or even the death of the mother.

Researchers found that women who consumed more chocolate, including hot cocoa, were 50 percent less likely to develop the pregnancy-related condition. These women ate three or more servings of chocolate each week.

But don’t start chowing down on Snickers just yet. The study results may be a bit distorted, since women were asked about their eating habits after giving birth. Also, the study did not look at whether the benefits only occured with dark chocolate. Dr. Roberta Lee, vice chairman of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center, criticized this as a major fault of the study, since white chocolate lacks the benefits of cocoa, and milk chocolate has very few benefits.

Dark chocolate has gotten a healthy reputation because of its flavonoids, which can lower blood pressure. And cocoa contains the vitamin magnesium, which also lowers blood pressure and can be used intravenously as a preeclampsia treatment.

If you’re going have chocolate, stick with the dark – and be sure to eat in moderation. Even dark chocolate contains hefty amounts of calories and fat, and obesity can be detrimental to a healthy pregnancy. In addition, too much sugar can lead to high blood pressure.

Photo: OhNuts