Cocoa During Pregnancy: What You Should Know About It

Cocoa during pregnancy: so much is ok

Pregnancy means an immense change for the female body. In addition, the expectant mother should abstain from substances and foods that could harm the unborn child. This includes everyday drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.

Cocoa also contains caffeine and should therefore only be consumed in moderation during pregnancy.

• Chocolate contains up to 50mg of caffeine per 50g. However, the exact amount depends heavily on the cocoa content. The World Health Organization (WHO) therefore recommends consuming a maximum of 400 g of chocolate per day. You can read about healthy alternatives to chocolate at FOCUS Online.
• A cup of cocoa contains 10-15 mg of caffeine. Therefore, according to the WHO, a daily amount of 6 cups should not be exceeded.

This is why cocoa can become problematic:

Cocoa is a plant product that contains alkaloids. These are substances of the secondary metabolism of the plant. In nature, they serve to protect against being eaten by having an effect on the organism of the enemy.

• Humans take advantage of this mechanism when consuming everyday drugs. The caffeine contained in coffee, tea, or chocolate stimulates us.
• Humans have an enzyme that metabolizes this potential toxin and renders it harmless. However, unborn fetuses do not.
• Therefore, caffeine is suspected of causing serious damage to the unborn child.
• The WHO classifies a daily intake of 200-300 mg of caffeine as harmless.
• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends not to exceed a daily caffeine intake of 200 mg.
• The cocoa bean also contains caffeine, but only 0.2 percent.
• Accordingly, cocoa bean products also contain caffeine and should only be consumed with caution during pregnancy.