Eating Chocolate While Trying to Conceive

Questions such as whether eating chocolate is healthy while trying to conceive often arise. While chocolate might be one of your best friend perhaps you could minimize your time together if trying to conceive, especially if you prefer chocolate that includes caffeine. Chocolate has a limited amount of caffeine and as you know some studies suggest caffeine can lower your chances of conception for as much as 50%. This is the main reason that you pay special attention not to over consume chocolate.

My personal recommendation would be to avoid processed, non-vegan etc. chocolate. Personally I say no to chocolate products that have hydrogenated oils in them, because these oils create trans fat that can be very bad to your heart, etc But I do indulge in dark chocolate (raw chocolate high in cocoa percentage) because that is a healthier option. Many people do not like the more bitter taste of dark chocolate, but dark chocolate is richer in antioxidants and has nutritional advantages comparing to the regular milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has a positive side, besides being a source of good cholesterol, dark chocolate is a soul food: a food to make you happy. Dark chocolate contains tryptophan which is a chemical that is used by the brain to produce serotonin a hormone of happiness.

Additionally, dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine, naturally occurring chemical compound, also known as known as the "love drug". Phenylethylamine is a chemical that mimics the brain chemistry of a person in love, so when its levels are high in the body it relieves depression from unrequited love. This is the main reason chocolate is known to be an aphrodisiac. And as long as dark chocolate is an aphrodisiac, it can be bad if a couple is trying to conceive, right? Additionally, some studies claim it lowers blood pressure, improves circulatory function, repairs muscles, and some claim cocoa-based prescription drugs could potentially help treat diabetes, dementia and other diseases.