Placentophagy: a popular trend of consuming the placenta
Not only are there no health benefits, there are potential risks associated with this
A relatively new and unfortunately popularized trend is postpartum individuals consuming their placentas, also called placentophagy (from phagia - Greek, to eat).
The placenta is a temporary organ that develops during pregnancy. It attaches to the uterus and connects to the fetus via the umbilical cord.
The placenta has several purposes, including:
Providing oxygen and nutrients to the fetus
Removing harmful waste and carbon dioxide from the fetus
Producing hormones to help the fetus grow
Passing immunity to the fetus
Helping to protect the fetus
The rise of social media and advocates of placentophagy have popularized this practice, and more women are considering it as an option for postpartum recovery.
The first documented accounts of humans consuming their placentas were in the 1970s in North America, and prevalence of this practice has been increasing steadily since.
Common myths are that consuming the placenta will:
Decrease the risk of postpartum depression
Increase milk production
Reduce post delivery pain
Boost energy
Reduce postpartum bleeding
Speed up uterine recovery
Enhance maternal bonding
Boost the immune system
Proponents of placentophagy suggest that nutrients present in the placenta (that are there for the benefit of the fetus) will also be present after delivery. Studies have investigated this and have found that there are no placental nutrients and hormones in sufficient amounts after placenta encapsulation that would theoretically be beneficial for consumption.
In addition, numerous studies and systematic reviews have determined that there is no evidence to any of these purported benefits.
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