This idea is also favoured by advocates of human placentophagy. Two hormones produced by the placenta — prostaglandin and oxytocin — have been identified as potential active ingredients in placental capsules.
Prostaglandins cause contraction of the uterus, which is important for helping it to return to its pre-pregnancy size. Oxytocin is an essential hormone for promoting milk ejection during lactation. Read more: I've always wondered: what's behind the belly button?
Unfortunately, there have not been any studies to determine whether the concentrations of these hormones in placenta capsules are high enough to actually induce these beneficial physiological effects.
Many biologically active substances are thought to be lost during the encapsulation process. In one of the few published studies investigating the composition of placenta capsules, only three out of the 17 hormones measured in part of the study were present in high enough levels to be physiologically relevant.
Notably, two of these hormones — oestradiol and progesterone — can actually supress milk production. Clearly, more studies are needed to substantiate claims placenta capsules provide hormonal benefits. Studies from rats have shown ingestion of the placenta can enhance the effects of opiates naturally produced by the body, that are part of the pain-relief system activated during labour and birth.
In the 19th century, pharmacies in China, South America and Eastern Europe produced placenta remedies. Up until the end of the 19th century, it was quite common for European pharmacies to sell placenta powder Enning Science is starting to back up what has been reported anecdotally. A study conducted in looked at women consuming their placenta to help with breastmilk production. Of the women that took part in the study This included an increase in breast size and an increase in quantity of milk secretion and flow.
Research conducted by Frederick Hammet Harvard Medical School demonstrated that the rate of growth of infants was enhanced when their breastfeeding mothers ingested desiccated placenta.
This was the first randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study to investigate the effects of consumption of placenta. Laboratory results showed a 7-fold higher concentration of iron in the placenta capsules versus the beef they tested. This is good news for mothers needing to increase their iron intake as placenta contains a bioavailable source of iron.
Some of the hormones and minerals the placenta contains and the benefits associated with consuming them include:. Women may consume the placenta as an additional protein contribution in poor regions [ 48 ] since a single placenta weighing g contains an average of calories, 4 g fat, mg cholesterol, 48 g protein, g of sodium, plus significant amounts of trace elements such as iron, selenium, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc [ 22 ].
Placenta also contains essential and non-essential amino acids, such as alanine, aspartic acid, arginine, histidine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, tryptophan, and valine, in addition to vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12 [ 22 ] Table 1. Regarding Vitamin A and retinoids, the placental retinyl stores could be considered a local reserve for placental use. Transformation of retinyl esters into active retinol derivatives RAs could be a simple way to regulate in situ cellular proliferation and differentiation.
This retinoid metabolism has been described in mouse and porcine placenta. Studies suggest that villous mesenchymal fibroblasts are primary sites of retinol esterification and storage in the placenta [ 61 ].
Placentophagia in humans is currently only rarely practiced, possibly for cultural reasons [ 32 ]. There are currently no known, firsthand, ethnographic accounts of placentophagia among humans as a traditional cultural practice [ 62 ]. Interest in placentophagy has grown in industrialized cities in the last 50 years [ 22 , 29 ].
The placenta is most consumed through encapsulated supplements [ 63 ]. By ingesting it, mothers seek to obtain the supposed benefits attributed to this practice, such as increasing postpartum energy, improving mood, increase in milk production quality and quantity, improving weight gain of the newborn [ 29 ], as well as decreasing postpartum depression rates [ 64 , 65 ].
However, in contrast to this information, in a study by Young et al. Likewise, Gryder et al. The authors found that the iron concentrations in the placenta capsules were higher 0. However, no significant difference in maternal iron levels was found between women consuming placenta capsules or placebo. Therefore, it was concluded that the consumption of placental capsules does not improve postpartum maternal iron levels in women who eat an adequate diet; on the contrary, if the capsules are consumed as the only supplement, it can cause postpartum iron deficiency [ 67 ].
Regarding the analgesic effect, POEF potentiates maternal behavior through opioid peptides in the ventral tegmental zone [ 37 ]. A study carried out on nonpregnant rats Rattus norvegicus observed that they show more interest in approaching newborns when they were bathed with placental material than when they were clean [ 69 ].
Conversely, Moltz et al. Other beneficial effects of placentophagia in animals are those reported by Blank and Friesen [ 52 ] in rats and include: the increase in the concentration of prolactin, decrease in the concentration of progesterone, and the increase in milk production.
As mentioned before, an analgesic effect has also been observed as a result of the activity of the placental opioid enhancing factor POEF [ 40 ] Table 1. It is important to note that some factors determine the repercussions of placentophagia. The mode of preparation and administration of placental tissues could affect the desired or purported beneficial elements.
An experiment conducted by Young et al. Similarly, Coyle et al. To counteract possible contaminating microbiological elements, the placenta for human consumption undergoes various conservation processes dehydrated, cooked, or encapsulated.
Unfortunately, at the end of such processing, the placenta loses many of the heat-labile substances considered beneficial [ 26 , 29 ] Table 2. The placenta may be ingested raw, cooked, or dehydrated raw or steamed and encapsulated into pills for use over time. Some providers adhere to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations to safely handle placental tissue. However, these regulations do not include evidence of the therapeutic efficacy of consumption. However, these have not been standardized for efficacy or safety [ 26 ].
Interestingly, eating more than 3 or 4 placentas at intervals less than 30 min has been shown to have a reverse dose-effect [ 27 , 70 ]. The only human placentophagia Randomized Controlled Trial RCT to date utilized highly processed human placental tissue steamed, high-temperature dehydrated, pulverized, and encapsulated. On the other hand, Hayes [ 51 ] mentions that the hormones retained in the placenta, such as progesterone and estrogens, can provide specific beneficial postpartum effects, such as the relief of symptoms of depression and an increase in milk production Table 1.
However, Young et al. Hormones included cortisol, progesterone, androsterone, aldosterone, allopregnanolone, androstenedione, corticosterone, cortisone, testosterone, estradiol, estriol, estrone, melatonin, and testosterone.
In contrast, melatonin and dihydrotestosterone were not found in all the samples or in lower concentrations than those detected by the method used [ 29 ]. Although, these components are found in doses under toxic levels [ 22 ], and it cannot be verified that their consumption could cause poisoning Table 2 ; however, this would depend on the case and could be at toxic levels.
An important factor is that the placenta is a tissue that has its own bacterial microbiota Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, among others [ 72 ] and can be easily contaminated; therefore, the form of its consumption influences its safety. Hence, the placental material consumption is contraindicated when the mother or newborn has a viral or bacterial disease.
In humans, if the placenta is not cooked or prepared correctly, viruses such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV , hepatitis A, and Zika cannot be eliminated and might be a risk for those who ingest it [ 72 ] Table 2. In cattle, colonization of the placenta by Brucella strains can cause abortion and excretion of large numbers of the agent at delivery. Thus, aborted fetuses, fetal membranes, and fluids contain large amounts of bacteria and pose a high risk of spread and infection if consumed or licked by other females [ 75 , 76 ] Table 2.
Similarly, when the mother is a smoker, the placenta could have cadmium deposits [ 22 ] Table 2. Due to the concentration of hormones identified, placentophagia can become an exogenous hormonal source and a health risk. Some authors have warned of the hypothetical risk of thromboembolism in women who ingest their placenta. Thromboembolism from exposure to exogenous estrogens is rare, making it difficult to investigate without large numbers of study participants.
To date, no such study has been conducted. Furthermore, there has been no case reports in the published literature of thromboembolism in a woman who consumed her placenta.
Stambough et al. In other studies, Young et al. It is worth mentioning that according to what was cited by Farr et al. This is based on the case of a baby who presented with a B streptococcal infection associated with the fact that his mother consumed contaminated placenta capsules.
Furthermore, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada does not recommend the practice of placentophagia due to the lack of safety involved in the process [ 79 ].
In contrast, Benyshek et al. Theoretically, another disadvantage of placentophagia could be the possible risk of triggering alloimmunization, which can cause harm in future pregnancies. This condition is assumed to be caused by the recognition by T cells of paternal alloantigens contained in the placenta; however, this is entirely theoretical with no supporting data [ 2 ] Table 2.
Young et al. In a survey applied to women, approximately 1 in 5 of the interviewees mentioned that they practiced placentophagia because they believed that the proposed benefits outweighed the potential risks or were interested in alternative or natural health practices [ 21 ]. However, it does not mean that placentophagia does not benefit certain women after childbirth since the placebo effects are recognized for their therapeutic value in some contexts [ 66 ].
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada does not recommend the practice of placentophagia because there are no scientifically validated studies. Placentophagia is a behavior that is commonly observed when dealing with mammals [ 54 ], especially females [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]. However, it is also observed in males of two-parent species [ 9 , 10 , 23 ] and some monogamous males who come to do it along with other paternal behaviors [ 12 ].
In addition to showing paternal behavior toward neonates, some males lick amniotic fluid before the birth, mechanically assist the delivery, open an airway by clearing the nostrils, lick and sniff pups after birth to clean the pups of membranes, and eat the placenta. Other exceptions have been noted in domestic animals e. As described above, there are many possible explanations for the phenomenon.
That is, whether they are prey or predatory species prey animals need to keep their nest clean to avoid attracting predators or altricial or precocial animals precocial species can be incorporated into group activities without needing to stay in a nest Table 1.
Placentophagy does not frequently occur in horses, and therefore it is not well documented. Confirmation of placentophagia in horses may have difficulties because the clinical implications in the detection of placental expulsion, management conditions of the neonatal foal, and also the potential for postpartum colic in the mare secondary to the placental ingestion, as an atypical substrate [ 82 ].
There is a positive correlation between the intake of amniotic fluid and consumption of the placenta, with the development of the bond between the mother and the offspring [ 16 , 54 , 55 ], observed in sheep [ 56 ], primates [ 58 ], bitches [ 54 ], and rabbits [ 59 ] Table 1. It should be noted that when a mutated version of the gene MEST1 is found in mice, maternal behavior and placentophagia is suppressed [ 83 ].
There is also a gene PEG3 analogous to MEST1, with the same effect in humans, but it is unknown if there is any homologous gene in other species [ 84 ]. In some rodents, placentophagia is not exclusive to females; for example, male Djungarian hamsters Phodopus campbelli also consume the placenta and assist the female during their calving young. In addition to showing paternal behavior toward neonates, males licked amniotic fluid before the birth, mechanically assisted the delivery, opened an airway by clearing the nostrils, licked and sniffed pups in the moments and minutes after birth to clean the pups of membranes, and ate the placenta [ 10 ].
In hamsters Phodopus campbelli , male and female offspring, 24 days old, who have remained in the nest together with their mother, also consume the placenta and amniotic fluid while the mother calves another litter [ 85 ]. Harding and Lonstein [ 11 ] found that weanling female laboratory rats participated in placentophagia while their mothers gave birth to a subsequent litter, and most ingested placenta outside the home cage.
Several studies suggest that the factor that stimulates placentophagia is related to oxytocin, which significantly increases when labor is near and immediately afterward triggers strong uterine contractions, as in rabbits [ 86 ]. In male mice Peromyscus californicus , this behavior varies according to the reproductive stage in which it is found, being significantly higher when its mate is pregnant compared to when its mate is not pregnant [ 9 ].
They separated the newly whelped bitches from puppies at birth, cleaning the amniotic fluid and placental remains off the puppies. It was observed that, for the puppies that were resoiled with amniotic fluid, the bitches accepted the pups and generated a bond with them, while concerning the puppies who had their amniotic fluid wholly removed, the mothers rejected them Table 1. Newly calved cows are attracted to ingestion of the placenta and amniotic fluid, as reported by Machado et al.
The latter conducted preference tests on the placenta and amniotic fluid consumption in Holstein cows during the peripartum. They conclude that cows prefer silages when mixed with donor cow placentas and that this attraction can occur even before calving. In beef cattle, during licking of the calf and fetal membranes, cows frequently ingest some or all of the placenta 2 to 6 h after calving.
In buffalo, the time dedicated to this behavior is higher in the multiparous than in primiparous cows [ 90 ], similar to that observed in other ruminants [ 55 ]. In studies carried out by Pinheiro et al. The increase in analgesia observed in cattle after the ingestion of amniotic fluid immediately after calving lasted up to an hour after calving [ 27 , 32 ]. Also, in river buffalo Bubalus bubalis , the amniotic fluid that covers the newborn attracts the mother, and licking the newborn helps to create the mother—calf bond [ 57 ] Table 1.
During the estrous cycle and practically all gestation, sheep have a strong aversion to amniotic fluid; in contrast, in the peripartum, these fluids become very attractive to the mother, reflected in an intense activity of licking the offspring by the mother [ 91 ], which initiates the ewe-lamb bond. However, there are few studies about placental consumption around the peripartum in sheep.
Regarding goats, Ramirez et al. Licking the placenta without consuming it was more frequent in goats delivering singletons Their research reported that primiparous goats Studies indicate that domestic horses, as well as camels or wildebeests, do not perform placentophagia. Therefore, confirmation of placentophagia in horses may have difficulties because of the clinical implications in detecting placental expulsion because owners frequently remove the placenta [ 82 ].
Therefore, mares are not required to ingest the placenta to protect against predators at the birth site [ 1 ]. Placentophagia is a common mammalian behavior that has gained popularity among women in the past 50 years for its purported benefits.
Certain herbivorous mammals, such as the rabbit, buffalo, and cow, consume the placenta at the time of parturition, strengthening the mother—offspring bond. Also, this temporal change in their feeding habits could keep the nest clean and hidden from predators or because of the energy, hormones, and analgesic effect that its consumption contributes.
Placentophagia is rare in species like horses or goats. In some rodent species, males may consume it. In women, the controversy continues among researchers who report that there is no scientific rigor to support the benefits of placentophagia. In contrast, others attribute benefits to placentophagia, such as increased milk production, mood improvement, decreased postpartum depression, and fatigue, and more weight gain in the newborn.
While many new mothers hail the health benefits of eating the afterbirth, critics say that the practice could be more harmful than helpful. We take a look at the evidence for both sides of the argument. The placenta is an organ that forms on the wall of the uterus during pregnancy, and it is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord.
When a mother gives birth, the placenta is also delivered. If delivering vaginally, the placenta will normally follow the baby within 5 minutes, though it can take up to half an hour. If it is through a cesarean delivery, the placenta will be removed during surgery.
So what happens to the placenta after birth? While most hospitals and birthing centers will automatically treat placentas as medical waste, mothers can request to keep them.
But in recent years, more and more new mothers are opting for a somewhat controversial practice: placentophagy. Placentophagy is simply the practice of consuming the placenta after birth. It is believed that the practice derives from ancient Chinese medicine, wherein the organ would be used to help treat medical conditions such as infertility and liver problems.
The most popular method of placenta consumption — highly favored by the aforementioned celebrities — is encapsulation , in which the placenta is dehydrated, ground, and put into a capsule. There are many midwives or doulas who can provide this service. The placenta can make up to pills. Shortly after birth, mothers may take their placenta pills as a daily supplement.
For mothers with a stronger stomach, eating the placenta raw — in a smoothie, for example — or cooking and preparing it for a meal may be preferable. The Doula Services Network provide some interesting placenta recipes , including placenta lasagna and placenta spaghetti.
It was tender, kind of like roast brisket and not dissimilar to Texas BBQ. Preparation practices aside, there is really only one question that expectant mothers want answered: is eating placenta beneficial? There is little scientific evidence proving that placentophagy offers health benefits.
But research has shown that the afterbirth contains a variety of nutrients — such as fiber, protein, and potassium — as well as hormones including estradiol and testosterone. What is more, there is an abundance of mothers across the globe who claim that placentophagy helped to improve their postnatal health, and many advocates believe that these personal experiences defeat science.
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