Odunayo Bolarinwa
Have you ever heard about placentophagy? It is the act of eating placenta of your baby after birth.
The media was agog in 2015 when Kim Kardashian declared that she was going to make her baby’s placenta into capsules for her own consumption. This trend is gradually gaining attention in the developed countries especially the USA. Some mothers believe in it medicinal ability to prevent postpartum depression and boost milk production some health expert kick against the intake of the placenta.
Supporters of placenta eating connect it to being a natural that many animals practice of eating the afterbirth of their offspring. Believers of placenta eating sometimes grind it into powder, which is made into capsules, smoothies, and even use it as meat for stew!
Here are the risks and benefits associated with eating placenta;
‘Benefits’ of Eating Placenta
There is no definite research to proof that eating placenta does the following. This is all based on projected claims, feelings and assumptions.
- Increase the body’s iron supply
- Increase breast milk production
- Gives more energy
- Brightens the mother’s mood
- Makes it easy for mother and child to bond well
Dangers of Eating Placenta
- The vagina area that is the central area of birth is full of bacteria that can compromise the health status of any placenta
- There is a high risk of getting bacteria and viral infection from taking placenta even with the best of care
- Not all bacteria or infection can be taken away by cooking, refrigerating or processing the placenta
- People who eat placenta has been known to come down with Hepatitis B, HIV, group B streptococcus infection etc
- Your baby is not left out, he/she can come down with infections because the mother is taking in placenta
While some mothers in the US think eating their baby’s placenta is beneficial to their health. There is no proof in science to back up this claims. Northwestern University reviewed the acclaimed benefits of eating placenta and they discovered that it does not benefit a mother’s health in any way. Many health experts believe that the dangers of eating placenta is greater than any purported benefits.
Like i said, it has not being proven but kit has it’s pros and cons. Kindly make a simple research about this and you might just be shocked about what you would see or hear. I am not saying you should go all out there looking for a placental to eat. It’s just a research and we hope you find this article helpful. If you have suggestions about this, kindly put it in the comment box below. Thanks for reading.
DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE WITH YOUR EMAIL BELOW AND GET MORE OF THIS EVERYDAY
Comments