Scientists are fighting against preconceived ideas and claiming that, no, eating the placenta after childbirth is not beneficial for your health, quite the contrary.
What do Joey Starr and Kourtney Kardashian have in common? Are they stars? Yes not bad. Are they parents? Yes, you are burning, but still a little effort. No really not ? Well, let’s help you: these three celebrities, like dozens of others, have admitted to having eaten the placenta after the birth of their baby. Do you find that weird? They find it rather normal since, according to a popular belief now widespread, eating this organ which aims to connect the embryo to the uterine wall would be good for health.
And yet, according to a Northwestern University study, there is no tangible scientific evidence for these benefits. On the contrary, ingesting the placenta could cause certain unwanted effects. The study, a little teasing on the subject, recommends that the celebrities concerned (and not just them, if you were ever tempted) to consult doctors rather than follow the advice found on blogs and some questionable sites.
A common practice among stars
The works, published in the journal Archives of Women’s Mental Health, inform us that consuming the placenta would not cure postnatal depression, nor would it relieve labor pains. To do this, the scientists looked at various studies concerning this eating habit in humans, but also in animals. They concluded that eating the placenta, raw, cooked or stewed is not necessarily a good idea.
“There are a lot of testimonials from women who claim that consuming their baby’s placenta is beneficial, but it is still subjective. However, no research has been done on the risks of this practice, ”says Dr. Crystal Clark, in charge of the study. Scientists therefore do not rule out the possibility that eating the placenta could affect the quality of breast milk, and therefore of the baby’s diet. “Women absolutely need to be more careful about what they eat during this period.” Advice that does not concern Joey Starr, however, who does not breastfeed his child (well until proven guilty).
Thus, women do not know what they are ingesting when they consume the placenta. According to the study, there is no protection taken at the time of preservation of the organ and, like a “classic” food, there is no adequate preservation for this type of food.
No food tracking
In China, eating your placenta is a common custom. A centuries-old practice of Chinese medicine, it would allow young mothers to ward off the “baby blues” and avoid depression. If this study tends to prove the opposite to us, we strongly advise you not to give in to temptation, so as not to have to wonder if succumbing to cannibalism was a good idea. In France, however, it remains impossible to recover the placenta after giving birth in hospital. But for young mothers who give birth at home, anything is possible …
.