Human placentophagy

Common card · No. 362264

Human placentophagy, or consumption of the human placenta, is defined as "the ingestion of a human placenta postpartum, at any time, by any person, either in raw or altered (e.g., cooked, dried, steeped in liquid) form". It can be divided into two categories, maternal placentophagy and non-maternal placentophagy. Although there are anecdotes of several cultures practicing placentophagy in varying contexts, maternal placentophagy started in the US in the 1970s, with little to no evidence of its practice in any traditional or historic culture. Midwives and alternative-health advocates in the U.S. are the primary groups encouraging post-partum maternal placentophagy. Maternal placentophagy has a small following in Western cultures, fostered by celebrities like January Jones. The human placenta is rich in protein, iron, and nutrients, but there is inconclusive scientific evidence of any health benefit to eating it. The risks of human placentophagy are also still unclear, but in one case a mother...

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