Placentophagia:

Do Our Placentas Offer a Way to Stave Off Post Partum Depression

There really is not a lot that can take a Naturopathic Doctor by surprise when it comes to "folk remedies" or "natural cures." Typically anything a patient asks me about is something I've heard of, potentially prescribed, and often come across some reference to either at a conference, in a journal, or even in my own reading. This was definitely not the case recently when a patient of mine asked how she might go about eating her placenta (placentophagy) after the pending birth of her third child.

Now – I really do consider myself to be open minded, liberal, and perhaps even a bit "fringe" in my approach to health and wellness especially.....but this really caught me off guard! She didn't ask if she could, or if she should, consume the placenta after her child was born, but had jumped right into HOW. This particular question presumed that I would be aware of this practice, and be able to offer some sound advice about the preparation of a placenta for consumption....but in reality I was still caught up in the WHY. So, it was time to roll up my sleeves, keep an open mind, and learn as much as I could. Turns out, there was a lot to read on the topic, and not a lot of direct research to date, but certainly (and hopefully you can excuse the pun) food for thought on the topic.

Here's what we know. The placenta is an organ that acts as a filter – coordinating the exchange of nutrients and waste between the mother and the foetus. It is also an endocrine gland or hormone producer, manufacturing more than 30 different hormones in total, which have an effect not only on the uterus and the developing foetus, but also on the mother. Human placentas are comprised of multiple layers of tissue, and are approximately the size of a Frisbee, but an inch thick, and in many ways have an appearance not dissimilar to that of fresh beef liver. Of mammals in general, placentophagia (the consumption by a mother of "afterbirth" or the placenta and birth fluids) is quite common other than in humans. Primates and rats (whose placentas are most similar to ours) almost always consume their placentas under normal birthing conditions, often ignoring their newborn for the first bit of time while they finish the task. (For more reading about this see Kristal's Placentophagia: A Biobehavioural Enigma in the Journal of Neuroscience – 1980). Another item for consideration – the human placenta has played a role in the "pharmacopeia" or "material medica" of Traditional Chinese medicine for centuries as a treatment for immune and qi or essence deficiencies, as well as to maintain youth and vigour, and to promote lactation.

And now here's what some of the hypotheses are (there are many, and to date not a lot of evidence either way) for WHY a mother might consider consuming her placenta:

1. The placenta is rich in nutrients (B vitamins, iron, various proteins and amino acids). Many different websites and articles in various parenting and health magazines explore the idea that a placenta is packed with nutrients which may help a new mother with energy and mood.

2. The placenta is rich in neurochemicals and hormones which may alleviate post partum depression.

3. The placenta contains nutrients which may help boost milk supply and improve lactation in women.

4. The placenta contains oxytocin which can help stimulate uterine contractions and slow blood loss post-partum.

A study by the National Institute of Health in the United States did show that human placentas secrete a significant amount (about three times the pre-pregnancy levels) of Coritcotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) in the last trimester of pregnancy, which may cause the mother's own hypothalamus to stop producing the hormone for a period of time. CRH is a very important hormone that prods the body's anterior pituitary to produce certain levels of another hormone called Corticotropin (or ACTH). The job of ACTH is to regulate the secretion of various steroid hormones – especially cortisol, by the adrenal glands. There is some anecdotal evidence that perhaps consuming the placenta after a birth allows the mother's body to have adequate amounts of CRH in circulation, and helps to prevent post partum depression while hormones are re-equilibrating.

While the jury is certainly still out about whether there is evidence of any efficacy in terms of the placenta offering a treatment of, or a form of prevention for post partum depression, there are just as certainly no specific guidelines about the preparation of the placenta for consumption, or about the safety of such practices. A very quick search online brings up literally dozens of websites where individuals, regulated health professionals, and even businesses offer "Placental encapsulation services" – for a small fee, you can have your placenta dessicated (dried), and then ground and packaged into capsules if you are unsure that you can actually bring yourself to eat the placenta in one manner or another. Other websites provide information about how you can prepare your placenta into soups, smoothies or other creative edible dishes, or even freeze portions for future use. On one particular website, the author purports (I was not able to confirm this was the case before printing) to have acquired a number of recipes from Mothering Magazine (September 1983).

All in all, I learned quite a bit about the folklore, the science, and the actual prevalence of placental consumption. Although I still don't feel like I know enough to recommend placentophagia to my patients, I do know that I will be less likely to shy away from a frank discussion with enquiring moms-to- be. Keeping an open mind, and not discouraging my patient from trying something just because I wasn't familiar with it were the first steps, and I look forward to learning more as both science and common practices evolve and change.

Best of Health to You!

twilightheadquarters.com/placenta.html

placentabenefits.info/medicinal.asp

babycenter.com.sg/pregnancy/asian-postnatal-practices/placenta_consumption/

placentanetwork.com/remedies/Placenta-Encapsulation/Placenta-in-TCM.asp