Are there benefits to taking pills made from your own placenta, and why do some moms do it?

 

The placenta is loaded with vitamins and minerals like vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and iron. It’s also rich in reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone that drop after you give birth. So theoretically, consuming your placenta (whole or in pill form) seems like it would be really good for you.

 

 

Supporters of the practice say that placenta pills can help prevent anemia, boost milk supply, balance hormones and even lower your chances of having postpartum depression. Indeed, one small survey of women who’d eaten their placentas found that 40 percent reported improvements in their mood, 26 percent reported more energy and less fatigue, 15 percent said breastfeeding had gotten better, and 7 percent reported less vaginal bleeding and discharge.

 

The problem is that there’s not much science to support these claims. A review of the research concluded that most of the studies on the benefits of placenta consumption are poor quality. The one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study — considered the gold standard in scientific circles — found that taking placenta pills had no impact on a woman’s postpartum iron levels. And there’s zero evidence supporting the notion that placenta encapsulation can prevent or treat postpartum depression.

 

So why do so many new moms seem to feel better after eating pills made from their placenta? It all comes down to the placebo effect, experts say. If you expect to feel good after eating your placenta, you’ll probably feel that way.

 

Is placenta encapsulation the same thing as eating the placenta?

Placenta encapsulation is one way to eat the placenta. It can also be consumed raw, cooked, roasted, dehydrated or even distilled into a tincture. Currently, there’s no evidence that one method of eating the placenta is any more beneficial than the others. 

 

How is placenta encapsulation done?

In the placenta encapsulation process, the placenta is steamed, dehydrated, ground into a powder and sealed in vitamin-size capsules. There are companies that will do it for you, and if you work with a doula, she might offer the service as well. Some moms opt to find instructions online and go the DIY route. Click here 胎盤素功效  (Placenta effect)