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No Proven Health Benefits To Eating Your Placenta, Researchers Reveal

Sorry Kourtney Kardashian and January Jones – it seems like you ate yours for no good reason

For years now, people have debated the benefits of eating the placenta.

From believing it can give mums a post-birth energy boost to helping avoid developing postnatal depression and reduce pain after delivery, a whole load of health claims have cropped up. But it seems like most of them, if not all of them, aren’t true.

Kourtney Kardashian ate her placenta in pill form after giving birth to her third child [REX]
Kourtney Kardashian ate her placenta in pill form after giving birth to her third child [REX]

There is no scientific evidence that eating the placenta boasts vitamins that may benefit a woman’s health, US research suggests. And there’s no research on the potential risks, either.

During pregnancy, the placenta acts as a filter to absorb and protect the growing baby from any harmful pollutants or toxins. This could mean that some of the bacteria and viruses could remain within it after birth - making for a bad meal.

In a Northwestern Medicine review of 10 published research studies on eating the placenta, researchers failed to turn up any data to prove that consuming it, in any form, offers protection against postpartum depression, reduces post-delivery pain, boosts energy, helps with lactation, promotes skin elasticity, enhances maternal bonding or replenishes iron in the body.

You can also consume your placenta in smoothie form [REX]
You can also consume your placenta in smoothie form [REX]

Off the back of the research, the Royal College of Midwives says that it should simply be a woman’s choice whether she opts to eat her placenta or not.

“As this paper finds there is little or no evidence around women eating their placenta,” says Louise Silverton, director for midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives. “Indeed as it suggests, there may be potential dangers in doing so, though again there is no evidence to support that either.

“As a result midwives will not advise women about eating their placenta because of this lack of evidence, and it must be the woman’s choice if she chooses to do so. Women should be aware that like any foodstuff, placentas can go off, so care will be needed about how they are stored.

“If woman is intending to do this they should discuss it with their midwife ahead of the birth so that arrangements can be made to ensure she gets her placenta.”

Kourt posted this pic of her placenta pills [Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram]
Kourt posted this pic of her placenta pills [Kourtney Kardashian/Instagram]

Celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashian and January Jones made eating the placenta more mainstream after both publically speaking about (what they believed were) the benefits of it.

Kourtney revealed that she had been taking her placenta in pill form and recommended them to fans via her Instagram page.

"Yummy… PLACENTA pills! No joke… I will be sad when my placenta pills run out. They are life changing! #benefits #lookitup,” the mum of three posted on her Instagram page.

January Jones, of 'Mad Men' fame, also opted to take placenta pills after the birth of her son Xander as did 'Clueless' actress Alicia Silverstone and 'Big Bang Theory' star Mayum Bialik.

If you do decide to eat your placenta, you’ll need to let your midwife know you would like to take it with you when you leave the hospital. You should then freeze it immediately until you’re ready to cook it.

Would you ever consider eating your placenta? Let us know in the comments.

[Kourtney Kardashian Reveals She’s Eating Her Placenta Pills, Calls Them “Life Changing”]

[7 Weird Ways To Use Your Placenta]