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New Craze for New Moms: Eat the Placenta

Cooked or in smoothies, it has high iron levels and vitamin B-12

By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 22, 2011 4:25 PM CDT | Updated Aug 27, 2011 12:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – More mothers are turning to a healthy diet after giving birth, including fruit, veggies ... and a nice plate of placenta. As in, their own. Before losing your appetite, consider that placentas contain high iron levels, vitamin B-12, and hormones, and while no study proves their effect, believers say they alleviate postpartum depression and aid in breastmilk production. And hey, macaque monkeys eat them. "Even if it is 100% psychological, it has its purpose," says one maternal advisor.

Problem is that certain hospitals won't release placentas, considering them biohazardous waste, so some new moms smuggle them out. Jodi Selander, who was refused hers, waged a media war until a Las Vegas hospital loosened its placenta take-home policy, making her "the high priestess of the modern placentophagia movement," Atossa Araxia Abrahamian writes in New York magazine. And in case you're wondering: Placentas are eaten in smoothies, pill form, or are cooked and dried like beef jerky.

Some new moms are eating their own placentas (cooked, smoothied, or in pill form) for the nutritional or psychological benefits after giving birth.
Some new moms are eating their own placentas (cooked, smoothied, or in pill form) for the nutritional or psychological benefits after giving birth.   (Shutterstock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 65 comments
dawnarun
Aug 29, 2011 4:35 AM CDT
For some reason I'm only bothered that a person would want to eat their own placenta. I can understand that it's probably just another meat once it's cooked, but so is my entire body from that angle... I'm not exactly looking to eat any other muscle or tissue I can snip off.
Ultraworld
Aug 28, 2011 6:08 PM CDT
I have heard of a practice that the family buries the placenta under the root ball of a tree sapling, fertilizing it. But eating it? That's beyond sick. But there's videos on You Tube of this. A great diet program. If you get hungry just watch the video.
Jingo
Aug 28, 2011 6:59 AM CDT
Turds contain a lot of nutrients, as well

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