Placentophagia. Like it or not, it’s a trend that’s officially here to stay, thanks, in part, to folks like Kim Kardashian West hopping on the happy hormone bandwagon.
“So, I’m really not this holistic person or someone who would have ever considered eating my placenta,” the new mother of two wrote in a blog post titled “Eating My Placenta.” “And when I say ‘eat my placenta,’ I mean that I’m having it freeze-dried and made into a pill form—not actually fry it like a steak and eat it (which some people do, BTW).”
West even shared a photo of the pills on her Instagram feed.
Her reasons for consuming her placenta post-birth of her son, Saint, on December 5, are noble. “I really didn’t want the baby blues and thought I can’t go wrong with taking a pill made of my own hormones—made by me, for me,” she wrote. “I started researching and read about so many moms who felt this same way and said the overall healing process was so much easier.”
It appears that this isn’t the first time she’s consumed her placenta, either. According to her blog post, she also consumed her placenta after the birth of her daughter, North, in 2013.
“I had great results and felt so energized and didn’t have any signs of depression!” she wrote. “I definitely had to do it again. Every time I take a pill, I feel a surge of energy and feel really healthy and good. I totally recommend it for anyone considering it!”
Taking a step away from the media frenzy that is the Kardashians, though, the real question is: does placenta encapsulation offer new mothers any actual benefits?
Well…maybe. Sharon Young, Ph.D candidate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has studied placenta consumption among mothers. “While previous research has identified some important areas to direct future studies,” she told the Huffington post, “the data supporting the benefits of placentophagy for human mothers is limited to anecdotal and self-reported evidence.”
But the anecdotal evidence is definitely positive. Young’s survey found that 76 percent of women who had consumed their placentas post-birth reported positive experiences, with benefits ranging from improved mood and energy to increased lactation. And then there’s the fact that “nearly all non-human primates and mammal mothers are known to eat the placenta after giving birth.” So it’s got to be natural, right?
The question is whether much actual benefit can come from the placenta after it’s processed into pill (or steak…or lasagna…) form. The answer on that one is murky. The only solid fact is that these fads are easy to snark on — but this isn’t like being anti-vaxx. If it’s all placebo, it doesn’t affect anyone negatively. If it actually helps, great.
Whatever the case, Kim’s on board with the practice, along with her sister Kourtney. And we’re guessing that diehard Kardashian followers will start picking up on it, too.
