Study: Eating Placenta After Delivery Offers No Health Benefits

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A new study has shown that eating placenta after delivery offers no health benefits for moms who choose to do it.

Placentophagy is the practice of eating the placenta after giving birth. There have been claims that ingesting placenta can help raise energy levels, reduce incidences of postpartum depression and increase breast milk quantity to name a few, according to WebMD.

The study from Northwestern University has found that there is no scientific evidence to support the claims.

"There are a lot of subjective reports from women who perceived benefits, but there hasn't been any systematic research investigating the benefits or the risk of placenta ingestion," said Dr. Crystal Clark, lead investigator and co-author of the new study, Eureka Alert has learned.

Researchers reviewed 10 placentophagy research studies and noted whether the consumption of placenta—be it raw, dried, or placed in pills—had any health benefits. They found none. Dr. Clark said, "The studies on mice aren't translatable into human benefits."

In addition to the non-existent health benefits of placenta, there may be risks that come with ingesting it, especially since placenta may not be handled properly post-delivery.

"Our sense is that women choosing placentophagy, who may otherwise be very careful about what they are putting into their bodies during pregnancy and nursing, are willing to ingest something without evidence of its benefits and, more importantly, of its potential risks to themselves and their nursing infants," said Dr. Cynthia Coyle, co-author of the study.

"There are no regulations as to how the placenta is stored and prepared, and the dosing is inconsistent," Dr. Coyle added. "Women really don't know what they are ingesting."

The placenta-eating trend has been popular lately due to a number of celebrities endorsing it. Dr. Coyle was intrigued after one of her patients asked her if ingesting placenta pills could interfere with other medications.

According to Dr. Rebecca Starck, regional obstetrics and gynecology chairwoman of Cleveland Clinic, ravings of the "benefits" of placentophagy may be due to placebo effect. She recommends that women consult their physicians first so that they can be provided with suitable alternatives.

"With something like this, you have to carefully look at what the reported benefits are, what's proven, and if it makes sense when you investigate it further," Starck told CBS.

"That's what I would really want to talk to my patients about and their reasons for wanting to do it. If the concern is postpartum depression or milk supply or sleepless nights, we can work with you to address these very common symptoms and conditions," Starck added.