Where celebrities go first, us mere mortals tend to follow.
Bodycon dresses, dodgy hair extensions, Uggs paired with bare legs; you name it, we have copied a celebrity doing it. This is why we are now anticipating that placenta eating is only a wee while away from being as common here as it is with certain famous mamas across the pond.
Kourtney Kardashian did it. Alicia Silverstone did it too. And Kim K is currently munching away on her own stack freeze-dried placenta pills following the birth of little Saint earlier this month.
It seems everyone are eating their placenta these days. But it wasn’t until fairly recently that the practice of placenta eating, called placentophagy, entered mainstream conversation, much thanks to the early adopters, aka. celebrity mums. And if you are still grossed out (don’t worry; you are not alone, we are totally on the fence about this one too!), you might be interested to know that advocators are swearing by placenta’s ability to do anything from boost milk supply to ward off post-partum depression and low energy levels.
Still not convinced?
The placenta, or afterbirth, is the first organ that forms — even before any of your baby’s organs — after you conceive. It plays an important role in your pregnancy: It connects you and your baby in the uterus and delivers oxygen, nutrients and hormones to your baby. The placenta grows throughout your pregnancy and is also the only organ your body ever makes and then gets rid of.
And if eating it raw right after birth (as some do) doesn’t quite appeal to you, don’t worry; there are plenty of other ways to get your placenta into you. Some chop it up and blend it into smoothies. Some stir-fry it and have it for dinner. While others do what Kim Kardashian did, and have it freeze dried into handy (and slightly less gross) pills you can pop.
It is important to mention, however, that the medical community still is somewhat divided when it comes to the health benefits from eating your placenta. But there seems to be agreement on that we should be studying this further.
The good news is that now you don’t have to have an actual placenta on hand to still reap the same health benefits. A new creation from award-winning smoothie brand Savse is claiming to be the non-placenta equivalent of actually consuming your placenta. The Placenta Magenta (that is the actual name) is crammed full of dark chocolate, banana, almond milk and raspberry for plenty of vitamin B12, B6 and Iron – in other words, all the benefits of afterbirth, without having the eat the organ itself. Yum.
This is what the company had to say about their new product: “For years women have been eating the placenta post-birth, but for the majority of people, it’s not something that appeals. That’s why we’ve created this drink – it ensures mums can get the desired vitamins and minerals without consuming their own organs!”
So keep an eye out, girls. The Placenta Magenta smoothies will soon be in a shop near you!
Now, ladies, did any of YOU eat your placentas? Or would you, given the chance again? Join in the conversation with us on Twitter at @Herfamilydotie
