Nope. Eating placenta does not give new moms an iron boost. Though, previously backed by stars like Tamera Mowry and Kardashian sisters, Kim and Kourtney — the popular trend, believed to promote recovery after childbirth, as well as elevate a mothers’ mood and energy has recently been debunked.
When compared to taking a “dummy pill,” researchers discovered that eating human placenta in capsule form “neither significantly improves, nor impairs, postpartum maternal iron status for women consuming the recommended daily allowance of dietary iron during pregnancy/lactation,” a new study, published in the Nov. 3 issue of The Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health reports.
According to former University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduate student Laura Gryder, the study monitored 23 women over the course of three weeks. During that time, 10 women were given placenta capsules three times a day for four days following childbirth; twice a day for the next eight days; and once a day for nine additional days. Meanwhile, the remaining 13 women took a dummy pill — containing dried beef — on the same schedule.
Following the course of the test, the team revealed that blood tests of both groups reflected no difference in the women’s iron levels.
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Of course, this is a big news for advocates of the centuries old Chinese practice. Though few scientific studies conducted on placental encapsulation — the practice of ingesting the placenta after it has been steamed, dehydrated, ground, and placed into pills – have conclusively supported or dispelled possible benefits linked to the holistic medical custom, the American Pregnancy Association lists a number of potential advantages that come hand-in-hand come with chowing down on your placenta, including…
