Placentophagia: How to Prepare the Placenta for Consumption

Placentophagia -- the pratice of eating the placenta -- has been observed throughout history in many parts of the world. In Western cultures, eating the placenta is often viewed as barbaric, but there has been a recent push among young mothers to carry out this practice after giving birth, due to the observance of multiple benefits to the mother's health. While many Western doctors discourage placentophagia with the claim that it carries no inherent benefits, numerous studies have shown that eating the placenta can indeed curb postpartum depression, replenish nutrients, increase milk production, and slow postpartum hemmorrhage. However, many mothers are unsure as to the best way to go about consuming the placenta in order to receive the most benefit. There are a number of ways to experience the benefits of placentophagia, including eating the meat raw, cooking, or drying into a powder to be taken as a supplement.

Raw placenta

The most common (and, many claim, the most beneficial) method of placentophagia is to consume it raw in the moments immediately following childbirth. As with most other foods, placenta contains the most nutrients when it is consumed uncooked. After removing the membranes, the meat may be cut into small pieces to be eaten by the mother, or the mother may choose to bite a piece off herself. Many mothers will eat only a small portion of placenta this way, and are able to receive huge benefits. If this method is chosen, it is important to consume the meat as soon after giving birth as possible, to prevent spoiling. The placenta may be frozen or stored for later use, but in these instances, cooking or drying may be a better option than eating the meat raw, as infection may be possible after defrosting. (Cooking may be more appealing to many mothers in Western culture, as we are unused to consuming raw meat of any kind.)

Cooked placenta