Placentophagy is the practice of eating the organ raw, cooked or in a pill. Photo / Getty Images
Placentophagy is the practice of eating the organ raw, cooked or in a pill. Photo / Getty Images
New mothers who eat their baby's placenta for health benefits could be wasting their time - and putting themselves at risk - according to experts.
Consuming placenta has increased in popularity due to many claimed benefits such as reducing the chance of getting postpartum depression, increased energy and mood.
With A-list celebrities endorsing the consumption of the pregnancy organ, the trend has gained a large amount of traction.
Kim Kardashian consumed her placenta in pill form to beat baby blues after reading about the benefits online. Photo / Getty Images
The Daily Mail reports that the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) has issued a warning against the trend, saying it could even be putting mothers' health at risk.
After revising the scientific research of consuming the placenta, the organisation released a statement in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada.
It read: "Despite the growing trend... there is no documented evidence of benefit for improved iron stores, mood, or lactation."
Chief scientific officer of SOGC, Dr Jocelynn Cook explained, "there is no strong evidence' to suggest eating the placenta has benefits."
Hilary Duff is one of the most recent celebrities to speak about her placenta eating habits. Photo / Getty Images
Placentophagy is the act of consuming the organ attached to a woman's womb lining during pregnancy.
The umbilical cord attaches the baby to the placenta while they are growing inside their mother's womb.
After birth, the placenta is no longer needed and is expelled from the body after birth. Often it's discarded.
However, as long as a mother makes her intentions clear beforehand, she can take it home, with guidelines varying from hospital to hospital.
It's not difficult to find advice on how to cook or eat the organ at home.
In New Zealand, you can have a placenta encapsulation for around $150. While unclear where this particular trend originated, it has taken off worldwide.
Yet, the SOGC analysed four studies and concluded that even if there were good results, the evidence wasn't strong enough in support of the claims.
The organisation said in one study, there was nearly no identification of iron or minerals which eating placenta has been linked to.
A study focused on the hormones in the placenta revealed that it could have an impact once eaten, but, by the time the placenta has been handled it's unclear whether the hormones will even be present anymore.
This process could actually be harmful to the mother and the baby, says the SOGC.
The warning continued: "Although other harm has yet to be documented... there is potential for transmission of bacterial, viral, or fungal pathogens to both mother and baby or close contacts."
Hillary Duff is one of the more recent celebrities to speak out about eating the placenta, she did so in a smoothie where powdered placenta was the star ingredient.
She could've taken a page out of Kim Kardashian's book, who has spoken about her mood benefits after using placentophagy for more than one baby.
On her app, E! reports that Kardashian shared: "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."
