Eating Your Placenta

The history of placentophagy possibly dates back siege of Jerusalem (587 BC) due to the excessive famine experienced by the Judeans according to Jack Miles. Chinese medicine is equally know to use human placenta in its treatments.

As it gains trend especially among celebrities, like Kourtney Khardashian, January Jones, Tia and Tamera Mowry.

Wikipedia , defines it thus:

Human placentophagy, or consumption of the placenta is defined as, “The ingestion of a human placenta postpartum at any time, by any person, either in raw or altered (e.g., cooked, dried, steeped in liquid) form.” Numerous historical occurrences of placentophagy  have been recorded throughout the world, whereas modern occurrences of placentophagy are rare since most contemporary societies do not promote its practice. Since the 1970s, however, consumption of the placenta believing that it has health benefits has been a growing practice among clients of midwives and alternative – health advocates in the U.S. and Mexico Human placentography is undergoing a small revival in Western cultures, fostered by celebrities like January Jones. Human placentophagy after childbirth is touted by some as a treatment for postpartum depression and fatigue, among other health benefits. However, scientific research provides no evidence that consuming the placenta prevents or treats postpartum depression, and there is inconclusive evidence that it has any health benefits whatsoever. The risks of human placentophagy are also still unclear.

Placentophagy can be divided into two categories, maternal placentophagy and non-maternal placentophagy. – and these are the words imply.

Cannibalism is defined as the eating of human flesh by another human being.

1979, William ober’s article “Notes on Placentophagy”, evaluates the possibility  that certain ancient cultures that practiced human sacrifice may have practiced human placentophagy, including Eqyptians, Tasians, Semainians and several others.

Who is who is a a cannibal? Hmmm

May be when it is"auto-cannibalism"or "io-cannibalism" there is point of departure from cannibalism. That the placenta can be ejected after birth, does not make it any less a human flesh, and if truly it improves life, as claimed by its devotees. Then ancient human sacrifice, cannibalism and Placentophagy, are forging a common front. However, at the point it becomes a crime is a matter of conjecture, but that they are all weird is not in doubt.

 However, it elicits a thought, about the magic of the human body, It is worshiped for several reasons and the believe in its healing properties, is spell bounding.