Kim Kardashian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in New York City on May 1, 2017. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)
Forget celebrity diets or fitness plans — placenta pills are the latest trend to sweep the world of show business this year.
But what are placenta pills and why do so many celebrities choose to take them?
What are placenta pills?
A growing trend is seeing some women send their placentas off to be made into capsules, while others drink the organ within hours of giving birth.
In the encapsulation process, a placenta picker will come and collect a woman’s afterbirth from the hospital — before chopping, drying and grinding it into pills that can be stored in a cupboard alongside your Tylenol.
Apparently, the pill option has very little taste, but the smoothies have a metallic aftertaste and, if cooked, the placenta’s flavor is said to be similar to beef.
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With the exception of sea creatures and some domestic pets, all mammals eat the afterbirth, leaving humans in the minority.
Several companies are profiting from the trend, with the London Placenta Centre charging up to $290 for capsules to be made.
Why do moms take placenta pills?
Some people believe that the nutrients passed from mother to fetus during the nine months of pregnancy are still packed inside the placenta and thus shouldn’t be thrown out.
Eating the raw placenta could help the mom recover from giving birth and boost her strength while breastfeeding, according to the theory.
Some people believe the pills prevent postpartum depression, encourage breast milk production, and provide a much-needed energy boost for new moms.
The process is rife with controversy because there is currently no firm evidence that eating the organ has any benefit.
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“There are no proven physical benefits in consuming a placenta, whether it is raw, in a smoothie or in capsule form," said Roger Marwood, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “It may be full of protein, but it is unlikely to ward off [postpartum] depression, help you sleep, increase breast milk production, or give you more energy.”
But many moms disagree and swear by the placenta pills.
Which celebrities have used placenta pills?
In a bid to ward off postpartum depression, Kim Kardashian famously sampled the pills after she gave birth to Saint and North West.
Her sister Kourtney also took the pills after the birth of her third child Reign Aston Disick, telling her millions of Instagram followers she would be sad when her “yummy” and “life changing” pills ran out.
Blac Chyna also said that she planned to eat her placenta after having her child with Rob Kardashian, Kim and Kourtney's brother.
“Just recently I found out some new, cool stuff about not cutting the cord and sending your placenta. You can get these pills to take them after to make you and the baby healthy,” she said on Amber Rose’s podcast.
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Outside of the Kardashian clan, “Mad Men” star January Jones and “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi are both placenta pill fans.
“It’s something I was very hesitant about, but we’re the only mammals who don’t ingest our own placentas,” Jones said, according to People. “It’s not witch-crafty or anything! I suggest it to all moms!”
Samantha Bee, Alicia Silverstone, and realty TV star Kim Zolciak also consumed their placentas after giving birth.
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