Editing Placentophagy (section)

== Human placentophagy ==
{{Main|Human placentophagy}}

[[File:Ziheche.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Dried human placenta as medicine (''ziheche'') (紫河车)]]
Although the placenta is revered in many cultures, there is scarce evidence that any customarily eat the placenta after the newborn's birth.<ref name=Cultural>{{cite web|author1=SM Young|author2=DC Benyshek|name-list-style=amp|url=http://www.lucina.ca/plresearch/In%20search%20of%20human%20placentophagy%202010.pdf|title=In Search of Human Placentophagy: A Cross-Cultural Survey of Human Placenta Consumption, Disposal Practices, and Cultural Beliefs|publisher=Ecol Food Nutr. 2010 Nov-Dec;49(6):467-84.|access-date=20 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029060400/http://www.lucina.ca/plresearch/In%20search%20of%20human%20placentophagy%202010.pdf|archive-date=29 October 2015|url-status=dead}} Abstract at [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21888574 NIH website], accessed 20 June 2012</ref>

Those who advocate placentophagy in humans believe that eating the placenta prevents [[postpartum depression]] and other pregnancy complications.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}} [[Obstetrics|Obstetrician]] and spokesperson for the [[Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists]] Maggie Blott disputes the post-natal depression theory, stating there is no medical reason to eat the placenta: "Animals eat their placenta to get nutrition – but when people are already well-nourished, there is no benefit, there is no reason to do it."<ref>{{Citation
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4918290.stm
|title=Why eat a placenta?
|work=[[BBC News]]
|access-date=12 December 2007
|date=18 April 2006}}</ref> While no [[Randomized controlled trial|scientific study]] has proven any benefits, a survey was conducted by American [[Anthropology|medical anthropologists]] at the [[University of South Florida]] and [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]]. Among the respondents, about three-fourths claimed to have positive experiences from eating their own placenta, citing "improved mood", "increased energy", and "improved lactation".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.unlv.edu/article/steamed-dehydrated-or-raw-placentas-may-help-moms%E2%80%99-post-partum-health|publisher=UNLV News Center|title=Steamed, Dehydrated or Raw: Placentas May Help Moms' Post-Partum Health. UNLV anthropology survey examines why women consume their placentas after childbirth.|last=Bawany|first=Afsha|date=27 February 2013|access-date=25 March 2013}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/EFN%20Placentophagy%20Survey%20(Selander,%20Cantor,%20Young%20and%20Benyshek%202013).pdf|publisher=Ecology of Food and Nutrition|title=Human Maternal Placentophagy: A Survey of Self-Reported Motivations and Experiences Associated with Placenta Consumption|author1=J. Selender |author2=A. Cantor |author3=S. Young |author4=D. Benyshek |access-date=25 March 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216214212/http://news.unlv.edu/sites/default/files/EFN%20Placentophagy%20Survey%20%28Selander,%20Cantor,%20Young%20and%20Benyshek%202013%29.pdf|archive-date=16 February 2015}}</ref>

Human placenta has also been an ingredient in some [[traditional Chinese medicine]]s,<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.news-medical.net/print_article.asp?id=1333
|title=Traditional Chinese medicine contains human placenta
|publisher=News-Medical.Net
|date=8 May 2004
|access-date=12 December 2007}}</ref> including using dried human placenta, known as ''ziheche'' ({{zh|s=[[wikt:紫河车|紫河车]]|t=紫河車|p=Zǐhéchē}}), to treat wasting diseases, infertility, impotence and other conditions.<ref>{{Citation |author1=Tierra, Lesley |author2=Tierra, Michael |title=Chinese traditional herbal medicine |publisher=Lotus Light Pub |location=Twin Lakes, WI |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-914955-32-0 | pages = [https://books.google.com/books?id=Zm6QTqNt3JEC&pg=PT225 225] }}</ref>
Most recently, the CDC<ref>{{cite journal |journal= MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|title=Notes from the Field: Late-Onset Infant Group B Streptococcus Infection Associated with Maternal Consumption of Capsules Containing Dehydrated Placenta — Oregon, 2016|volume=66 |issue=25 |pages=677–678 |doi=10.15585/mmwr.mm6625a4 |pmid=28662016 |pmc=5687501 |year=2017 |last1=Buser |first1=Genevieve L. |last2=Mató |first2=Sayonara |last3=Zhang |first3=Alexia Y. |last4=Metcalf |first4=Ben J. |last5=Beall |first5=Bernard |last6=Thomas |first6=Ann R. }}</ref> published a report of a newborn infected with group B ''Streptococcus'' (GBS) bacteria likely after the mother ingested placenta capsules. Consequently, the CDC said that placenta capsule ingestion should be avoided and to educate mothers interested in placenta encapsulation about the potential risks. A recent publication<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Farr|first1=Alex|last2=Chervenak|first2=Frank A.|last3=McCullough|first3=Laurence B.|last4=Baergen|first4=Rebecca N.|last5=Grünebaum|first5=Amos|date=28 August 2017|title=Human placentophagy: a review|url=https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(17)30963-8/pdf|journal=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology|language=en|volume=218|issue=4|pages=401.e1–401.e11|doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.016|issn=0002-9378|pmid=28859955|s2cid=4450981|access-date=29 June 2021|url-access=subscription}}</ref> advised that physicians should discourage placentophagy because it is potentially harmful with no documented benefit.

British celebrity chef [[Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall]], known for his series of River Cottage programmes, notoriously cooked and ate a human placenta on one of his programmes.<ref>{{cite web|date=28 May 1998|title=Channel 4 rapped for serving placenta|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/101944.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=29 June 2021}}</ref>

Pg.104-7 in [[Cecil Adams]]'s ''[[Return of the Straight Dope]]'' (1994) describes a home childbirth, followed by placentophagy, in [[Berkeley, California]].