Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Placenta Medicine - The Evidence

Anyone who reads this blog for more than five minutes will know that I am a HUGE fan of placenta medicine, that is, the maternal consumption of the placenta following childbirth. Sounds gross, but it works - really works - and I have experienced firsthand its amazing benefits (emotional stabilization, energy, afterpain relief). My one regret is that I threw out my placenta from my first birth (hadn't heard of placenta medicine then), and one of THE biggest parts of my hospital transport plans is "Don't let them take away my placenta!" (Hopefully a hospital transport will never be necessary.)

One common question about placenta medicine is - "Where's the evidence? Show me the facts!" For me, I don't need to be convinced because I have experienced how awesome placenta medicine is. But for those of you who want the evidence, here it is! A list thoughtfully put together by an amazing friend of mine, Nikki, and shared here with her permission. Enjoy! Share!

***

Biological Evidence Supporting Placentophagy

Placentophagia: A Biobehavioral Enigma

Postpartum Fatigue, Anemia and PPD

Fatigue as a Predictor of Postpartum Depression

Have We Forgotten the Significance of Postpartum Iron Deficiency?

The Impact of Fatigue on the Development of Postpartum Depression

Iron Content of Intact Placentas and Cords

Maternal Iron Deficiency Anemia Affects Postpartum Emotions and Cognition

Iron supplementation for unexplained fatigue in non-anaemic women: double blind randomised placebo controlled trial

Lactation

Placenta as a Lactagagon

Hormonal Fluctuations

Baby blues - postpartum depression attributed to low levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone after placenta is gone

Hormonal Changes in the Postpartum and Implications for Postpartum Depression

Effects of placentophagy on serum prolactin and progesterone concentrations in rats after parturition or superovulation.

Pain Relief

Enhancement of Opioid-Mediated Analgesia: A Solution to the Enigma of Placentophagia

Placenta ingestion by rats enhances y- and n-opioid antinociception,
but suppresses A-opioid antinociception


Participation of Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor in Opioid-Modulated Events at Parturition

And there you have it! Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love to hear from you! All kind and thoughtful comments will be published; all inconsiderate or hurtful comments will be deleted quietly without comment. Thanks for visiting!