Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects
Placentophagia is a common mammalian behavior, and the first scientific study of the potential effects of human maternal placentophagia on lactation was in 1917. More recently, in the 1970s, human placentophagia was reported in North America with a trend toward increased consumption. There are diffe...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2398 |
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| author | Daniel Mota-Rojas Agustín Orihuela Ana Strappini Dina Villanueva-García Fabio Napolitano Patricia Mora-Medina Hugo B. Barrios-García Yuridia Herrera Eunice Lavalle Julio Martínez-Burnes |
| author_facet | Daniel Mota-Rojas Agustín Orihuela Ana Strappini Dina Villanueva-García Fabio Napolitano Patricia Mora-Medina Hugo B. Barrios-García Yuridia Herrera Eunice Lavalle Julio Martínez-Burnes |
| author_sort | Daniel Mota-Rojas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Placentophagia is a common mammalian behavior, and the first scientific study of the potential effects of human maternal placentophagia on lactation was in 1917. More recently, in the 1970s, human placentophagia was reported in North America with a trend toward increased consumption. There are different hypotheses about the women and nonhuman mammals’ motivation towards placentophagia, but few have been subject to hypotheses testing. In women, the controversy continues; on the one hand, researchers attribute benefits like increased breast milk, weight gain in newborns, decreased postpartum depression and fatigue, and improved mothers’ mood. In contrast, bacterial or viral infections, hormonal, or trace elements that could become toxic for both the mother and baby are reported as possible health risks. Other reports argue a lack of scientific rigor to support the self-reported benefits of placentophagia. Also, the way the placenta is prepared (raw, cooked, dehydrated, processed, or encapsulated) alters its components, and thus the desired effects. This review provides relevant information and the different hypotheses and points of view around placentophagia. However, there are still questions to be resolved, and more studies are needed to confirm or reject the data generated so far about placentophagia in humans and nonhuman mammals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:04:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-927a3781b06d4d9a837c9a88b95add25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:04:04Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-927a3781b06d4d9a837c9a88b95add252023-11-21T00:53:17ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-12-011012239810.3390/ani10122398Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse EffectsDaniel Mota-Rojas0Agustín Orihuela1Ana Strappini2Dina Villanueva-García3Fabio Napolitano4Patricia Mora-Medina5Hugo B. Barrios-García6Yuridia Herrera7Eunice Lavalle8Julio Martínez-Burnes9Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), 04960 Mexico City, MexicoFacultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, 62209 Morelos, MexicoAnimal Science Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Universidad Austral de Chile, 5110566 Valdivia, ChileDivision of Neonatology, National Institute of Health Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, 06720 Mexico City, MexicoScuola di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, ItalyLivestock Science Department, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 54714 Mexico City, MexicoGraduate and Research Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, 87000 Tamaulipas, MexicoNeurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), 04960 Mexico City, MexicoNeurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), 04960 Mexico City, MexicoGraduate and Research Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria, 87000 Tamaulipas, MexicoPlacentophagia is a common mammalian behavior, and the first scientific study of the potential effects of human maternal placentophagia on lactation was in 1917. More recently, in the 1970s, human placentophagia was reported in North America with a trend toward increased consumption. There are different hypotheses about the women and nonhuman mammals’ motivation towards placentophagia, but few have been subject to hypotheses testing. In women, the controversy continues; on the one hand, researchers attribute benefits like increased breast milk, weight gain in newborns, decreased postpartum depression and fatigue, and improved mothers’ mood. In contrast, bacterial or viral infections, hormonal, or trace elements that could become toxic for both the mother and baby are reported as possible health risks. Other reports argue a lack of scientific rigor to support the self-reported benefits of placentophagia. Also, the way the placenta is prepared (raw, cooked, dehydrated, processed, or encapsulated) alters its components, and thus the desired effects. This review provides relevant information and the different hypotheses and points of view around placentophagia. However, there are still questions to be resolved, and more studies are needed to confirm or reject the data generated so far about placentophagia in humans and nonhuman mammals.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2398placentaamniotic fluidplacentophagiaPOEFmammalsparturition |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Mota-Rojas Agustín Orihuela Ana Strappini Dina Villanueva-García Fabio Napolitano Patricia Mora-Medina Hugo B. Barrios-García Yuridia Herrera Eunice Lavalle Julio Martínez-Burnes Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects Animals placenta amniotic fluid placentophagia POEF mammals parturition |
| title | Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects |
| title_full | Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects |
| title_fullStr | Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects |
| title_short | Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects |
| title_sort | consumption of maternal placenta in humans and nonhuman mammals beneficial and adverse effects |
| topic | placenta amniotic fluid placentophagia POEF mammals parturition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/12/2398 |
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