Has Kim Kardashian finally lost it? Have the pregnancy hormones caused her to spiral out of control and go absolutely bonkers and speak before thinking? OK I take that last one back. But seriously Kims latest statement is baffling, yet not entirely that uncommon.
Kim K has revealed that she will eat her own placenta after giving birth! (‘placentophagy’ as it is scientifically known). Yes you read correctly. She will dine on her own placenta as she believes it will make her “look younger”.
The 32 year old reality star is pregnant with her first child with rapper and business mogul Kanye West. Kim made the shocking and bizarre announcement during the season premiere of ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’. The star who is expecting a baby girl later this year expressed her desire to eat the afterbirth due to its supposedly rejuvenating nature. I suppose in her industry you gotta look your best at all times!
However Kim is not the first celebrity to indulge in her own body matter. ‘Mad Men’ star January Jones did just that after the birth of her son. The actress dried out the organ and had it turned into pills. She claimed it staved off post-natal depression and fatigue: “I was never depressed or sad or down after the baby was born, so I’d strongly suggest it to any pregnant woman”.
Similarly, former Playboy bunny and ex –girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison, wanted in on the placenta-eating trend. Holly, who is no stranger to the limelight, also opted for the pill option. Her rationale for it – it would help her body to recover after the birth. The star tweeted;
So what exactly is the placenta and why is it regarded by many as the miracle cure to post-natal ailments?
Anyone who has ever seen the placenta knows it is no pretty organ! It is large and round with an intricate network of blood vessels. It operates as the crossing point between the systems of the mother and the baby while the infant is still in the womb and is rich in nutrients (looks pretty gross eh!).
But what are the so-called benefits of eating after-birth?
Firstly it’s interesting to note that the internet is full of recipes and ideas so that one can incorporate the placenta into their meals. It can be eaten raw, steamed, sliced, dehydrated and turned into a pill or blended up to make a nice fresh smoothie! (yummy!)
So apparently the health benefits associated with this phenomenon include; increased lactation, reduced postpartum depression, it aids in the body’s recovery post-birth and helps in the replenishment of depleted iron levels. Sounds good? Yes! However there is no hard evidence of the advantages of indulging in this craze but neither is there any evidence of harmful negative side-effects (other than the occasional headache).
Mammals in the wild have been doing it all their lives and they know what’s good for them. But are they just being primitive beasts – cannibals? Animals adhering to the rule – ‘survival of the fittest’ as they don’t know when their next meal is going to come along? There is the school of thought that humans only introduced this weird and primitive behaviour as a means of protecting their off-spring while living in the wild – in order to hide any traces of birth and to protect the newborn from predators. But as society became more civilised this tradition soon died off.
So there you have it. Without any hard scientific proof of the health benefits of placentophagy, I for one will not be advocating the movement towards it. The debate will no doubt be revisited once thorough and ground-breaking research has been completed. Personally, scientifically beneficial or not, I will not be opting for this trend should I eventually have a baby – I find it repulsive if I am perfectly honest – pass me a sweet cup of tea and I will recover just fine!
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