People Eat Placenta...?

Question

what do you think about this?
i just want to hear opinions
i believe (MY opinion) its inhumane, disgusting, barbaric, cannibalistic, and just not from this world.
this is a reason why we should all be vegeterians/vegans. proofs how we will eat just anything with blood to quench our thirst

Answer 1

I love people like you. Thoughtful and ahead of the curve. You cannot change what has been going on though. My wife is vegetarian and lectures me all the time. It's hard to say no to a good rib-eye or salmon.
One day, I promise this to my wife and all vegetarians, I will stop my cannibal ways.

Answer 2

In the olden times before hospital births were popular, women gave birth in the home with the aid of a midwife or family doctor. Sometimes a new mother would have to eat the placenta to staunch uterine bloodflow after birth if the she was bleeding very heavily. It is medicinal. There are hormones in placenta that help contract the uterus. Which in turn closes the open blood vessles that the placenta was attached too. It could save a new mothers life.

I am not sure why people would eat it in modern times, unless they are in an emergency situation. But people have their reasons. Who are you to judge them?

Placenta does not cause harm to any animal, it has served it's purpose as a source of nourishment for the baby in utero. It never "had a face" It is not unlike eating free range chicken eggs---just a thought---

Answer 3

I heard some culture does it. I think The English. I think it's funny that Racist insults asian cultures (as well as others) when Europeans still retains some remnants of what we Americans considered Gross. First, no animals are harmed in this. Like we didn't kill a human to get the placenta. Peple harvest them after birth. It's highly unlikely to cause diseases, because they eat their own placenta, not someone elses. Its natural, if you look at what other animals do with the afterbirth. Its supposedly highly nutritious. By the way, most placenta's are sold by hospitals to make-up companies. If you buy anything with Elastin, you're smearing yourself with someone elses placenta. I personally think thats really gross, and If I every have a kid I would ask the hospital for her placenta. I haven't figured out what to do with it, yet. Eatting it for me is out of the question. I think in some culture they bury it next to a tree, but having worms and bugs eat it also disgust me. Be patient with others, its their culture and let them find their own way to enlightenment.

Answer 4

Years ago I saw a "documentary" about some people that gathered at their friend's house to consume the placenta that she had frozen after the birth of her first child. They sauteed it with onions!! Even the new mom looked a little grossed out by the whole thing.

It's not something that I would do, although I understand some cultures do this all the time as a sort of "community bonding" thing.

I just wish I could shake the image of those people spreading placenta on crackers from my memory. Would you serve red or white wine with that? Maybe Jim Jones Kool-Aid...

Amazing what people will do, isn't it?

Answer 5

In some cultures it might be acceptable to eat placenta. But if you're vegetarian like myself, you shouldn't get upset about it, let it go because some people don't know any better.

And for those of you who claim that God intended animals to be eaten by humans, you are soooooooooo wrong.

God put man in stewardship of all animals and gave him fruit and grain to eat. I'm not making this up. Check it out for yourselves, the book of Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 29 to 30. Here's a link:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=1&version=31

Answer 6

While placentophagy is something that culturally many of us are unfamiliar with, it’s not really inhumane. In theory, no one is hurt by the eating of placenta. Albeit, placentophagy doesn't serve any substantial benefit to humans.

Also there are many reasons to be vegan or vegetarian (id est health concerns, the environment, humane reasons, famine*, et cetera), but I don’t think placentophagia is something you should really worry about (considering it is such an uncommon practice).

*”It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of meat, and even fish on fish farms must be fed 5 pounds of wild-caught fish to produce one pound of farmed fish flesh” (www.goveg.com).

Answer 7

well I must admit this is a very interesting but I agree with kelly on this.. its not like you killed an animal to eat it.. having said that I know it does sound disgusting and I wouldnt do it. But its true they say a woman's grave is open 40 days after birth so it is possible that the nutrients contain it are life saving or nutritious.. sure its not for everyone but like a few other people have said, you should never mock other peoples traditions.. as they say "each to their own"

Toushka

Answer 8

I had a home birth and my midwife mentioned to me some people save their placenta and either bury it by a tree they planted, eat it, or save it in the freezer even.

I had still had my home birth and loved it but I didn't want to even look at the thing. The thought not only totally grossed me out when she told me but grossed out my meat eating boyfriend too.
Its supposed to be some spiritual thing to connect you with the baby but I think it is just freakishly weird, I wouldn't chew on my babies umbilicol cord or eat someones arm. Its just disgusting.

But just so you know its not as uncommon as you think, in fact a company called nuskin, who make supposed "natural" skin cair and beauty products has human placenta in their products (yep you get to rub placenta all over your face.) They list it in the ingredients.

http://www.nuskin.com/corp/index.shtml
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=397766
http://www.environmentaloncology.org/publications/careproducts.htm

Answer 9

Chinese do the ones who work in abortion clinics take this home to give their family to eat as a nutritious prize. And I don't think theirs anything wrong with eating an unwanted fetus for the nutrients. Nothing wrong with eating blood either. Yes those acts are from this world.

Answer 10

Some have actually done it, here's a video showing the entire process.
http://ebaumsworld.com/2006/07/placenta-snack.html

It harms no living creature to eat a placenta, but still, eeeeuuuwwww, caca!!!