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Tree of Life
Placenta Encapsulation

What is Placenta Encapsulation?

Placenta Encapsulation is the process of transforming the whole placenta into capsule supplements that can be taken to help support the health of the mother.

 

At Tree of Life Encapsulation, we use the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method to process the placenta. The final product is a bottle of capsules – just like any of your other supplements.

 

When ingested regularly, placenta capsules have been used to help support healing, encourage milk production, and restabilize hormones.

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Potential Benefits

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The function of the placenta during pregnancy is to supply nutrients to the fetus, remove waste, protect the fetus from dangerous substances, and release hormones. As such, the placenta is rich in nutrients, hormones and stem cells.

 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has touted the ingestion of placenta for health benefits for thousands of years. In the TCM philosophy, the placenta is not only what has nourished your baby in utero, it is a major source of nutrients, namely blood, Qi (pronounced chee—which is the basic substance of life and where our energy comes from as seen in TCM) and essence (which, in TCM, is the equivalent of our genetic foundation; essence is seen to decline as we age and or with major health events such as pregnancy and giving birth). The placenta is widely known as Ziheche and is thought to have a host of benefits, from balancing the hormones, aiding postnatal recovery, reducing bleeding and increasing breast milk production.

In the Western world, placenta encapsulation has recently made its way to the mainstream and now many celebrities and mothers are following suit.​

Women who have done it reported
experiencing benefits such as:

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The Science Behind

In modern healthcare, the placenta is typically thrown away after birth. However, consuming the placenta, also termed ‘placentophagy’, is extremely common in nature. In fact, almost all our fellow mammal species ingest the placenta after giving birth.

 

Certain traditional medicine practices like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have referenced the placenta’s medicinal properties and discussed the benefits of human ingestion. With our increased scientific knowledge and interest in placentophagy, Western science has begun experimenting on this ancient technique.

 

Animal Studies

Animal studies have reported a wide range of potential benefits including pain reduction, normalizing the digestive system after pregnancy, increased lactation from boosted prolactin levels and hormonal rebalancing that may facilitate the return to a normal estrogen cycle.

 

Human Studies

One survey-based study evaluated the impacts of placentophagy on 189 women in the US and Canada. Through self-reported data, 40% noted better mood, 26% had increased energy and 15% experienced improved lactation. What was perhaps most noteworthy was that 98% of the women reported that they would engage in placentophagy again.

 

In a similar survey of 271 women, the top self-reported benefits were: increased iron stores (50.6%), prevention of postpartum depression (50.4%), and increased energy/decreased fatigue (44.7%). 

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Another study investigated the effects of eating freeze-dried placenta on milk production. Out of the 210 participants, 86% of women reported “good” (20-30g increase) or “very good” (>30g increase) improvement in milk secretion.

 

Ongoing research is needed and results can vary widely because every mom is different and there are many ways to process the placenta for ingestion.

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References

  1. Gude NM, Roberts CT, Kalionis B, King RG. Growth and function of the normal human placenta. Thromb Res. 2004;114(5-6):397-407. doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2004.06.038

  2. Coyle CW, Hulse KE, Wisner KL, Driscoll KE, Clark CT. Placentophagy: therapeutic miracle or myth?. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2015;18(5):673-680. doi:10.1007/s00737-015-0538-8

  3. Selander J, Cantor A, Young SM, Benyshek DC. Human maternal placentophagy: a survey of self-reported motivations and experiences associated with placenta consumption. Ecol Food Nutr. 2013;52(2):93-115. doi:10.1080/03670244.2012.719356

  4. Stanley C, Baillargeon A, Selk A. Understanding Placentophagy. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2019;48(1):37-49. doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2018.10.002

  5. Coyle CW, Hulse KE, Wisner KL, Driscoll KE, Clark CT. Placentophagy: therapeutic miracle or myth?. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2015;18(5):673-680. doi:10.1007/s00737-015-0538-8

  6. Kristal MB, DiPirro JM, Thompson AC. Placentophagia in humans and nonhuman mammals: causes and consequences. Ecol Food Nutr. 2012;51(3):177-197. doi:10.1080/03670244.2012.661325

  7. Corpening JW, Doerr JC, Kristal MB. Ingested placenta blocks the effect of morphine on gut transit in Long-Evans rats. Brain Res. 2004;1016(2):217-221. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2004.05.006

  8. Blank MS, Friesen HG. Effects of placentophagy on serum prolactin and progesterone concentrations in rats after parturition or superovulation. J Reprod Fertil. 1980;60(2):273-278. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0600273

  9. Selander J, Cantor A, Young SM, Benyshek DC. Human maternal placentophagy: a survey of self-reported motivations and experiences associated with placenta consumption. Ecol Food Nutr. 2013;52(2):93-115. doi:10.1080/03670244.2012.719356

  10. Stanley C, Baillargeon A, Selk A. Understanding Placentophagy. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2019;48(1):37-49. doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2018.10.002

  11. Soykova-Pachnerova E, et. al.(1954). Gynaecologia 138(6):617-627.

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