Have you ever heard that the placenta could eat? Check out this presentation by Dr. David Frederick Hepburn and find out what it is.

1. Placentaphagia
A story by Dr. David Frederick Hepburn…

2. It had been a dark and stormy night and I had been on maternity call for
roughly 478 hours. I was minutes away from catching another baby in the
Labour and Delivery room, this time courtesy of a woman from Gabriola
Island. Gabriola is a gorgeous little pearl in the Gulf Island necklace that
adorns the waters between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. It is home
to many a free spirit including many Americans who spirited themselves free
of the draft. It remains the happy hippie home of gumboots, granola and good
guano. It is the land of tie-dye, bandanas, VW vans and peace.
Dr. David Hepburn:

3. The birth of this freshest Gabriolan was going well, though a naked four-
year old prancing about the room sticking his nose into the action site (to
check for his new sib) was a tad distracting. Fifteen minutes after the
pleasant entrance into this world of Moonshadow Raccoon Nosehair,
came the placenta (afterbirth).“Could you save that for us please,
doctor?”
“Why?” I inquired.
“Well, we plan to cook it up and eat it,” they replied.
The give birth

5. Honestly believing that they were kidding, I then let loose with a wisecrack that
subsequently landed me in hospital hot water. “So, what do you cook it with, Placenta
Helper?”
Such was my first exposure to placentaphagia (the eating of placenta). According to the
Julia Childproducts’ cookbook Quick and Easy Human Organs, the placenta can be fried,
sauteed, fricasseed and even baked (half-baked?). The February 1999 edition of Harper’s
Magazine actually describes some popular recipes for placenta.
Various cultures are known to spread the placenta in gardens. Others will bury it with a
palm seedling, which upon maturing as a tree, can be a reminder to the child that part of
them is in part of that coconut.
Placentaphagia

6. In addition to being used as a dietary delicacy, protein and hormone-rich placenta is
used in health care products ranging from shampoos to Chinese remedies for
impotence, menopause and general anti-aging. Those with an extra $25,000 and wish
to feel younger, may wish to undergo placental injections.
Placenta, which is derived from the same stem cells as the baby, is the only non-
diseased live organ that can be removed from the body for study. Most folks resent
having a liver or brain removed for scientific study. Placentologists are able to use this
organ to test drugs or poisons, extract hormones, investigate disease (genetic) and even
use the placental membrane for healing burn wounds.
Placenta´s uses

8. It is remarkable to realize that, be it an inny or an outie, the wee lint collector in the middle
of our belly was once our lifeline. We can be born sans various appendages and even organs,
but everyone (with the exception of Adam and Eve perhaps??) has a navel base.
The placenta does not actually transmit mother’s blood to baby, but rather it acts as a barrier
preventing her blood from mixing with that of the fetus. It selectively allows the passage of
substances required for fetal development including nutrients, oxygen, and Snickers bars. It is
also the conduit for returning waste products like ammonia and broccoli back to the mother.
If this 500g organ gets infected, has a diminished blood supply, is contaminated by alcohol or
tobacco, or is not sitting in its proper locale within the womb, then the fetus is at risk of
having birth defects.

9. By examining the placenta, known as the “diary of life”, much about
life in the womb can be determined. Cerebral palsy (brain damage
caused by a “botched” birth) is a major reason that 80% of
obstetricians have been sued. Much to the chagrin of lawyers, there
may not necessarily be anyone to blame in many of these cases. The
placenta rather than the doctor may be the culprit or it may reveal
an answer as to what was the real cause of brain damage. If not,
surprise your dinner guests with a new casserole.
A new dish

10. For more healthy tips visit:
• https://davidfrederickhepburntips.wordpress.com
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBXgR9QtbtDlFbK1GUqZw8A