Eating your placenta, or afterbirth, is called placentophagy, and while it’s not a new idea, it’s been getting a lot of buzz lately.
The trend has even been praised by celebrities, with Mad Men's January Jones swearing by dehydrated placenta pills, and Kim Kardashian publicly toying with the idea of eating her own placenta.
However this may be the first time we've ever heard of the baby's father chowing down on the afterbirth.
Writing in The Guardian, Nick Baines revealed that he had always wanted to know how human placenta would taste.
He explained: "I turned to the internet for inspiration. Despite its taboo nature, placenta appears to be an incredibly versatile ingredient.
"I eventually decide to have it raw in a smoothie and cooked in a taco, fried with a little garlic and paprika."
The process of creating a smoothie placenta proved to be a pretty horrifying one, apparently tasting "exactly like the delivery room had smelled."
Nick said: "The blender looked rank. After 10 minutes of watching a hefty chunk of placenta whirl round the Magimix, it finally broke down into the banana and coconut water.
"Up front was the distinct flavour of banana, superseded by a metallic, bloody backnote."
Ew.
hankfully for Nick, however, the cooked placenta - served in a taco - proved to be far more successful.
He said: "As I seasoned it on the chopping board, the bright, almost glowing red chunk of placenta was more attractive than many cuts of offal I've dealt with, and looked quite appetising.
"The meat was rich, with a beef-like quality. It was tender, kind of like roast brisket and not dissimilar to Texas BBQ."
In theory, eating placentas seems to make some sense. After all, the placenta is a baby’s in-utero power pack, providing the foetus with all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients — not to mention oxygen — to grow from just a few cells to a full-fledged tiny person.
The placenta is also loaded with iron and vitamins B6 and B12, as well as oestrogen and progesterone, both important postpartum hormones.
Advocates of the practice also claim that eating the placenta can protect against postpartum depression (PPD) — but only if you eat your own. In fact, many people advise that you should NEVER eat someone else's placenta, as it has a risk of disease.
However the majority of evidence supporting placentophagy is anecdotal. And Dr Rohan Lewis, a reader of physiology at the University of Southampton, has revealed that many scientists are dubious of the health benefits so many claim it had:
"Though it is a rich source of protein, it is designed to feed the baby, not the mother."
The truth is there’s not much evidence to say whether the practice benefits humans. But, if you do decide to try it for yourself, make sure you freeze or cook it right away, since, like most 'meat, placenta can spoil.
It goes without saying that if you feel sick after consuming it, stop immediately. And if you do experience PPD, don’t wait around for the “magic” of the placenta to kick in — talk to your doctor.
Would you ever let your partner eat your placenta? Would you be tempted to try it yourself? Let us know in the Comments Box below now.