Written by one of our specialists – Victoria Webb.
Placenta Specialists are always citing the benefits of consuming your placenta, as fed back by 1000s women from across the world. One of those side effects is the reduction in incidences of baby blues and postnatal depression. But how do we know that this is true? ‘WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?’ I hear you all cry!
Unfortunately, I cannot hand to you a double-blind, placebo, randomised trial that has been recently undertaken and printed in a peer-reviewed and respected journal – the interest of the researchers just isn’t there. What I can do though is amalgamate some research for you and bring the findings together to provide us with some links that point us in hopefully the right direction.
Depression
It has been acknowledged that in individuals with depression it is common to find lowered levels of progesterone (your bodies natural anti-depressant). Progesterone is produced naturally during ovulation and can also go some way to explaining mood swings during menstrual periods.
So what is the link between progesterone, pregnancy and postnatal depression?
After birth your progesterone levels are left depleted, your body must work to restore these over time.
Studies have been undertaken whereby women who had a previous incidence of depression were injected with progesterone immediately after birth and in the subsequent days and weeks post-natal. The studies all showed up to a 60% reduction in the rates of recurring depression.
What has this got to do with placenta remedies?
Recent preliminary research feedback has shown that a placenta has progesterone in high concentrations, high enough to provide physiological benefits. What is even more exciting is that the findings of the researchers were that when the placenta had gone through the process of encapsulation, that progesterone levels actually increased (yes you heard that correctly – increased!)
Is this then the reason women who consume their placenta feedback that they felt hormonally balanced, energised and not low at all after birth? We are hoping so and look forward to the full research being concluded.