Benefits of the Placenta According to Chinese Medicine

Recently, in early January 2014, the state of Oregon passed law HB 2612, allowing one to take their placenta home from the hospital. However, the public may not know that the placenta is one of the most commonly used herbs in Chinese medicine. In China, the placenta has been used for at least 1,400 years as medicine to make people stronger mainly.

In ancient China, they did not have modern facilities to detect the components within the placenta. Since, the material is associated with a new born until birth, they believed that all the necessary nutrients for human beings must be inside it. For this reason, they began to use it for anyone who felt weak or tired, specifically tiredness that comes along with cold sensations, which is called yang deficiency. They also used it for other diseases and conditions such as: kids who born weak, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, recovering after a chronic disease, postpartum health, etc. The placenta is very effective and convenient to use as long as you are using it for the proper reasons.

The normal way of preparing the placenta is the following: after freshly collected, wash it with water, and drain the water repeatedly, until the water is clear. Transfer the placenta into a porcelain pot, add water and boil it until it floats to the surface of the water, then take it out of the pot. Afterward, roast it at a low temperature until it is completely dry, but do not overcooked it and then finally store it. When you are ready to take it, make the placenta into a powder and drink it with water. However, some people eat the placenta when it is fresh by making a soup or sandwich as long as your body can manage it.

Nowadays, people wonder how the placenta can make them stronger. There has been tremendous scientific research conducted that examines the components within it. So far, it has been found that it contains: gonadotrophins, proclation, oxytocin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, sex hormones, cortisone, interferon, urokinase, prostagladins, lysozyme, kininase, histaminase, oxytocinases, hemoglobin, phosphorus, and sugars.*

Generally speaking, in Chinese medicine, 99% about herbs and situations we always used combined herbs, what is called formulas, instead of single herbs. The idea is nothing is perfect in the single herb, nothing is exactly grown or existed for specific situations, diseases or conditions, that is why we have to use formulas, to make the functions of the group of the herbs purposely good for the either conditions or diseases. The placenta is the only one of few that can be used either in group or single use.

If a patient suffers from angry easily, hyper activity, etc. this indicates the patient has too much wrong energy or energy stagnation within their body. The placenta would not be good in this situation. Therefore, it is definitely a good idea to consult a Chinese herbalist before using it. Otherwise, it could be harmful to us.

*Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica Compiled and translated by Dan Bensky & Andrew Gamble 1986 Eastland press, Inc.

Dr. Wang, MD from China, master acupuncturist, former Columbia U. Medical School visiting professor and research scientist (1991-2004) with many medical publications, featured on TV, such as CBS News, etc. He was invited to talk about acupuncture and Chinese herbs at many prestigious universities, such as Harvard, and a Chinese Herbal Medicine & acupuncture consultant at Mount Sinai Medical School. Dr. Wang practices acupuncture in NYC and Long Island.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shaobai_Wang

Eating the Placenta: A Halakhic Option?

Conclusion:

It is permissible to eat or to chew and spit out the placenta after birth, especially when done for health purposes. The placenta of a human is kosher as are all byproducts of the human body. There is no problem of marit ayin as this is being done for health purposes and the context is clear. However, blood on the surface of the placenta may present an independent problem and would need to be washed off. Finally, the prohibition of bal tishaktzu is not applicable if you do not find it repulsive; even if you do find it to be so, this prohibition does not apply since this eating is being done for health purposes.