Home Ingredients Placenta Capsules (Dried Human Placenta)

Placenta Capsules (Dried Human Placenta)

Evidence Level
Preliminary
6 Clinical Trials
5 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Placentophagy is the practice of a mother eating her own placenta after birth, most often after it has been steamed, dried, ground and put into capsules by a paid service. The CDC has reported an infant whose group B Streptococcus bloodstream infection came back after the mother began taking placenta capsules that grew the same strain, and it advises that placenta capsules should be avoided because encapsulation does not reliably kill germs. Placebo-controlled trials, all small pilot studies, found no benefit on mood, fatigue, bonding, hormone levels, prolactin or iron after birth, and the Canadian obstetrics society does not recommend the practice. Dried animal placenta extracts (mainly pig) are a separate product with two small trials in women at midlife that disagree.

Studied Dose Human trials gave each woman's own steamed, dried placenta in capsules during the first weeks after birth; a composition study based its estimates on one recommended intake of 3,300 mg/day. Porcine extract trials used 300 to 400 mg/day for 12 weeks. No dose has shown a benefit.
Active Compound Dehydrated human placental tissue (protein, iron and other trace minerals, plus residual steroid and peptide hormones reduced by steaming and drying); porcine placental extract is a separate animal-derived product.

Benefits

Postpartum mood, bonding and fatigue after taking placenta capsules

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, 27 new mothers took capsules of their own steamed, dehydrated placenta or a look-alike placebo. Validated scales showed no significant differences between groups in mood, maternal bonding or fatigue. The researchers called the result preliminary given the small size, but it gives no support to the main reason women try placenta capsules.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Iron status after birth compared with a beef placebo

In a double-blind pilot trial of 23 healthy women, placenta capsules did not change hemoglobin, ferritin or transferrin over the first 3 weeks after birth compared with capsules of beef. Placenta capsules did contain more iron than the beef, but at the study's top intake they supplied only about a quarter of the daily iron needed while breastfeeding.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 4

Hormone levels and prolactin in women taking placenta capsules

Hormones survive processing in measurable amounts, but in placebo-controlled pilot trials salivary hormone levels did not differ between the placenta and placebo groups, and plasma prolactin, the hormone that drives milk production, did not differ either. Newborn weight gain over the first 3 weeks did not differ significantly either.

Supported by Trial 4, Trial 2

Mood and energy in larger observational comparisons

In 138 Canadian women with a history of mood disorders, those who ate their placenta did not differ from matched women who did not in depression screening scores, energy, vitamin B12 levels or lactation-drug use. In US records of 3,752 matched mothers, placenta consumers scored slightly higher on a postpartum depression screen, which the authors suspect reflects who chooses the practice.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Porcine placental extract and symptom scores in women at midlife

Animal placenta extracts are a different product from a mother's own placenta. In 50 Japanese women, 300 mg/day of porcine extract for 12 weeks improved a menopausal symptom score more than placebo, while estradiol and FSH did not improve in either group. In a trial of 100 Korean women, 400 mg/day did no better than placebo on the main symptom score, so the two small trials disagree.

Supported by Trial 5, Trial 6

Mechanism of action

1

Hormones present after processing, at reduced levels

Laboratory analysis of 28 placentas prepared for encapsulation detected 16 of the 17 hormones measured. A separate study found that steaming and dehydration significantly lowered CRH, placental lactogen, oxytocin, ACTH and estrogen-like activity compared with raw tissue. Content alone does not show an effect, and the placebo-controlled trials found no significant between-group difference in salivary hormones or prolactin.

2

Small amounts of iron and trace minerals

At a commonly recommended intake of 3,300 mg/day, processed placenta supplied on average about 24% of the lactation RDA for iron, 7.1% for selenium, 1.5% for zinc and 1.4% for copper. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and uranium were also detected, at levels well below toxicity thresholds.

3

Home-style processing is not a validated sterilization step

No standards exist for processing placenta to eat. In the CDC case, the company's stated drying range was 115 to 160 degrees F, and investigators judged the heating may not have been enough to kill group B Streptococcus. Laboratory work shows heat processing lowers bacterial counts, and in one study all 24 processed samples were free of GBS, but a single contaminated batch can still reach a mother and her baby.

Clinical trials

1
Placenta Capsules and Postpartum Mood, Bonding and Fatigue: Placebo-Controlled Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of each woman's own steamed, dehydrated, encapsulated placenta versus a similarly prepared placebo, with validated mood, bonding and fatigue scales at four time points in late pregnancy and the early weeks after birth. (Young et al. 2018, Women Birth)

27 women in a US university study (12 placenta, 15 placebo).

Null result: no significant main effects on mood, bonding or fatigue between the placenta and placebo groups. The authors saw some time-point differences, including fewer depressive symptoms within the placenta group and less fatigue at the end of the study, but state these should not be interpreted as statistically significant and describe the findings as preliminary.

2
Placenta Capsules and Maternal Salivary Hormones: Placebo-Controlled Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial measuring salivary hormones by mass spectrometry in late pregnancy and early postpartum, alongside hormone analysis of each woman's capsules. (Young et al. 2018, Women Birth)

27 women (12 placenta, 15 placebo); companion paper to the mood trial.

Null result between groups: there were no significant differences in salivary hormone levels after supplementation that had not existed beforehand. Within the placenta group, salivary levels of the 15 detected hormones tracked how much of each hormone was in that woman's capsules, but the changes were too small to separate the groups.

3
Placenta Capsules and Postpartum Iron Status: Beef-Placebo Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial comparing encapsulated placenta with encapsulated beef, measuring hemoglobin, ferritin and transferrin at 4 time points from week 36 of pregnancy to week 3 after birth. (Gryder et al. 2017, J Midwifery Womens Health)

23 healthy women with normal pregnancies (10 placenta, 13 beef placebo); 78% had hemoglobin above the WHO cutoff for gestational iron deficiency at week 36.

Null result: no significant differences in hemoglobin (P = .603), ferritin (P = .852) or transferrin (P = .936). Placenta capsules held about 0.664 mg iron per gram versus 0.093 mg/g in beef capsules, but the study's maximum daily intake supplied only 24% of the RDA for lactating women.

4
Placenta Capsules, Prolactin and Newborn Weight Gain: Placebo-Controlled Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial testing the claim that placenta capsules raise prolactin and support milk supply; plasma prolactin was measured 4 times and newborn weight 3 times. (Young et al. 2019, J Midwifery Womens Health)

27 women (12 placenta, 15 placebo) and their newborns.

Null result: no statistically significant differences in maternal plasma prolactin or newborn weight gain over the first 3 weeks after birth.

5
Porcine Placental Extract and Mild Menopausal Symptoms: 12-Week Placebo-Controlled RCT
PubMed

Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial of an oral porcine placental extract, not human placenta, at 300 mg/day for 12 weeks. (Kitanohara et al. 2017, Climacteric)

50 Japanese women with mild menopausal symptoms, randomized 1:1.

The total Simplified Menopausal Index improved more on the extract than on placebo (p = 0.031), while serum estradiol and FSH did not improve in either group, so the authors say any effect was on how women felt rather than on hormone balance. No adverse events were observed. Two of the six authors were affiliated with a company, Snowden Co., Ltd.

6
Porcine Placental Extract and Menopausal Symptoms: 12-Week Multicenter Placebo-Controlled RCT
PubMed

Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral porcine placental extract at 400 mg/day for 12 weeks, scored with the Kupperman Index. (Lee et al. 2020, Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol)

100 Korean women after menopause.

Null main result: the Kupperman Index fell in both groups and the difference between them was not statistically significant. Larger drops on the extract were reported only in subgroups (BMI 23 or higher, and women within 3 years of menopause), which are secondary findings that need confirmation. Estradiol rose in the extract group.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Infection risk to the baby: the CDC reported an Oregon infant whose group B Streptococcus bloodstream infection returned after the mother began taking dehydrated placenta capsules (two capsules three times daily) that grew the same GBS strain; spread from other household members could not be ruled out. The CDC advises avoiding placenta capsules and asks clinicians to check for placenta use in late-onset GBS cases.
No safety or processing standards: encapsulation services set their own drying temperatures and times, and the CDC notes the process does not per se eradicate infectious pathogens. Bacteria from the birth canal have been found on placental tissue before processing.
Hormone exposure: processed placenta still contains measurable steroid hormones. One case report described breast budding and vaginal bleeding in a 3-month-old exclusively breastfed infant; the bleeding resolved after the mother stopped taking placenta capsules, and a link was possible but not proven.
Trace toxic elements: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and uranium have been detected in processed placenta at levels well below toxicity thresholds.
Professional guidance: the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada does not recommend placentophagy, and a review in a US obstetrics journal concluded physicians should discourage it.

Important Drug interactions

Interactions have not been studied. Because processed placenta contains measurable steroid hormones, tell your doctor or midwife before combining it with hormonal birth control or other hormone medicines.
If you or your baby tested positive for group B Streptococcus or received antibiotics for it, tell your care team about any placenta capsules; the CDC case involved capsules that carried the same strain that infected the infant.
Iron supplements: placenta capsules supply only a small fraction of daily iron needs and did not change iron status in a trial, so they are not a substitute for iron your clinician recommends.

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Frequently asked questions about Placenta Capsules (Dried Human Placenta)

Does taking placenta capsules help after giving birth?

Not that research has shown. In small randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trials, capsules of a mother's own placenta did not change mood, bonding, fatigue, hormone levels, prolactin, iron status or newborn weight gain compared with placebo. Larger observational comparisons also found no advantage, and a medical review found no scientific evidence of any clinical benefit.

Why does the CDC advise against placenta capsules?

In a 2016 Oregon case reported by the CDC, a newborn treated for a group B Streptococcus bloodstream infection shortly after birth developed a second one after the mother began taking placenta capsules. The mother's placenta capsules grew GBS that matched the infant's bacteria on genetic testing. The CDC concluded that encapsulation does not reliably kill germs and that placenta capsules should be avoided.

Do placenta capsules still contain hormones and iron?

Yes, but in reduced amounts. Laboratory studies detected most of the hormones measured, though one study found that steaming and drying significantly lowered every hormone it measured. At a typical 3,300 mg daily intake, capsules supplied about a quarter of the iron needed while breastfeeding and about 7% of selenium needs and under 2% of zinc and copper needs.

Is porcine placenta extract the same as placentophagy?

No. Porcine extract is an animal-derived product sold as a supplement and has nothing to do with a mother's own placenta. Two small trials in women at midlife disagree: one at 300 mg/day improved a symptom score versus placebo, while a larger one at 400 mg/day did not beat placebo on its main measure.

How is placenta different from colostrum?

Colostrum is the first milk after birth, and the supplement version comes from cows. Placenta supplements are dried placental tissue, usually the mother's own. They contain different things, carry different risks, and have separate research records, so findings for one do not apply to the other.

What is Placenta Capsules?

Placentophagy is the practice of a mother eating her own placenta after birth, most often after it has been steamed, dried, ground and put into capsules by a paid service.

What is Placenta Capsules used for?

Placenta Capsules has several researched uses. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, 27 new mothers took capsules of their own steamed, dehydrated placenta or a look-alike placebo.

What is the recommended dosage of Placenta Capsules?

The clinically studied dose is Human trials gave each woman's own steamed, dried placenta in capsules during the first weeks after birth; a composition study based its estimates on one recommended intake of 3,300 mg/day. Porcine extract trials used 300 to 400 mg/day for 12 weeks. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Placenta Capsules safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Placenta Capsules include: Infection risk to the baby: the CDC reported an Oregon infant whose group B Streptococcus bloodstream infection returned after the mother began taking dehydrated placenta capsules (two capsules three times daily) that grew the same GBS strain; spread from other household members… It may also interact with some medications. Placenta Capsules is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Placenta Capsules interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Interactions have not been studied. Because processed placenta contains measurable steroid hormones, tell your doctor or midwife before combining it with hormonal birth control or other hormone medicines. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Placenta Capsules?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Placenta Capsules as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 6 clinical trials and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Buser GL, Mató S, Zhang AY, Metcalf BJ, Beall B, Thomas AR. Notes from the Field: Late-Onset Infant Group B Streptococcus Infection Associated with Maternal Consumption of Capsules Containing Dehydrated Placenta - Oregon, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66(25):677-678. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6625a4.PubMedUsed to support: CDC MMWR report from Oregon, 2016: an infant had group B Streptococcus bloodstream infection twice; the mother had begun taking dehydrated, encapsulated placenta (two capsules three times daily) three days after birth, and her capsules grew GBS indistinguishable from the infant's isolates, with no differences on whole genome sequencing. The report states that encapsulation does not per se eradicate infectious pathogens, that no processing standards exist, and that placenta capsule ingestion should be avoided.
  2. Young SM, Gryder LK, Cross C, Zava D, Kimball DW, Benyshek DC. Placentophagy's effects on mood, bonding, and fatigue: A pilot trial, part 2. Women Birth. 2018;31(4):e258-e271. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.11.004.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial (27 women; 12 placenta, 15 placebo): no significant main effects on postpartum mood, maternal bonding or fatigue between groups. Some time-point differences were noted, but the authors say statistical significance should not be read into them and call the findings preliminary.
  3. Young SM, Gryder LK, Cross C, Zava D, Kimball DW, Benyshek DC. Effects of placentophagy on maternal salivary hormones: A pilot trial, part 1. Women Birth. 2018;31(4):e245-e257. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.09.023.PubMedUsed to support: Same pilot trial (27 women): no significant differences in salivary hormone levels between the placenta and placebo groups after supplementation that were not already present beforehand. Within the placenta group, salivary levels of the 15 detected hormones tracked their concentration in each woman's capsules.
  4. Gryder LK, Young SM, Zava D, Norris W, Cross CL, Benyshek DC. Effects of Human Maternal Placentophagy on Maternal Postpartum Iron Status: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2017;62(1):68-79. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12549.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind pilot trial (23 healthy women; 10 placenta, 13 beef placebo): no significant differences in hemoglobin, ferritin or transferrin over the first 3 weeks after birth. Placenta capsules held more iron than the beef capsules (0.664 vs 0.093 mg/g) but at the study's maximum intake supplied only 24% of the RDA for iron in lactating women.
  5. Young SM, Gryder LK, Cross CL, Zava D, Norris W, Benyshek DC. Ingestion of Steamed and Dehydrated Placenta Capsules Does Not Affect Postpartum Plasma Prolactin Levels or Neonatal Weight Gain: Results from a Randomized, Double-Bind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2019;64(4):443-450. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12955.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial (27 women; 12 placenta, 15 placebo): steamed, dehydrated placenta capsules did not significantly change maternal plasma prolactin or newborn weight gain over the first 3 weeks after birth.
  6. Morris E, Slomp C, Hippman C, Inglis A, Carrion P, Batallones R, Andrighetti H, Austin J. A Matched Cohort Study of Postpartum Placentophagy in Women With a History of Mood Disorders: No Evidence for Impact on Mood, Energy, Vitamin B(12) Levels, or Lactation. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2019;41(9):1330-1337. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2019.02.004.PubMedUsed to support: Matched cohort of 138 women with a history of mood disorders (28 who ate their placenta, 110 matched non-consumers): no differences in Edinburgh depression scale scores, a sleep and activity scale, vitamin B12 levels or use of a prescription lactation drug (domperidone). Observational, not randomized.
  7. Benyshek DC, Bovbjerg ML, Cheyney M. Comparison of placenta consumers' and non-consumers' postpartum depression screening results using EPDS in US community birth settings (n=6038): a propensity score analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023;23(1):534. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05852-7.PubMedUsed to support: Propensity-matched analysis of US community-birth records (1,876 placenta consumers vs 1,876 non-consumers): consumers more often scored above Edinburgh screening cutoffs (9.9% vs 8.4% at a score of 11 or higher), about 15 to 20% higher adjusted risk. The authors suspect reverse causality; this observational design cannot show cause either way.
  8. Young SM, Gryder LK, Zava D, Kimball DW, Benyshek DC. Presence and concentration of 17 hormones in human placenta processed for encapsulation and consumption. Placenta. 2016;43:86-9. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2016.05.005.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory analysis of 28 placentas processed for encapsulation: 16 of the 17 hormones measured (steroid hormones and melatonin) were detectable, some at concentrations the authors say could conceivably have physiological effects. Measures content only, not effects in people.
  9. Johnson SK, Groten T, Pastuschek J, Rödel J, Sammer U, Markert UR. Human placentophagy: Effects of dehydration and steaming on hormones, metals and bacteria in placental tissue. Placenta. 2018;67:8-14. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2018.05.006.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory study of 9 placentas: steaming and dehydration significantly lowered CRH, hPL, oxytocin, ACTH and estrogen- and gestagen-equivalent activity compared with raw tissue. Bacteria, mainly from vaginal flora, mostly disappeared after dehydration, and arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead were below EU food thresholds.
  10. Johnson SK, Pastuschek J, Benyshek DC, Heimann Y, Möller A, Rödel J, White J, Zöllkau J, Groten T. Impact of tissue processing on microbiological colonization in the context of placentophagy. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):5307. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-09243-4.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory study: 2 of 13 placentas from GBS-positive mothers grew GBS on the surface, all 24 processed samples were free of GBS, and heat processing significantly reduced GBS and E. coli in deliberately contaminated placentas. The authors judge processed placenta an unlikely source of clinical infection, a counterpoint to the CDC case.
  11. Young SM, Gryder LK, David WB, Teng Y, Gerstenberger S, Benyshek DC. Human placenta processed for encapsulation contains modest concentrations of 14 trace minerals and elements. Nutr Res. 2016;36(8):872-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.04.005.PubMedUsed to support: Analysis of 28 placentas processed for encapsulation: at a recommended intake of 3,300 mg/day, capsules supplied on average about 24% of the lactation RDA for iron, 7.1% for selenium, 1.5% for zinc and 1.4% for copper. Arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and uranium were detected but well below toxicity thresholds.
  12. Farr A, Chervenak FA, McCullough LB, Baergen RN, Grünebaum A. Human placentophagy: a review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2018;218(4):401.e1-401.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.016.PubMedUsed to support: Review in a US obstetrics journal: found no scientific evidence of any clinical benefit of placentophagy in humans, notes the CDC advice to avoid placenta capsules, and concludes physicians should discourage the practice.
  13. Elwood C, Money D, van Schalkwyk J, Pakzad Z, Bos H, Giesbrecht E. No. 378-Placentophagy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2019;41(5):679-682. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2018.10.006.PubMedUsed to support: Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada committee opinion: there is no evidence of benefit from eating placenta and there is potential for harm, so the SOGC does not recommend the practice.
  14. Stambough K, Hernandez A, Gunn S, Adeyemi-Fowode O. Maternal Placentophagy as a Possible Cause of Breast Budding and Vaginal Bleeding in a Breast-Fed 3-Month-Old Infant. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2019;32(1):78-79. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2018.09.005.PubMedUsed to support: Single case report: a 3-month-old exclusively breastfed infant had breast budding and vaginal bleeding while the mother took encapsulated placenta; the bleeding resolved after she stopped. A possible, not proven, link to hormone exposure.
  15. Kitanohara M, Yamamoto T, Masunaga S, Ohishi M, Komatsu Y, Nagase M. Effect of porcine placental extract on the mild menopausal symptoms of climacteric women. Climacteric. 2017;20(2):144-150. doi: 10.1080/13697137.2017.1279140.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 50 Japanese women with mild menopausal symptoms: oral porcine placental extract 300 mg/day for 12 weeks improved the total Simplified Menopausal Index more than placebo (p = 0.031), with no change in estradiol or FSH. Two authors are listed at a company, Snowden Co., Ltd.
  16. Lee JY, Lee C, Yoon SH, Choi H. Effect of porcine placental extract on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol. 2020;59(5):675-681. doi: 10.1016/j.tjog.2020.07.009.PubMedUsed to support: Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 Korean menopausal women: porcine placental extract 400 mg/day for 12 weeks lowered the Kupperman Index in both groups with no significant difference between them. Better scores on the extract were reported only in subgroups (BMI 23 or higher, or under 3 years since menopause).