From China, Europe to Africa, let us now move to other countries within Asia. In Indonesia, the placenta is seen as the baby’s twin or elder sibling, and therefore, it is considered as the baby’s guardian. The father is responsible to clean, wrap and bury the placenta on the day of the birth. On the other hand, in the Philippines, mothers are known to bury the placenta with books with the hope a smart child.

In Korea, the placenta is burned and the ashes kept. In times of illness, the powder is used to heal the child. Among the Hmong culture, placenta is translated as “jacket,” as it is considered an infant’s first and finest clothing. The Hmong bury the placenta outside as they believe that after death, the soul must make their journey back for rebirth. In Cambodia, the placenta is carefully wrapped in a banana tree leaf, placed beside the newborn baby for three days and then buried. In the Thai culture, salt is put on the placenta and then in an earthen jar. On a day deemed auspicious for burying this clay pot, a site is prepared and the placenta is laid to rest. The Arabs believe the future fertility of a woman is connected to the disposition of the placenta. Should something unpleasant happen to it, the woman may be sterile.

In Turkey, it is believed that the food and drink consumed by the pregnant woman and the people, animals and things she looked at all affects the child. The same belief applies to the relation between the child and the umbilical cord and placenta. It is not to be disposed at their whims and fancy.

Let us take a look at the consumption of placenta in Africa and Europe. In the African cultures, “zan boku” means “the place where placenta is buried”, normally under the trees to symbolize ongoing life. This is obvious by the Ibo of Nigeria and Ghana where they treat the placenta as the dead twin of a child. The Kikuyu of Kenya bury and cover it with grains and grasses in the field, while other cultures bury it in the dirt floor of the family’s house. On the other hand, some African nations wrap the placenta in the blanket and bury it beneath a tree. As for Mali, the placenta is believed to affect the baby’s temperament or even make it ill. Therefore, the placenta is washed, dried before being placed in a basket to be buried by the father.

In Europe such as France, the placenta is commercially used as cosmetics. However, in 1994, Britain banned the collecting of placentas in the Government after they found out placentas were sold to be exported to France. They used it to make a protein, albumin, for burns and to make enzymes to treat rare genetic disorders. Hence, placenta consumption and rituals differ from one culture to another.

The consumption of placenta is not a new habit but has been practised for many centuries in various cultures. In China, Emperor Qin ShiHuang, the first emperor of a unified China, has proclaimed placenta as having health properties about 2,200 years ago. Even Empress Dowager CiXi was believed to consume placenta to keep herself young.

This is not surprising as placenta encapsulation is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, where the placenta is considered as a powerful and sacred health supplement full of “life force” to boost health.

The classical medical text from Ming Dynasty (1,368 – 1,644) described placenta as highly nutritional and if taken for a longer period, it can help achieve longevity. The consumption of placenta has become obvious as pills containing placenta powder are legally available in Chinese pharmacies. Even in maternity hospital in eastern Nanjing, it was reported that 10 percent of new parents consumed their own placenta after childbirth.

Apart from China, Vietnam also views placenta as a life-giving force of good health. Placenta is dried and made into unique formulation to increase a person’s energy and vitality. In fact, TCM practitioners believe placenta is a tonic to fortify the “qi” or life force and enrich the blood.

We have highlighted three ingredients, such as fish liver oil, aloe vera and avocado oil previously. As mentioned before, there are many other ingredients used in the formulation of placenta products that help further boost the efficacy of the placenta product.
Let us take a look at the other ingredients here.

· Lycopene (Tomato Extract)
Lycopene can be found in tomato extract and is a strong antioxidant which is good for the heart, preventing heart-related diseases, improving its blood vessel and elasticity as well as enhancing the body’s defense mechanism by protecting enzymes, DNA and cells.

· Astaxanthin (Red Algae)
Dubbed as the King of Antioxidant, red algae is a carotenoid antioxidant that is so tiny that it is able to absorb into the tiny blood vessels, from the eyes to the brain. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, pain reliever and helps reduce fatigue.

· Silk Amino Acid
This extract is taken from the cocoon silk worm and is a strong property in stimulating new cell synthesis and making skin smoother, silkier and supple. It also helps reduce body heat and acts as a natural moisturizer.

· Grape Seed Oil
For many centuries, grapes are known for its medicinal and nutritional value. The grape seeds have high concentration of Vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid, oligomeric and proanthocyanidin complexes which all help in strengthening the immune system as well as act as powerful antioxidant.

These are just some of the many ingredients used in the formulation of placenta products. With the combination of these ingredients, it helps maximise the full potential and benefits of the product.

There are many placenta brands available in the market. But have you ever wondered what are the other ingredients used in the formulation or making of the placenta products apart from the placenta itself? And what are the benefits of these ingredients?

All brands have their own formulation and these ingredients will help further enhance the efficacy of the placenta products. It must also be noted that some ingredients may exist in one brand but may not in another. Nevertheless, let us take a look at what these ingredients are.

· Fish liver oil:
Squalene is from the liver of deep sea sharks, and our human skin contains 12% squalene. This ingredient is considered as a major component of sebum and natural emollient of the skin. It protects our skin from UV rays and improves our immune system and organ functions.

· Aloe vera:
Aloe vera is well-known as a natural healing property and has been used for centuries to heal sunburns, scrapes, cuts, rashes and dry skin. It contains Vitamin C, B1, B2, B3, B4, B12 and mucopolysaccarides which has a stimulating effect for our immune system and moisturizing properties.

The oil extract from avocado has many benefits as it contains monounsaturated oleic acid, lecithin, Vitamin A, D and E. It helps inhibit absorption of dietary cholesterol, lowering risk of arterial thrombosis and coronary heart disease. Avocado also acts as antioxidants which reduces age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

There are many other ingredients and we will continue this in our next article.

The rising cost of living these days especially with higher petroleum costs and cooking oil has become the talk of the town. Everyone tries to tighten their purse string. But when it comes to health, don’t compromise it with cheap and unknown health products.

Placenta products are always deemed to be a premium health product and costlier than any other kind of health supplements. The truth is it all depends on the brand. Anyway, here are some tips you can look for when choosing your health supplement:

· Choose a trusted and reliable brand:
Why compromise on your health with cheaper products? Health is not something you should compromise. A premium brand that is trusted and reliable is more worthy than a brand that is unheard of. You may get 10 packets compared to 1 packet of trusted brand but is it worth the risk?

· Collagen, spirulina, vitamin pills or placenta?:
There are all kinds of health supplement. Each has its own benefits. Depending on your needs, choose the one that deemed best suits you. Placenta is suitable for all groups of consumers, be they youths in their twenties, middle aged adults, senior citizens, maternity and others.

· Conduct research of the brand
Although some brands have promotion or sales, it is best to check it out more by asking around your friends via the social media or surf the chatroom or websites for more details. It is better to understand the brand than buying blindly.

With these tips in hand, we hope that you can finally understand the fact that health is not to be compromised, even if you have a tight budget.

Ask any man on the street if they are aware that placentas are beneficial and if they consume placenta products. Chances are, many still feel placenta products are for women only. To men, eating placenta is a grossly scary sight. Even the sound of people eating placentas sends chills to their spine.

In some men’s mind, placenta products are women’s products and consuming them will make them lose their masculinity. This total misconception has become a hindrance to men to take advantage of the full benefits of placentas. The truth is placenta products not only give men youthful-looking skin but also improve their stamina and libido.

Placenta helps improve blood circulation and hence, allowing the body skin’s structure and muscles to be firm and full of vitality. This is essential especially in enhancing the stamina and libido in men. It also boosts cell regeneration with improvement in elastin and hyaluronic acid which acts as skin moisturizer. The hormone level also balances up. With all the goodness of placentas, men should therefore not fear about consuming placenta products. They should try it and experience it!