产妇在分娩后吃掉胎盘能“大补气血”？这种说法没有什么科学依据。

中国传统药学将人胎盘称作“紫河车”，认定紫河车“味甘，性大温，无毒，入心、脾、肾三经”。“主诸虚百损、五劳七伤、骨蒸潮热、体虚气短”等。

要说这紫河车，虽然随着婴儿降生而娩出，已经意味着其使命的终结，将其做成药材，对产妇和婴儿都无损害，但是，无论从哪个角度上说，它也曾经为机体的一部分，属于“人肉”的范畴，因此在很多人眼里，吃胎盘这种行为有伤“人伦”，因此在传统医学中仅作“药用”，并未提倡产妇普遍食用。

当今，很多人认为胎盘中含有多种营养成分和微量元素，能减轻分娩所致产道损伤与疼痛，增加产妇能量（和中医所谓“大补气血”类似），催乳、增加母子感情，防治产后抑郁等，总之对产妇有多种好处，从而导致孕妇产后吃掉娩出的胎盘这种做法渐渐增多起来。而且，为了保有胎盘的所谓营养价值，催生出多种离奇的吃法。

来自美国西北大学的Crystal T. Clark最近在Archives of Women'sMental Health上发表综述文章，总结认为产妇吃掉胎盘并没有什么益处，这种行为的流行更多是出于媒体和商业炒作。

提到媒体，我倒愿意多说两句。传统媒体多让人想到报刊、广播和电视台，这类机构的运作在相当程度需要实力：需专业化的创作团队来维持和维护，且不同的媒体机构遵循各自的立场和格调，扮演或担负着一派力量和观念代理人的角色。如今，新媒体的兴起，让话语权在相当程度上有机会从“权贵”手里解放出来：弄个自己的平台或是在其它平台上“租赁”一块土地，就可以自己玩的很high，就如同笔者现在所做的一样。这对于话语的多元化和个性化自然是大有好处，说是媒体的一场革命性变革怕是并不为过。

貌似鱼龙混杂，但在争鸣中最终自然能让真、善和美的东西凸显出来。

Archives of Women's Mental Health

Placentophagy: therapeutic miracle or myth?

Cynthia W. Coyle, Kathryn E. Hulse, Katherine L. Wisner, Kara E.Driscoll, Crystal T. Clark

Abstract

Postpartum women are consuming their placentas encapsulated, cooked, andraw for the prevention of postpartum depression (PPD), pain relief, and otherhealth benefits. Placentophagy is supported by health advocates who assert thatthe placenta retains hormones and nutrients that are beneficial to the mother.A computerized search was conducted using PubMed, Medline Ovid, and PsychINFObetween January 1950 and January 2014. Keywords included placentophagy,placentophagia, maternal placentophagia, maternal placentophagy, humanplacentophagia, and human placentophagy. A total of 49 articles wereidentified. Empirical studies of human or animal consumption of human placentaswere included. Editorial commentaries were excluded. Animal placentophagystudies were chosen based on their relevance to human practice. Ten articles(four human, six animal) were selected for inclusion. A minority of women indeveloped countries perceive placentophagy to reduce PPD risk and enhancerecovery. Experimental animal research in support of pain reduction has notbeen applied in humans. Studies investigating placenta consumption forfacilitating uterine contraction, resumption of normal cyclic estrogen cycle,and milk production are inconclusive. The health benefits and risks ofplacentophagy require further investigation of the retained contents of raw,cooked, and encapsulated placenta and its effects on the postpartum woman.

群晓科苑

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