Mexican actress Iran Castillo has shared a photo of her flower-covered placenta on social media after giving birth and has praised the benefits of eating it to her army of followers.
Castillo, 45, announced that she had become a mother for the second time on Instagram on 11th February with a photo of her placenta decorated with flowers.
She wrote for her 744,000 Instagram followers: “Any words I put here will not be enough to express my joy and happiness! Welcome Demian! We love you with all our being.”
Castillo started her career as an actress at the age of seven doing commercials and appeared in the soap opera Angeles Blancos in 1989.
She has appeared in telenovelas such as ‘Agujetas de color de rosa’, ‘Confidente de Secundaria’, and ‘Preciosa’, and is famous as a singer for her 1997 single ‘Yo por el’.
In an update on Instagram on 23rd February, the actress and singer explained: “It’s amazing how placenta can be our own medicine and used for so many wonderful things!
“Did you know that the placenta can help you a lot postpartum and with breastfeeding by taking it in capsules? Let’s take advantage of the miracle of this organ!”
She also thanked her partner for “the miracle of you being in this placenta”.
After giving birth, the Mexican celebrity said: “This moment is so magical, so glorious and masterful, in which time and space stop and there is only the miracle of life, the genuine emotion of the birth of a being so beautiful, so extraordinary!”
Placentophagy, the act of eating all or some of the afterbirth, has become popular among many celebrities, and actress Alicia Silverstone, singer Jennifer Lopez and socialite Kourtney Kardashian have all endorsed the practice or admitted to eating the placenta after giving birth.
The nutrients in the placenta are purported to prevent postnatal depression, reduce bleeding and improve the milk supply for breastfeeding.
However, research suggests that not only is there no scientific evidence for these claims, but eating the placenta may also carry risks, as bacteria or viruses can remain within the placenta tissues after birth.
