What is afterbirth?

The afterbirth is medically called placenta, which is a part of the placenta after the fetus is born. Many people choose to eat the placenta, especially for women. The placenta can supplement collagen and provide good maintenance for women's skin. At the same time, there are many microorganisms and viruses in the placenta, which must be processed at high temperature before use. Eating the afterbirth can increase the efficiency of substance exchange in the body and enhance the body's immunity.

According to historical records, the first person in Chinese history to use human placenta as a health-care product was Qin Shihuang, who unified China 2,200 years ago. Since then, placenta has been regarded as a top-quality health-care product for the royal family. Purple placenta refers to human placenta. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the placenta is sweet, salty and warm in nature, enters the lung, heart and kidney meridians, and has the functions of nourishing the kidney and essence, replenishing qi and nourishing blood. Modern medical research believes that the placenta contains protein, sugar, calcium, vitamins, immune factors, female hormones, progesterone, steroid hormones, gonadotropin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, etc.

Placenta can promote the development of breast, uterus, vagina, and testicles, and also has a promoting effect on the thyroid gland. It is also effective for tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, anemia, etc. Grinding it into powder and taking it orally or by enema can prevent measles or alleviate symptoms. It also has a certain effect on ascites caused by portal vein cirrhosis and ascites caused by advanced schistosomiasis.

Placenta is made by collecting fresh placenta from healthy pregnant women, rinsing it in clean water, removing the fascia and puncturing the blood vessels around the umbilical cord to squeeze out the blood, rinsing it repeatedly several times, and gently rubbing it until it is clean. Then it is tightened inside with a thin iron wire loop, sewn up with thread all around, put into a pot of boiling water and boiled until the placenta floats, then taken out, the amniotic membrane on the edge is cut off, and then baked on a smokeless coal fire until bubbles appear and the texture is crispy and loose.

Function

1. Material exchange function

Gas exchange includes oxygen exchange and carbon dioxide exchange; nutrient supply includes all nutrients needed for fetal development; and elimination of metabolic products in the fetus.

2. Defense function

Although the barrier function of the placenta is extremely limited, it does have a certain barrier function against some bacteria, pathogens and drugs.

3. Synthesis function

Such as human chorionic gonadotropin, human placental lactogen, estrogen, progesterone, uterine tocinase, thermostable alkaline phosphatase, cytokines and growth factors.