The Rise Of The Afterbirth Empire: Placenta Eating Gains Traction (VIDEO)

We're generally pro-organ eating at HuffPost Food, but are feeling a bit challenged on our stance when it comes to human placenta.

New York Magazine recently wrote a very comprehensive piece, "The Placenta Cookbook," that explored human afterbirth eating (mostly in pill form), which is becoming more popular among an apparently growing niche of people. There are supposed but not widely-researched health benefits -- such as combating post-partum depression -- that have gotten women interested in eating their own insides-turned-outsides. The article is chock-full of fascinating yet disturbing anecdotes, such as a woman who craved organs while pregnant. “After I gave birth, I threw a chunk of placenta in the Vitamix with coconut water and a banana. It gave me the wildest rush... It was definitely physical,” she said.

The rise of this "afterbirth empire" has not only resulted in dehydrated placenta pills and placenta jerky, but also a women's rights issue. There have been cases of parents requesting to keep the placenta post-childbirth, and hospitals denying the claim. "My placenta, my choice," explains the article.

If mothers are successful in obtaining their placenta -- several states have laws allowing parents to take afterbirth home-- regulations for processing placenta are still a bit unclear, as The Huffington Post reported in July.

Learn more about how to cook placenta over at New York Magazine, or watch the videos below.