The point about the nutritional benefits not surviving cooking and preservation may not hold true when the raw placenta is used in smoothies, tinctures or dehydrated at low temperatures. It's the hormones I'm particularly interested in, not the otherwise easily obtained nutrients such as protein and iron. I'm not clear as to whether they'd survive either though.
Also, we would be staggering consumption, not taking one mega-dose, although other mammals do take the time to eat in one sitting! (For unknown reasons.)
As regards to possible dIsease in the placenta, wouldn't the mother already have it anyways making the risk from one's own placenta almost negligible? I don't think there's a likelihood of developing a 'mad human' disease from just 1 or 2 placentas and I've been reassured by other research that while placentas do filter toxins, they redirect to the kidneys and liver for elimination and therefore placenta is less toxin-laden than your average supermarket meat (which I actually avoid and choose organic when I do eat meat!)
It is clear that there is no proven benefits to placentaphagy, just anecdotal, which could be explained as placebo as naturally the women who would do this, are likely to be of a believing mindset. But the placebo effect is pretty powerful medicine too!
I'm tending towards disinclination myself but I might get it done and save it in the event of PPD, menopause or my kids own hormonal episodes.
There's a few other interesting links here for what it's worth http://placentanetwork.com/research-and-articles/




This is exactly what would happen in our house.
Follow Mothering