The Placenta is completely made up of cells from the Baby, so eating the Placenta is basically “Eating the baby’s nutrient absorption apendage” It is formed from the fetus and attaches to the uterine wall to act as a barrier between mother and child preventing certain things from transferring, but allowing things like oxygen, vitamins, minerals and nutrients to pass through.
It is basically a selective membrane with a very large surface area to allow this and fetal blood pumps through it.
So eating a Placenta is basically eating a part of your own Baby!!! However it is a part of the baby that the baby no longer needs after it is born so besides the ick factor, it is exactly like eating human flesh....
Just because animals do it, doesn’t mean humans should, we can eat enough vitamins and minerals to make up for the so called “nutrient loss” caused by it.
I would say eating the afterbirth could potentially lead to Kuru disease, ick....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)
Or imagine this, what if the baby had a genetic defect that lead to malformed protein / prion disease, you eat the placenta and BAM, Mother has Prion disease along with the baby....
Kuru is caused by eating the brain of an infected human. Can’t get it from a placenta.
Same with prion disease. Nothing genetic about it. You get it by consuming prions which reproduce without using DNA. Weirdest thing I’ve ever heard of. Cooking doesn’t stop it.
BTW, some vegans consider eating the placenta the only time they can ethically consume animal protein without exploiting animals. So they make stew and have a party. Which come to think of it is weirder than the reproduction of prions.