From being a worldwide joke when Katie Holmes was expecting Tom Cruise's child and the famous actor said he'd be having a sort of placenta smoothie from her womb, a woman in the UK has taken this idea to heart - but not without controversy.
A woman in the United Kingdom created a business in which she makes placenta smoothies for new moms, mixing up the organ that connects the fetus with the uterus with different types of fruit, claiming this is a healthy way to provide nutrients for moms and their newborn children, something that doctors in the country have been denying fervently.
According to The Telegraph, the woman responsible for the infamous placenta smoothies is 41 year-old Kathryn Beale, who asks mothers to give her their placenta so she can make blended juices with it. She takes an 8 cm-long piece of the mother's placenta and mixes it with fruits and juices, then dehydrating the remains into powder so they can be made into capsules later on.
While Beale claims the placenta smoothies are entirely safe, BBC reports that she's raised alarm in experts, as her local council worries about the health standards of her product, as the Swindon Borough Council has attempted to issue a hygiene emergency prohibition against Beale.
However, the order was ultimately denied, and Beale continues to have permission to make the smoothies - though she has now voluntarily stopped production in an act of good faith, as she waits for examiners to come by to see how she manages to mix the juice with the organ.
She says she understands the concerns, but she says her placenta smoothies go through a large process of hygiene, as she's equally concerned for the well-being of her patients.
According to The Independent, Beale's placenta smoothie business is called Optimum Doula, a term that comes from the Greek word for the woman who helps new mothers during childbirth.
