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Daniel C. Benyshek
Professor, Anthropology
Expertise: Diabetes and Obesity, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, Human Placentophagy
About
Daniel C. Benyshek has more than 20 years of experience in medical anthropology. His research focuses on aspects of health and disease which are significantly affected by maternal nutrition. One line of research in this area explores key maternal dietary factors during pregnancy that are associated with the increase of obesity-related health disorders around the world.
Benyshek also studies the emerging practice of human postpartum consumption of the placenta and the potential health benefits and risks this practice may yield for both mother and child. Benyshek has authored numerous academic and professional publications spanning topics on diabetes, obesity, human placentophagy, and maternal nutrition and health.
Education
- Ph.D., Medical Anthropology, Arizona State University
- M.A., Anthropology, Arizona State University
- B.A., Anthropology, University of Colorado
Daniel C. Benyshek In The News
First experts said eggs are bad for you, then they say it's OK to eat them. Is red wine good for your heart or will it give you breast cancer?
Call it a fad, trendy, or something crunchy-moms do, but an increasingly large number of women are choosing to consume their placenta after birth. Citing improved mood, increased energy levels, reduced pain, and even increased milk production, many women swear by the practice termed placentophagy.
I’m not going to tell you what to do with your baby’s placenta after birth. If the doctor lets you have it, and you would like to encapsulate it, sauté it, or even ink it to make placenta prints, that is your decision to make. But you should at least know whether scientists have found any health benefits to consuming it.
Over the last several decades, human maternal placentophagy (postpartum ingestion of the placenta by the mother) has emerged as a rare but increasingly popular practice among women in industrialized countries seeking its many purported health benefits.
Articles Featuring Daniel C. Benyshek
UNLV researchers made international headlines this year with their discoveries. Here's a round up of some of our top stories of 2017.
Research finds that consuming encapsulated placentas has little to no effect on postpartum mood and maternal bonding; detectable changes shown in hormones.