Special edition: Healthy ageing
The world's placenta epicentre
The placenta market is booming in Japan and worth more than €80m. Targeted conditions - although few are backed with official claims - include obesity, asthma, gastritis, neurosis, heart damage, hyperlipemias, hypercholesterolemia, eczemas, glaucoma, alcoholism, and more recently Kaposi's sarcoma.
Retail placenta products, which stimulate cell growth, are mostly used to promote younger skin and typically sourced from horses. Other sources include pigs, cows, salmon and roses.
Placenta consumption has long formed part of Traditional Chinese Medicinal practice, but Japan is by far the biggest market and local suppliers are eyeing Asian markets like Thailand and Malaysia.