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Photo of Human Placenta

Human Placenta

紫河车 · Zǐ Hé Chē

Classical herb for severe depletion and infertility

Properties

WarmingWarming botanicalSweet, Salty

What it does

Human placenta rebuilds you from severe depletion: extreme fatigue, infertility, low milk supply, and post-illness wasting. In TCM, it nourishes blood and supplements essence, your deepest reserve. It's classically used for the deepest tonic patterns. Many modern practitioners substitute deer antler or Cordyceps for ethical and safety reasons.

How to take it

Capsule

Used in TCM at 1.5–3g of processed dried placenta powder daily. Modern alternatives like deer antler or Cordyceps formulas are widely available substitutes.

Consider modern alternatives like Cordyceps or deer antler tonics

Safety

  • Human-derived. Disease transmission risk if not properly screened
  • Banned or restricted in some Western countries
  • Skip during acute infection or fever
  • Modern alternatives like Cordyceps or deer antler are widely available
  • Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you take medication

Where it comes from

Human placenta has been a TCM material for over 1,500 years, valued as a deep tonic alongside other 'essence' herbs like deer antler and Cordyceps. Cultural and ethical concerns, plus risks of disease transmission, have caused most Western practitioners to drop it entirely. In Chinese pharmacies, it remains available as 'Zi He Che,' processed and dried, but many modern Chinese practitioners now prescribe substitutes. The herb is banned in some Western countries.