Sheep Placenta Extract
A popular anti-ageing supplement across parts of Asia. No trial has ever tested sheep placenta itself; the only placebo-controlled evidence uses placenta from pigs and horses and shows small skin effects.
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What the science says
- Sheep placenta specifically Limited evidence
No randomized controlled trial of oral sheep placenta extract for skin, ageing or any other outcome is indexed in PubMed. Marketing claims rely on studies of placenta from other species and on unpublished company data.
- Placenta extract from other species Limited evidence
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of porcine placenta extract and of equine placental extract in healthy adult women reported small improvements in skin hydration and appearance, and a 12-week trial of porcine placenta peptides reported similar findings. All were small, industry-associated and used different species and processing, so they do not validate sheep placenta products.
- Mechanism Limited evidence
The proposed mechanism is delivery of growth factors, but orally ingested proteins are digested into amino acids and peptides before absorption. Any effect is more likely to come from small collagen-derived peptides than from intact growth factors.
Dosage & safety
How to take it
Frequently asked questions
Does sheep placenta work for anti-ageing?
No randomized controlled trial has tested oral sheep placenta extract for skin, ageing or any other outcome, so the evidence is limited. Marketing borrows results from porcine and equine placenta studies, which are different products.
What does the research on placenta supplements show?
Small placebo-controlled trials of porcine and equine placenta extracts in healthy women reported small improvements in skin hydration and appearance at roughly 100–400 mg/day for 8–12 weeks. They were industry-associated and do not validate sheep placenta products.
Do growth factors in sheep placenta survive digestion?
Unlikely: orally ingested proteins are digested into amino acids and peptides before absorption. Any effect from a sheep placenta supplement is more likely to come from small collagen-derived peptides than from intact growth factors.
Is sheep placenta extract safe?
Sheep placenta, like other animal-tissue products, carries theoretical risks of pathogen and prion transmission, varies widely in quality, and may contain hormones from the source animal. It is not suitable in pregnancy, breastfeeding, for children, or in hormone-sensitive conditions.
Scientific references
- Effect of Porcine Placenta Extract Supplement on Skin Condition in Healthy Adult Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study
- Effects of oral administration of equine placental extract supplement on the facial skin of healthy adult women: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
- Porcine placenta peptides as a complementary functional food for skin rejuvenation: A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Related in Joints & skin
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