Impressive Benefits Of Chicken
The health benefits of chicken include its ability to provide a good supply of protein, essential vitamins, and minerals. It also aids in weight loss, regulating cholesterol and blood pressure.
🍗Chicken
Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world. It has been domesticated and consumed as food for thousands of years. There are many varieties of chicken including free-range chicken, organic chicken, and conventional chicken, and the differences between them relate to how they are fed and raised. While free-range chickens, as the term implies, roam freely in the pastures, conventional chickens, controversially, are kept in cages and not allowed to move freely. Conventional chickens are injected with hormones to speed growth and are sometimes kept in unhygienic and unhealthy conditions meaning they are also often treated with antibiotics.
Of the three, organic chicken is the most expensive because they must have access to the outdoors, are only allowed to eat organically grown food (with no pesticides), and they may not be given antibiotics, as per the USDA standards. They are generally kept in healthy and clean conditions and allowed to grow naturally.
🍗High Protein Content
As per the USDA FoodData Central, chicken breast, with 14.73 grams of protein per 100 grams, is one of the best foods for protein. Protein plays an important role in our diet. It is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our muscles. Generally, the recommended amount of daily protein requirement is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight or 0.4 g of protein per pound of body weight. For athletes, the daily requirement of protein is about 0.6 g to 0.9 g per pound.
🍗Rich in Vitamins & Minerals
It is not only a good source of protein but is also very rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, B vitamins help the body with energy production and also help form healthy red blood cells.
Vitamin D in chicken helps in calcium absorption and bone strengthening. Vitamin A helps in building eyesight and plays an important role in the immune system. Minerals such as iron are helpful in hemoglobin formation, muscle activity, and preventing anemia. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes, which aid in fluid balance while phosphorus is helpful in tackling weakness, bone health, brain function, dental care, and metabolic issues.
🍗Weight Loss
Diets with high levels of protein have been known to be effective in reducing weight and chicken fits well as part of a high protein diet for weight loss. A study published in the journal Nutrition shows that weight loss and improvements in the total lipid profile can be achieved in people who regularly ate chicken breast. This can be attributed to its high protein content and low total calories.
🍗Anticancer Properties
Studies have found that in non-vegetarians, higher consumption of red meat, pork, and ham increased the risk of colorectal cancer, while in chicken and fish eaters, the risk of developing this cancer in later life was reduced, although the evidence is not conclusive. Reduction in consumption of red meat is associated with lowering the risk of colon cancer.
🍗Reduced Cholesterol
The amount of saturated fat and cholesterol found in red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb are much higher than the levels found in chicken, fish, and vegetables. Therefore, the American Heart Association has advised consuming chicken or fish instead of red meat for a lowered risk of cholesterol and subsequent heart disease development. The AHA also says that consuming chicken or fish must be limited to normal levels, as excessive consumption can also lead to the development of heart disease.
🍗Treatment of Common Cold
Intake of warm chicken soup also provides relief from the common cold, including symptoms like a congested nose and a sore throat.