Health Benefits of Chicken

The health benefits of chicken include its good supply of protein content, the supply of essential vitamins and minerals, benefits in losing weight, cholesterol control, blood pressure control, and a reduced risk of cancer.

Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world. It has been domesticated and consumed as food for thousands of years. It is believed that chickens were first domesticated in India thousands of years ago, primarily for cockfighting and later for meat consumption. Later, chickens spread to other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe and eventually to the Americas. Chickens in the Americas were brought from Europe by the early colonists.

Until the 19^th century, chickens were often domesticated in households, both for their meat and their eggs. Excess amounts of meat and eggs were used in bartering systems. In the later part of 19^th and the early 20^th century, household chicken farming gave way to chicken farming as a big business due to the demand from increasing populations in cities.

Large-scale chicken farming gave rise to many breeds, since breeders had to increase chicken production. Several new breeds have been developed since then, some of which include American, Mediterranean, English, Asiatic, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, Black Cochin, Red Malay game fowl, and Leghorn. Chicken, irrespective of its breed, is healthy and has a high nutritional value.

Nutritional Value of Chicken

According to the USDA , chicken (100 g) has moisture (65 g), energy (215 kcal), protein (18 g), fat (15 g), saturated fat (4 g), cholesterol (75 mg), calcium (11 mg), iron (0.9 mg), magnesium (20 mg), phosphorous (147 mg), potassium (189 mg), sodium (70 mg), and zinc (1.3 mg). In terms of vitamins, it contains vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, and vitamin K.

Health Benefits of Chicken

Some of the health benefits of chicken include the following:

High Protein Content: Chicken is one of the highest protein suppliers normally found in people’s diets. The amount of protein found in chicken is 18 g per 100 g of chicken, which is very high. Protein plays an important role in our diet. It is made of amino acids that make up protein, which are the building blocks of our muscle. The recommended amount of daily protein requirements is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight, or 0.4 g of protein per pound of body weight. These numbers are for normal people. For athletes, the daily requirement of protein is about 0.6 g to 0.9 g per pound, which is more than double the regular requirement.

Important Source of Vitamins and Minerals:Chicken is not only a very good source of protein, but it is also a very good source of vitamins and minerals. The vitamins and minerals found in chicken are very useful in numerous activities in our body. For example,B vitamins are useful in preventing cataracts and skin disorders, boosting immunity, eliminating weakness, regulating digestion, and improving the nervous system, as well as preventing migraine, heart disorders, grey hair, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Vitamin D helps in calcium absorption and bone strengthening. Vitamin A helps in building up eye sight and minerals such as iron are helpful in hemoglobin formation, muscle activity, and eliminating anemia. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes, phosphorous 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 has been one of the main contenders in weight loss, since it provides high protein content. Studiesand trials have shown that significant weight control was observed in those people who regularly eat chicken.

Control of Blood Pressure: Chicken consumption has been found to be useful in controlling blood pressure as well. This was observed in people with hypertension and in many African Americans. Though the diet was also comprised of nuts, low-fat dietary products, vegetables, and fruits.

Reduced Cancer Risk: Studies have found that in non-vegetarians, a higher consumption of red meat, pork/ ham increased the risk of colorectal cancer, while in chicken and fish eaters, the risk  of developing colorectal cancer in later life was reduced. Although studies suggest that eating chicken puts one at a lower risk than eating red meat, the evidence is not conclusive.

Reduced Risk of Cholesterol Accumulation: The amount of saturated fat and cholesterol found in red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb is 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.

Common Cold: Intake of warm chicken soup also provides relief from common cold, including symptoms like a congested nose and a sore throat.

Quick Serving Ideas for Chicken

Chicken Salad: Add roast chicken breast, cherries or cranberries, halved seedless grapes, diced apple, chopped green onions, boiled mushrooms to a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to your preferred taste. This salad is healthy and easy to prepare.

Chicken Sandwich: Toast 2 slices of bread and spread butter on them. Put slices of cucumber, beet root, onion, capsicum, and cooked chicken on one slice. Add salt and pepper to taste and cover with the second slice. Serve with ketchup or mayonnaise.

Oven-Fried Chicken: Take medium-sized cut chicken breast pieces, season them with paprika and salt to your preferred taste. Dip the pieces in egg whites and later dip them into a mix of crushed cornflakes. Grease a baking tray and place the chicken pieces on it. Cook in the oven or microwave until finished.

Measures to Be Taken While Buying Chicken

Here are some of the safety measures that should be taken while buying chicken.

1. The USDA has specified rules and regulations for handling chicken. All the details are mentioned in their official website.
2. All the varieties or breeds that are sold in the market are treated as chickens.
3. The USDA inspects all the chickens sold in the market as well as in the farms to make sure that the chickens do not have any diseases that can spread to people and to guarantee that the consumers get the best quality chicken.
4. Chickens can be either fresh or frozen. According to the USDA rules, “fresh” is where the raw poultry has not been frozen below 26° F or -3.3° C. Raw poultry that has been held at 0° F or -17.8° C must be labelled frozen or previously frozen.
5. According to the USDA, no growth hormones are used while raising chickens. On the other hand, antibiotics are used to prevent the spread or development of microbial infections and diseases. However, the law requires the withdrawal of such antibiotics weeks before the slaughter of chickens so that no residual antibiotics remain in the chickens’ systems.
6. The USDA also specifies the temperatures at which chickens can be stored or must not be stored. At temperatures between 40° F and 140° F, bacteria can start multiplying in chicken. Freezing cannot kill bacteria but will stop the bacteria from multiplying and decomposing the chicken. Only the thorough cooking of poultry above 165° F or 73.9° C will kill the bacteria present in the chicken.
7. Some bacteria that can be found in chicken include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli.
8. The USDA also recommends washing hands and cleaning the surfaces often to avoid bacterial infections. Raw poultry, red meats, and fish must be stored separately to stop the spread of any bacteria to other foods.

These are some of the rules and recommendations laid down by the USDA to ensure safe distribution and consumption of chicken. Now, go out and enjoy some delicious chicken!