Health benefits of chicken
Chicken isn’t just a delicious meat that works in a wealth of dishes, it’s also an incredibly health-rich food.
In his blog, we list some of the key health benefits chicken is known to offer, from protein to stress relief.
Protein
As far as meat goes, chicken is one of the best sources for protein. It is classified as a ‘lean meat’. This essentially means you’ll get plenty of protein from consuming chicken while the amount of fat is comparatively minimal compared to, say, a cut of steak. If you want to bulk up, having a diet that utilises chicken is a great way to support your endeavours.
Healthy bones
Chicken is also good for your bones. It contains several valuable minerals, including calcium, which is the most commonly associated mineral with healthy bones. But another mineral, phosphorous, is also good for your bones, and chicken’s got that, too. If you’re concerned about arthritis, chicken contains selenium, which is known to reduce the risk.
Immunity boost
This pertains more specifically to chicken soup, but the humble home remedy for relieving cold, flu and other respiratory infections also has some science behind it. As noted on the Health Site:
“the hot steam of chicken soup helps clear nasal and throat congestion while the thick fluid coats the throat to prevent invasion of respiratory linings by microbes to cause infection. A study evaluating this effect suggested that chicken soup inhibits migration of neutrophils, a type of immune cells, thereby preventing inflammation during common infections and boosting immunity.”
Helps with stress
If you struggle with stress, a diet with more chicken may help. Chicken has two key nutrients that are known to assist in reducing stress. These are tryptophan and Vitamin B5. When consumed, these nutrients have a type of calming effect, which can help calm you down after particularly stressful days. And if you personally love the taste of chicken, then this helps as well. When you enjoy what you’re eating, it’s actually stress releasing. This is applicable to any type of food that you personally enjoy the flavours of.