Health Benefits of Chicken


Posted on: Thu 17-09-2015

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.
 
 
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.
 
By: The Punch