If you want to add some protein in your diet then chicken is the way to go, as it is the best source of protein. You! takes a look ...
Did you know that protein plays a major role in your body - from building your body tissues to making important hormones? Yes that is true. Protein is essential to the human diet, mainly because the body needs it to create new cells and maintain existing cells. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
The body also uses protein to produce enzymes, which help catalyze processes such as digestion, metabolism and storage of fat. However, according to experts, a right amount of protein should be consumed if one wants to truly reap its benefits.
And the fact is that chicken is amongst the best sources of protein that is available. Chicken not only tastes good but also consists of high-quality protein (that is, protein that contains eight essential amino acids) and a relatively low amount of fat. Read on to find out the advantages of chicken.
Benefits of chicken:
Natural anti-depressant:
Chicken is high in an amino acid called tryptophan, which gives one a comforting feeling after consuming a bowl of chicken soup. If you’re feeling depressed, eating some poultry will increase the serotonin levels in your brain, enhance your mood, blasting stress, and lulling you to sleep.
For a healthy heart:
Homocysteine is an amino acid that can cause cardiovascular disease if levels are high in the body. Fortunately, eating chicken breast suppresses and controls homocysteine levels. In addition, fat in chicken is mostly of the unsaturated type, which protects against heart disease. Thus, chicken is often recommended by physicians and nutrition counsellors as an alternative to red meat (beef), which typically has more fat and more saturated fat.
Source of selenium:
Chicken is also abundant in selenium, which is an essential mineral that is involved in the metabolic performance.
Good for vision:
Chicken is high in retinol, alpha and beta-carotene, and lycopene, all vital for healthy eyesight.
Plenty of phosphorus:
Chicken is also rich in phosphorus, an essential mineral that supports your teeth and bones, as well as kidney, liver and the central nervous system function. For those who are heading towards their senior years, consumption of chicken can help in fighting against bone loss, thanks to the protein punch it packs!
Goodbye weight gain:
A serving of 100 grams (about three ounces) of cooked skinless, boneless breast has only one gram of saturated fat and less than four grams of total fat. 100 grams of skinless, boneless breast has 31 grams of protein - more than half the recommended daily allowance of 46 grams of protein for an adult female.
Health experts also recommend that a person consuming 2,000 calories per day should eat no more than twenty grams of saturated fat. Since skinless chicken breast has only one gram of saturated fat per 100-gram (3.5-ounce) serving, chicken offers an easy way to eat protein while keeping consumption of saturated fat to a minimum.
The highest-fat portion of the chicken is the skin, with 41 grams of fat (and 454 calories) per 100 grams. However, only a small portion of skin is normally consumed (except in dishes such as wings), and removing skin will eliminate those calories. The skin can be left on during cooking without adding calories to the meat. Unlike beef, chicken has little separable fat. A whole chicken will have a fat pad near the opening of the cavity which can be removed if desired. Otherwise, fat in the chicken is largely in the meat itself (especially dark meat); attached to the underside of the skin; or located between the skin and the muscle.
Other benefits of chicken:
Chicken is also a good source of niacin (vitamin B3), which aids in metabolism and guards against cancer and other forms of genetic (DNA) damage. It contains vitamin B6, which is important to the immune system and blood sugar level maintenance; biotin (vitamin B7), which helps in cell growth. And vitamin B12, which is involved in nerve cell and red blood cell maintenance. Chicken also contains iron (oxygen transport and cell growth) and zinc (immune system functioning and DNA synthesis).
