Chicken Meats Nutrition Facts & Benefits on Human Health
Kbd. Md Sahidur Rahman Miah
Poultry Specialist, Farms Operation-Breeder& Commercial(Broilers & layers), Management & Nutrition, Animal Husbandry, MBA, PGD Poultry Nutrition & Feeding ,PGDPM , PGDHRM, AGM-Farms, Kazi Farms Group
Chicken is the most popular type of poultry, and it is the second most consumed meat in the world.
This “white meat” is affordable, nutritious, and it offers a wide range of nutrients for very few calories.
Nutrition Facts
The benefits of chicken include the meat’s nutrient profile and several bioactive compounds that chicken contains.
Chicken Health Benefits:
1) Chicken Is A Source of Creatine
Chicken is a good source of creatine.
Creatine is a compound that the human body produces naturally from three amino acids; arginine, glycine, and methionine .
However, we can also obtain creatine from various foods and supplements.
Depending on the exact cut, chicken offers between 300 and 500 mg of creatine per 100 grams. This amount is similar to the creatine levels found in red meat .
Research shows that we can expect to find around 850 mg of creatine per 200 gram serving of skinless chicken breast .
Creatine may have various benefits for our health, and research demonstrates that it can enhance physical performance, recovery, strength, and stamina .
Additionally, ongoing research suggests that the compound may have benefits for cognitive health .
Key Point: Chicken provides one of the best dietary sources of creatine.
2) Chicken Is Extremely Protein-Dense
While most types of meat offer a similar protein content, their protein density can vary a lot.
For example, 100 grams of chicken breast provides more than 23 grams of protein for only 110 calories .
Although foods like bacon and fatty steak are delicious, they can’t compete with chicken for protein density.
Since chicken offers such a concentrated source of protein, it is an excellent dietary addition for anyone looking to increase their protein intake without consuming large amounts of extra calories.
Getting enough dietary protein is important for numerous reasons, and among its many other functions, protein helps with
Key Point: Chicken is one of the most protein-dense foods we can eat.
3) Chicken Contains Anserine
Chicken provides a large amount of a compound called anserine.
Anserine is a bioactive antioxidant compound found in a wide range of animal foods. However, anserine concentrates in muscle tissue, making chicken breast one of the very best sources .
Biologically, anserine has similar properties to another more widely known compound called carnosine .
Key Point: Chicken is among the best food sources of anserine.
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4) Provides An Excellent Source of B Vitamins
Chicken supplies good concentrations of all the essential B vitamins.
These B vitamins have numerous vital roles in the human body, and they play a crucial role in energy metabolism and brain health .
Chicken meat contains a large amount of vitamin B3 (niacin), offering 56% of the RDI per 100 grams. In other words; a typical chicken breast should provide the full reference daily intake of this vitamin .
The human body requires sufficient vitamin B3 for hundreds of enzymatic reactions .
While chicken is not quite as concentrated in B vitamins as red meat like beef and lamb, it is still a good source of them.
Key Point: Chicken is a rich source of B vitamins.
5) Chicken Skin Contains Large Amounts of Glycine
Most people know that collagen is good for the health of our skin.
However, our body produces collagen through the synthesis of amino acids.
The primary (non-essential) amino acid involved in collagen synthesis is called glycine .
Generally speaking, the most concentrated sources of glycine include meat cuts from near the bone, skin, and connective tissues.
Therefore, chicken thigh (including skin) is one of the very best dietary sources of glycine. Per 100 grams of chicken thigh, there is a supply of approximately 1137 mg of glycine .
Glycine may also have further benefits beyond collagen synthesis.
Notably, research suggests that an optimal balance of methionine (found in muscle meat) and glycine may have longevity benefits.
On this note, animal studies consistently show that methionine restriction extends lifespan by approximately 30% .
Interestingly, increasing glycine intake “mimics” methionine restriction, and also leads to increased longevity in animal studies .
Key Point: Chicken skin and bone-in cuts of chicken meat contain large concentrations of the amino acid glycine.
6) Rich In Selenium
The most concentrated mineral found in chicken meat is selenium.
Selenium is an essential mineral that works as an antioxidant in the body.
Furthermore, research suggests that sufficient selenium intake can help to increase blood antioxidant levels.
Additionally, some researchers believe that selenium may potentially reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, but the existing research is as yet unclear on this .
On the negative side, selenium status can be low in areas where the soil is deficient in the mineral. For this reason, selenium is a potential nutrient of concern for those who live in such areas and avoid animal foods .
Chicken breast offers around 25% of the RDI for selenium per 100 grams .