Americans eat a lot of chicken. People in the United States ate more than 90 pounds per capita of the meat in 2015. It is the most consumed protein in the country. In fact, people in the United States eat more chicken than people in any other country. In the week before the American Independence Day, Americans buy almost 700 million pounds of chicken. It is a good thing that it is very healthy! Whether you eat it at home or in restaurants, there are some really good health benefits that accompany eating chicken.
Top Reasons to Pick Chicken:
- It is a great source of protein. Chicken meat is one of the best sources of protein around. Of the non-vegetarian protein sources, it is the most lean. If you consume 100 grams of roasted chicken, you will get 31 grams of protein. This is great for people who are looking to add muscle and lose fat. If you want to build muscle, which can help you burn fat, you need protein. Chicken gets you the protein you want without a lot of fat. All of this protein is also good at fighting bone loss. if you have concerns about osteoporosis, you should eat more chicken. It can also help with arthritis.
- It can make you feel better. If you are stressed out or depressed, chicken may be just the thing you need to feel better. Like turkey, chicken has a lot of tryptophan, the amino acid. This is the substance that makes people feel good after they eat a big bowl of chicken noodle soup. It has the vitamin B5. The combination of tryptophan and B5 can help you feel better. When you mix that with the pleasant feeling you have after you eat something you like, you have a great recipe for stress relief and an anti-depressant. When you have this trifecta of goodness, your brain releases serotonin. This improves your mood, helps manage stress and can even help you sleep.
- Chicken is great for your heart. Chicken has a bunch of things that are great for cardiovascular health. It has a ton of vitamin B6, which is can play an important role when it comes to preventing a heart attack. B6 works on your heart by lowering your homocysteine levels in your blood. This compound has been linked to higher incidents of heart disease and heart attacks. Chicken is also a good source of niacin. Niacin is a great compound for lowering cholesterol. Cholesterol has long been known to be a contributing factor in cardiovascular disease. One thing about cholesterol is that we do not have to ingest it directly for it to be a problem.
- You will not need phosphorous supplements if you eat lots of chicken. Phosphorous is an essential mineral. It is important to the health of your kidneys, liver, central nervous system, teeth and bones. Most of your body needs phosphorous. Eating chicken is one of the best ways to get all the phosphorous that you need. When you are out at a restaurant, you may be worried about eating food that is bad for you but you do not have to worry so much when you order chicken.
- Chicken can boost your metabolism. All of the B complex vitamins that are packed into chicken make it jump start even the slowest metabolism. When you are out eating your chicken wings, it is easy to think only of the bad things you get when dining at restaurants. You are giving your immune system a boost we well. B vitamins are really great for your energy level and when your metabolism is operating at its peak performance, you can keep your weight at a good level.
We all want easy food and meals that are healthy. Whether we go to traditional restaurants, get our meals from caterers or fast food places, chicken is usually an option. Latin restaurants have great chicken options as do Asian places, Indian and a host of other cuisines. In terms of protein, it is hard to think of a better non-vegetarian source of it. It is low fat and stacked with tons of nutrients that we all need to be healthy. It also tastes great.
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