5 Side Effects Of Eating Chicken You Need To Beware Of

Beef sirloin and chicken are nearly the same as far as cholesterol levels are concerned. While beef sirloin packs in about 89 mg of cholesterol in a 3.5 oz portion, a similar serving of chicken without skin has about 85 mg.

Have more vegetarian protein like beans and tofu, which have no cholesterol, and more fiber.

Have tuna, salmon, or halibut, which have less cholesterol than chicken (3.5 oz tuna has just 30 mg) and a lot of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

The other thing that can work against chicken is the way you eat it. Surely, you love your fried chicken. And if you’re having deep fried food, especially when it’s cooked in an animal fat or reused oil, you end up consuming trans fats and high levels of saturated fats. But you’re better off with a gently roasted piece of lean beef.

4. Risk Of Cancer From Deep Fried Or Grilled Chicken

Research indicates a reduced risk of cancer, by as much as 40%, in vegetarians when compared to meat eaters. Why? Because consuming a diet that’s very high on animal protein and low on fruit and vegetables could up your risk of cancer. So no matter how lean the chicken is or how well you prepare it, if you skip your vegetables to make room for more chicken, you could be setting yourself up for a fall.

Because poultry has to be cooked at high temperatures, it can form heterocyclic amines (HCA), carcinogenic compounds that increase your risk of cancer. Grilling or frying chicken ups the levels of these carcinogens, making it worse than most other meats when it comes to HCAs.12 So frying your chicken is the worst you could be doing to yourself. You could increase the risk of breast cancer, among other conditions.

Grilling or pan-frying chicken at high temperature creates cancer-causing chemicals. These particularly affect areas of the body sensitive to estrogen, such as the breasts. Roast the chicken whole or stew it.

A particular research found that frying food at a very high temperature can double your risk of colon cancer and increase the risk of rectal cancer by as much as 60%. This was attributed to the HCAs in the meat and not the red meat itself, as usually assumed.

So chicken, previously considered less harmful, could be just as problematic if cooked incorrectly.

5. Risk Of Arsenic Exposure From Chicken Feed

Arsenic is increasingly being made a part of chicken feed, mainly to ward off diarrhea, improve pigmentation, and help ensure good growth in chickens. However, with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, neurological problems, and even cancer due to arsenic exposure in humans, it may be good to know what you’re eating.

Research has found that as much as 55% of uncooked chicken products sampled from supermarkets contained arsenic. All of the tested fast-food chicken contained some arsenic. But organic brands mostly contained lesser amounts than regular brands.

Researchers however claim that while arsenic was present, this was within the limits prescribed. That said, you may still want to limit intake if you’re bothered by this. While this was not a large enough test to cause you to worry too much, it may pay to do some checks on whether or not your brand contains any. And the only way to find out is to just ask.

Completely eliminating chicken from your diet is neither practical nor a choice you should have to make. Instead, take the correct precautions to ensure you enjoy your chicken without damaging your health.