References:
[1] “Protect Stomach Health | Eating One Chicken During Summer Season Can Keep You Healthy All Year Round.” Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. 2023-07-14
[2] “High Incidence of Cancer in China, Is Chicken to Blame? Doctors Warn: These 3 Popular Meats Should Be Consumed in Moderation.” Zhengzhou University Affiliated Zhengzhou Central Hospital. 2024-01-24
[3] “Study Shows Association Between Chicken Consumption and Higher Cancer Risk! Should We Say Goodbye to Meat?” DXY Oncology Times. 2019-10-11
As the saying goes, “Eating one chicken during the hot summer season can keep you healthy all year round.” On this day, Mrs. Wang returned from the market carrying a plump local chicken, thinking, “This is a great opportunity for nourishment!”
As soon as she got home, she busied herself preparing a delicious boiled chicken for her family. However, just as she was about to start cooking, her son suddenly said, “Mom, I heard that eating too much chicken can increase cancer risk, maybe we should eat less of it.”
Mrs. Wang was taken aback, the chicken in her hand suddenly felt hot. She was torn between belief and doubt: can eating chicken, a good nourishing ingredient, really lead to cancer if consumed in excess? Should we really eat less chicken in the future?
1. Is Chicken Not as Delicious as Before, Just a Misconception?
Guangdong locals are experts in chicken cuisine, often describing the delicious taste as “chicken flavor,” referring to the delightful texture and aroma of the meat.
However, in Guangdong today, finding chicken with the authentic “chicken flavor” is not easy.
Firstly, in the era of fast food, the breeding cycle of chickens has significantly shortened. The freshness of chicken meat mainly comes from monosodium glutamate and nucleotides, the longer the growth period, the more nucleotides accumulate, resulting in a tastier flavor.
In traditional breeding methods, chickens may take several months to mature, and the longer growth period helps in meat development and flavor formation. However, modern chicken farms raise chickens to maturity in just a month, leading to a lack of flavor accumulation.
Secondly, feed and breeding methods are continuously changing.
Most chickens today are raised through mechanized farming, fed standardized feed which can be monotonous in taste and may contain growth-promoting additives.
In traditional farming, chickens relied more on natural foods like grains and vegetable residues, imparting a more natural flavor to the meat. Unfortunately, free-range chickens are becoming increasingly rare.
In addition, the cost of raising local chickens is high. For example, a local chicken requires at least 200 grams of feed per day. Calculating at a price of 1.5 yuan per pound, the six-month feed cost amounts to 108 yuan, excluding chick cost, labor, transportation, and other expenses.
Comparatively, large, slow-growing, and costly local chickens are significantly less competitive in price against the average-priced white feather chickens priced at around 50 yuan.
It has become increasingly difficult to find chicken meat today that replicates the natural flavors of the past.
2. University of Oxford: Consuming Chicken May Increase the Risk of 3 Cancers?
Some people have heard that consuming chicken frequently could lead to cancer, where does this claim originate from?
This derives from a study conducted by the University of Oxford, analyzing the dietary habits and disease data of 475,000 middle-aged Britons between 2006 and 2014. It was found that increasing daily poultry consumption by 30 grams could potentially raise the risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer by 20%.
However, this study does not definitively prove that eating chicken directly causes cancer.
Food engineering Ph.D. candidate Yun Wuxin pointed out that this study is observational, indicating a certain correlation but not proving causation. In other words, we cannot conclude that consuming chicken necessarily increases cancer risk, nor can we say those who develop cancer are solely due to excessive chicken consumption.
In fact, chicken meat is rich in various nutrients and consuming it in moderation can be beneficial for health.
1. Source of High-Quality Protein
Chicken meat is an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing the essential 8 amino acids required by the human body.
Specifically, 100 grams of chicken breast contains up to 24.6 grams of protein, with a fat content of only 1.9 grams, while also including beneficial potassium.
2. Reducing the Risk of Hypertension
Dr. Yu Shuhua, Chief Physician in the Hypertension Department at Zhengzhou University Affiliated Zhengzhou Central Hospital, mentioned that chicken is a good choice for lowering blood pressure.
A study from Boston University showed that a higher intake of protein can lower the risk of hypertension, with arginine in protein aiding in vasodilation and promoting blood circulation.
3. Boosting Immunity
Chicken meat is rich in nutrients such as protein, iron, vitamins, etc., and moderate consumption can help enhance the body’s immunity.
3. Eating Chicken During Hot Summer Days for Better Health: What Are the Best Ways to Consume Chicken?
Entering July marks the beginning of the “dog days of summer.”
“Eating one chicken during the dog days of summer can keep you healthy all year round.” After entering this period, people tend to sweat more, experience higher physical exertion, feel weak, lack energy, and may face issues like lack of concentration, reduced appetite, fatigue, etc. Consuming chicken during this time can provide nutrition, stimulate appetite, and harmonize the body, a good choice.
So, how can chicken be prepared to nourish the body? Here are three recommended methods:
Sand Ginger Chicken – Warms the Body and Disperses Cold
Ingredients: 1 chicken, 20 grams of sand ginger, a handful of coriander, soy sauce to taste
Method: Thoroughly clean the whole chicken and place it in a pot. Add enough water, bring to a boil, and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Put coriander sections and crushed sand ginger in a small bowl, add soy sauce to create a coriander-sand ginger sauce. When ready to eat, dip the chicken meat in the coriander-sand ginger sauce.
Five-Finger Peach and Local Chicken Soup – Nourishes Qi and Blood
Ingredients: Five-finger peach, local chicken, ginger slices, cooking wine, etc.
Method: Clean the local chicken and cut it into pieces. Stew with five-finger peach and ginger slices, add some cooking wine to remove any unpleasant odors, simmer until the chicken is fully cooked.
Coix Seed Lotus Seed Local Chicken Soup – Calms the Mind and Improves Sleep
Ingredients: Coix seeds, lotus seeds, local chicken, ginger slices, cooking wine, etc.
Method: Clean the local chicken and cut into pieces. Stew with coix seeds, lotus seeds, ginger slices, and some cooking wine, simmer until the chicken, coix seeds, and lotus seeds are fully cooked.
In conclusion, consuming chicken during the dog days of summer not only helps replenish essential nutrients but also aids in regulating the body, enhancing physical fitness, and maintaining good health during the hot summer season.
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