Nutrition Information

Chicken - Is it Good for You?

by Hratch L Karamanoukian, MD and Pierre Aoukar, MD
Posted: February 20

Thinking About Eating Chicken?

One chicken breast has the same amount of protein (~50 grams), just as much cholesterol (~150 mg) and about half the fat (7 grams) as an equal portion of filet mignon or lean cut of beef.

But if you’ve already got high cholesterol, which, if you’re an adult living in the US, you do, then 150 mg is about as much cholesterol as you want to eat in a single day. Chicken is not the miracle food it has been purported to be. Although it is a lower fat alternative to beef, it is not the best.

In fact, if you want to have your chicken, you better make the rest of your day’s calories count by eating mostly whole grains and vegetables. You won’t have to worry about protein; that one piece of chicken has all the protein you need.

Chickens are fed a lot of antibiotics and harbor drug-resistant bacteria. If not properly cooked, they are a wonderful (sarcasm) source of salmonella and campylobacter.

Reference:
Excerpt from the book: Everything Is Bad For Your Heart: The A to Z Guide, Hratch L Karamanoukian, MD and Pierre Aoukar, MD. Magalhaes Scientific Press

Date of Article Publication:
in press

Web Site: http://www.diagnosisheart.com