You have probably heard many times how chicken skin is high in fats, and how it increases blood pressure and cholesterol levels, leading even to heart disease. Although so far you have removed it before cooking or eating, it’s time you leave it and actually consume it, as many studies prove the opposite thing.
Researchers from the University of Harvard have discovered that consuming chicken skin in moderate amounts doesn’t cause any health problems. What’s more, it even provides certain health benefits, including the following:
Heart Health
Although the main reason why a lot of people avoid chicken skin is the wrong assumption that it’s your heart’s enemy, researchers have proven that it’s actually beneficial for heart health. Chicken skin contains heart-friendly fats – unsaturated fats, just like avocadoes.
This type of fat can help reduce bad cholesterol and blood pressure levels and regulate hormones.
In addition, the difference between the calories of the skinless chicken and that with skin is not a significant one. A 12-ounce serving of skinless chicken has just 50 calories less than the one with the skin of the same serving size.
Flavorful
Flavorful dishes are not just delicious but don’t require adding extra salt. This is an advantage actually because consuming too much salt on a regular basis is not good for your overall health. And, eating your chicken with skin will definitely satisfy your taste buds for salt.
It Doesn’t Absorb Much Oil
Cooking skinless chicken at a high temperature can make it very oily. But, you won’t have to worry about eating too oily chicken if you don’t remove the skin before cooking.
The skin works as a barrier, trapping any moisture from entering inside the chicken, and turning the oil into a crust. Therefore, even if you don’t eat the chicken skin, don’t remove it before cooking.
Besides these benefits, eating chicken skin will make your meal more pleasurable. No more recommendations to avoid it! However, although not entirely harmful, it’s still not recommended to eat it in huge amounts on a daily basis, as it contains an unbalanced ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 (it has more omega-6 than omega-3).
So, don’t forget that moderation is always the key! On the other hand, make sure you avoid charred skin as it has little nutritional value and can even harm your health.
Via NTD