Chicken is highly favored by everyone for its tender meat and delicious flavor. Various parts of the chicken are cooked into a variety of delicious dishes, appearing on people's dining tables. Wang Xingguo, a standing council member of the Dalian Nutrition Society and director of the Nutrition Department at Dalian Central Hospital, reminds everyone that many parts of the chicken pose significant safety risks and should be consumed less frequently or not at all.
Chicken Tail
Also known as "chicken butt" or "chizzard," it refers to the part of the chicken at the top of the tail where the tail feathers grow, and the meat is plump and tender. This area is a concentration of lymph nodes. Because the macrophages in the lymph nodes can engulf bacteria, viruses, and even carcinogens, but cannot break them down, these toxins accumulate in the tail tip. Over time, the chicken tail becomes a large repository for viruses and bacteria.
Chicken Skin
Although chicken skin is delicious, it is not good for your health. Generally, chicken skin contains a lot of fat and high cholesterol. Furthermore, the level of contaminants in chicken skin is high. Especially for roasted chicken, after being cooked, the cholesterol in the skin is oxidized, forming cholesterol oxidation products, which are very harmful to the human body. If the temperature is not controlled properly, carcinogens may also be produced. Therefore, it is best to remove the skin when eating chicken, and you should not use it for cooking.
Chicken Neck
This part has very little meat, but blood vessels and lymph nodes are relatively concentrated. It's fine to eat it occasionally to satisfy a craving, but it's best to remove the skin, as detoxifying glands like the lymph nodes are concentrated in the subcutaneous fat of the neck. These glands contain toxins from the animal's body, hormones from feed, etc.
The lungs of a chicken can contain various bacteria that enter its body. After the chicken is slaughtered, bacteria will still remain in the lungs, especially thermophilic bacteria, which cannot be completely killed even by heating, and consumption may pose a threat to human health. The gizzard (proventriculus) is responsible for storing and grinding food, so harmful substances may remain there. Most harmful substances in a chicken's body are concentrated in the liver for metabolism and detoxification. The kidneys are related to the excretion of harmful substances, while the heart is not involved in the metabolism of harmful substances.
Therefore, although chicken gizzards, livers, and kidneys are highly nutritious and delicious, for the sake of your health, you should reduce the frequency and amount of consumption. As for chicken hearts, their safety is relatively high, and they can be eaten in moderation.