Eating chicken can boost the immune system, a view that was recently proven at the International Seminar on Bioactive Peptides for Nutrition and Health held in Shanghai. A latest report presented at the seminar indicates that chicken and its extracts have a significant effect on enhancing immune function, a view that coincides with the theories of both nutrition and traditional Chinese medicine.
According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, chicken has the effects of warming the middle energizer, replenishing qi, nourishing essence and marrow, benefiting the five organs, and tonifying deficiency and damage. It can treat symptoms such as fatigue and dizziness caused by physical weakness. For men, symptoms caused by insufficient kidney essence, such as frequent urination, deafness, and oligospermia with cold semen, can also be alleviated to a certain extent by eating chicken.
In modern nutrition, there has always been a distinction between "red meat" and "white meat." The former refers to meats such as pork, beef, and mutton, while the latter refers to poultry and seafood, which have higher nutritional value than red meat. Chicken is a representative of white meat, and its effect on enhancing human immunity is mainly due to the taurine it contains. Taurine can enhance human digestive ability and has antioxidant and certain detoxifying effects. It also plays a good role in improving heart and brain function and promoting children's intellectual development. Especially in varieties such as black-boned chicken and turkey, the taurine content is higher, making them more nourishing than ordinary chicken.
In addition, the nutritional content of different parts of the chicken varies. Chicken breast has a very low fat content and is rich in vitamins, such as vitamin B and niacin, the latter of which can help lower cholesterol. Chicken wings, on the other hand, contain more fat, so people who want to lose weight should try to eat less. Generally, older chickens have a higher fat content than young chickens. Chicken liver is very high in cholesterol, with a content similar to that of pork liver, so people with high cholesterol should not eat too much of it.
Because chicken has a strong nourishing effect, it is best for modern-day white-collar workers who are busy every day and often in a sub-health state to eat more of it to boost their immunity and reduce the chance of getting sick. However, not everyone is suitable for using chicken for nourishment. The rich protein in chicken can increase the burden on the kidneys, so people with kidney disease should try to eat less, especially for uremia patients, who should avoid it completely.