Have you noticed how many people are turning vegan lately? Ever wondered why? Well, it seems that the majority feel that as humans, we are not sufficiently aware of the fact that precisely animal products, namely meat, eggs, and milk, have a bad effect on the overall health of the planet. Yes, others like to think that it’s all about the health of the individual, but the reasons are much more rooted in awareness. Did you know that even all the traffic in the world is not as devastating to the environment as the animal industry?
But, in this article, we’re going to tackle the question of eating chicken, as there have been many online discussions about whether or not vegans should eat it. Many people who are just beginning to explore plant-based diets assume that the vegan movement is primarily concerned with human health, as we mentioned earlier. With this assumption, it is understandable why one might think that chicken would be a vegan-friendly food. A lot of people who do not follow a plant-based diet are in fact obsessed with chicken. The claims are that it is relatively low in saturated fat compared to many other forms of meat. When people think of a healthy diet, they often imagine eating bare pieces of steamed chicken breast and broccoli. For more information about whether or not is chicken good for you, continue reading this article.
So, if a vegan diet were strictly healthy, one would imagine that many vegans would occasionally allow chicken on the menu.
A lot of people turn to chicken because it is often considered the best meat as it can be used to prepare any dish. Although it is known to be a healthy choice of meat and is low in fat, that doesn’t mean you should eat it. Yes, chicken contains a lot of protein and much less fat than red meat. However, it’s not good for your overall health, especially if you eat it every day, it can lead to serious problems.
Here’s how it impacts our body
We were taught that a varied diet is the key to a healthy life, and the same applies to chicken – too much of something can never be good and can lead to health problems. Although it is not too caloric, it can still lead to weight gain, which is certainly bad for heart health, and food poisoning risk in the summer. Here are some examples of what it does to the body
1. Too much protein
About 35 of your total calories should come from protein, a day. But too much protein in the body can also mean fat accumulation. This will therefore lead to an increase in body weight, which can increase the level of lipids in the blood. If you eat large amounts of chicken every day, you contribute to the excessive intake of protein in your body, so be aware of the amount.
Choosing a plant-based version of the protein is better than the most common protein on the market, the one derived from whey. Recent research has proven that whey protein consumption is associated with possible side effects such as acne breakouts, and in some cases, consumption is also associated with liver disease, and kidney and intestinal problems. So, if you eat chicken only for proteins, go for plant-based, as you’ll avoid the risk of getting fat.
2. Heart health
Too much chicken in the diet can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels, and we all already know very well that it is associated with heart and blood vessel diseases. A large intake of chicken can indirectly affect the development of problems that can end in complications.
3. Difficulty maintaining body weight
Eating too much animal protein, such as chicken, can make it harder to maintain an ideal weight or have trouble gaining weight. According to the research people who can do without meat in their diet, such as vegans, often have a lower body mass index than people who eat meat every day.
4. Greater chance of food poisoning
Preparing chicken can be a difficult task. If you have not fully prepared the meat, if the vegetables have come into contact with fresh meat, or if you have left the same processed meat lying in the sun, there are high chances that you can get food poisoning. These are bacteria found in raw meat, such as salmonella, which are dangerous and can lead to serious problems. Elderly people, pregnant women, and children should especially avoid such raw foods.
5. Greater chance of developing drug resistance
It is a common practice among poultry farmers to give them antibiotics, and when a person eats that meat, resistance to them can be created. Of course, it’s a risky situation if you’re fighting an infection and antibiotics are very much needed in those cases. This is not only the case with chicken but with the meat industry in general. As the demand for these products rises, so does the usage of different hormones, antibiotics, and whatnot in the farms.
After reading this article, we hope that your awareness of its impact will grow, and that next time you think about chicken mc nuggets, or something similar, you’ll go for the plant-based version of the same meal. Not only it tastes the same, but its impact on your body will be a lot less harmful. Did you know that every day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 4164 liters of water, 20.5 kilograms of grain, 30 square meters of forested land, 9 kilograms of CO2 equivalent, and saves the life of one animal? It is promising that our carbon footprint can be reduced by as much as 73 percent by eliminating meat, dairy products, and eggs from our diet. Being vegan has never been this important. Think about it.
