Chicken breast is known for its high protein content. This part of chicken is often a food choice for people who are on a diet or building muscle mass. However, what distinguishes chicken breast from other parts and what are its health benefits?
Chicken meat is a good source of nutrition for health and the price is affordable. This part of the chicken is often a favorite of many people because it has larger pieces and more meat when compared to other parts of the chicken.
Chicken Breast Nutrition
In one slice or about 100 grams of cooked skinless chicken breast fillet, there are about 150 calories and a variety of the following nutrients:
- 25 grams of protein
- 3.2 grams of fat
- 450 milligrams sodium
- 0.5 milligrams of iron
- 0.7 milligrams zinc
- 5-10 milligrams of calcium
- 23 micrograms selenium
- 330 milligrams of potassium
About 80 percent of the calories in chicken breast come from protein and only 20 percent come from fat. When compared to other parts of chicken, chicken breast has a higher protein and calorie content, even reaching 3 times more.
In addition, chicken breast contains absolutely no carbohydrates, sugar, or fiber. Chicken breast also contains a variety of other nutrients, such as vitamin A, B vitamins, folate, choline, copper, and phosphorus.
Benefits of eating chicken breast
Chicken breast is a nutritious food because of its high protein content. The following are the benefits of consuming chicken breast for body health:
1. Build muscle mass
When eating chicken breast, the protein content in it will be processed into amino acids. This substance will then be used by the body to form cells and body tissues, including muscle tissue.
This is one of the reasons why chicken breast is quite often consumed by athletes or people who are building muscle mass and strength. Adequate protein intake can also prevent the occurrence of sarcopenia, namely the condition of loss of muscle mass due to the aging process.
In addition to eating high-protein foods, such as chicken breast, exercise and strength training are also important to build muscle mass.
2. Suppress hunger and appetite
A high-protein diet, for example by eating chicken breast, can keep you full longer. This is because high-protein foods can increase levels of YY peptide, a hormone that makes the body feel full. In addition, protein can also suppress hormone production ghrelin which causes hunger.
Some research shows that a high-protein diet can make it easier for someone to regulate their appetite, so that their weight can be more controlled.
Thus, if you want to lose weight, try to reduce the portion of rice that is high in carbohydrates and start increasing your protein intake, for example from chicken breast.
3. Maintain bone health
Bones can be easily porous and weaken with age. In addition, lack of nutritional intake, such as calcium and protein, is also known to make bones break more easily.
A study states that adequate protein intake can maintain bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in the elderly, especially women who have gone through menopause.
Therefore, to maintain bone health, improve your diet by adequate intake of calcium and protein that can be obtained from chicken breast. Don't forget to exercise regularly to keep your bones, joints and muscles strong.
4. Increase metabolism
A high-protein diet can increase the body's metabolism. By eating high-protein foods, such as chicken breast, the body will burn about 80 calories more.
However, if you want to use chicken breast to lose weight, you also need to take other ways, namely by exercising regularly, for example by walking, jogging, or cycling.
You can also try high-intensity exercise that can burn a lot of calories, such as crossfit and Muay Thai.
5. Keeping the body fit
Chicken breast contains a lot of calories and protein. The high calories in chicken breast can be processed into energy, so that the body remains energetic when carrying out daily activities.
Meanwhile, protein is also good for consumption to increase stamina or body fitness, especially for those of you who often undergo heavy physical activity or often exercise.
To stay healthy when eating chicken breast, choose skinless chicken breast and try not to fry the chicken breast because it can increase the amount of oil and fat.
As an alternative, try grilling, boiling, or steaming chicken breasts. Also try not to add too much salt or butter when processing the chicken breasts.
In addition to eating chicken breast, you also need to adopt a healthy diet and eat other nutritious foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, and low-fat milk, to meet your nutritional needs.
If you have rarely eaten high protein foods, you can start adding chicken breast in your daily diet. If necessary, consult a nutritionist to determine the portion of chicken breast and other protein sources, according to your conditions and needs.