we Eating chicken has been misleadingly believed to be a healthy choice of protein. It’s certainly better than eating lean meat, but this doesn’t mean that its consumption is beneficial.
Abundant nutritional science shows that we can make better choices for our health. One of the main reasons people believe that chicken is healthy is that it has less saturated fat than lean meat. This type of fat raises blood cholesterol levels, which are the main risk factors for heart disease.
However, when this theory was tested, studies such as those published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that white and lean meats were just as bad and raised blood cholesterol levels to the same extent. Shown.
Replacing chicken with a plant-based protein source such as chickpeas actually lowers blood cholesterol levels. Vegans who eat no animal foods have the lowest cholesterol levels of any diet pattern, and studies show that removing meat from the diet may be as effective as a cholesterol-lowering drug.
Similarly, studies have shown that eating chicken can lead to high blood pressure, an increased risk of developing a heart attack or stroke, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Importantly, exchanging chicken with vegetable proteins such as chick beans can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, renal failure, and the risk of premature death. I can.
Although lean meat is usually considered a risk factor for developing cancer, chicken intake is associated with an increased risk of developing lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. However, people who avoid eating chicken have a lower risk of blood and lymph cancer, and those who exclude meat from their diet generally have a lower risk of cancer.
The broader consequences of consuming chicken on the planet cannot be ignored either. We are in the midst of a climate crisis. Poultry farming makes up 70% of all birds on the planet. Breeding these animals not only means that we push them into our living space and exterminate wildlife, but also produce excess nitrogen, which is converted to ammonia and nitrates and landed. It burns the fragile cells of plants and pollutes the surrounding ground and water.
In contrast, legumes such as chickens not only restore soil health by immobilizing nitrogen in nodules, but also have far less environmental impact, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and land and water resources. The amount used is also reduced. If we all switch to a plant-based diet, we can restore 75% of our farmland to nature and reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60%.
Antibiotic-resistant infections have resulted in approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide in 2019. The main cause of these infectious diseases is the widespread use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, including poultry farming. Worldwide, more than 70% of the antibiotics produced are used in animal breeding. Poultry is one of the fastest growing animal and agricultural sectors and one of the most common sources of multidrug-resistant strains. An important part of the solution is to reduce animal consumption and switch to a healthier source of vegetable protein, including chickpeas.
It’s still in the middle of this pandemic, but it’s most important to prevent the next pandemic. You cannot return to “normal life” unless you address the fact that three-quarters of the emerging infectious disease threats result from livestock breeding and habitat destruction.
Intensive poultry farming continues to produce new influenza viruses that have the ability to infect humans. Since October 27, 2021, there have been 96 outbreaks of bird flu, new outbreaks are constantly being reported, and thousands of chickens have been slaughtered.
We must not forget the harm done to our fellow perceptual animals. About 60 billion chickens are bred every year for food. Most of these are raised on factory farms and are kept in a dire state that causes painful problems and illnesses in the heart, skin, lungs and bones. Prior to slaughter, factory-reared chickens live an average of 42 days. In the wild, they can live for several years. With increased growth rates and shorter lifespans, chickens appear to be fully grown on supermarket shelves, even though they are still chicks. Chickens also love sand bathing to prevent illness and get rid of parasites, but factory chickens can’t do this and are often in poor condition.
We should strive to support each other to enable the best choices. When it comes to diet, exchanging chicken for chickpeas is good not only for our health, but also for the planet and animals. – Independence
Dr. Sirene Qassam He is the founder and consultant hematologist of plant-based health professionals.
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