Chicken

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Skin health²

  One study found chicken soup made people's skin more elastic and less pigmented, but scientists say more research is needed.

• Open question

  Gut bacteria and waste products³

  People who often ate chicken had more diverse gut bacteria and higher levels of skatole and indole in their stool.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and insulin⁵

  In people, meals with chicken, dairy, nuts and whole grains caused smaller insulin rises than red meat meals.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Slowing bone loss¹¹

  In animal studies, chicken bone broth slowed bone loss, though scientists do not yet know whether it helps people.

Study type not stated

• Open question

  Metals in poultry meat⁷

  In chicken meat and liver, lead, cadmium and iron sometimes rose above set limits, but cancer risk stayed low.

How it’s made and used

• Generational taste differences⁴

  In studies of people, millennials liked beef, pork and chicken about the same as non-millennials did.

• Detecting food contamination⁶

  Scientists are testing new ways to spot harmful bacteria and antibiotic leftovers in chicken meat.

• Foodborne illness risk⁸

  Most chicken livers sold in stores were contaminated with Campylobacter, so cook chicken thoroughly before eating.

• Poultry muscle defects⁹

  Some chicken breast meat has defects like woody breast and white striping, and scientists are studying why.

• Spoilage marker buildup¹⁰

  In spoiled raw chicken breast, ethanol, 1-butanol-3-methyl and acetic acid rose significantly as total bacteria grew.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.