What are your gains?

     Ironically, chicken is considered by many SCU athletes as a healthy protein option since it's lean in comparison to red meats. As studies are conducted on chickens and their factory farm environments however, data is exposing an increasingly threatening set of health risks when consuming the white meat. In fact, consuming chicken has shown to cause a decreased quality of health due to anthropogenic causes. The addition of antibiotics and additives, as well as crowded living conditions, results in chicken posing threats for human consumption. Nonetheless, those who workout can ingest the same amount of nutritional protein without consuming chicken. Alternative sources of protein are available which do not pose the same health threats that chicken does. Ultimately, non meat-based protein sources are healthier for people who workout at Santa Clara University than the daily intake of chicken breast. 

     Of all the farm animals in the United States, about 80% of them are given antibiotics. Typically administered orally through feed, antibiotics are given to animals with the intention of preventing disease. The dosage is meant to target one or several bacterial diseases and kill the strain when coming in contact with the host. Due to the crowded nature of factory farms, antibiotics are almost seen as a necessity in order for the chickens to live and become edible products. Naturally, it would seem intuitive to keep administering antibiotics to chickens if it protected their health. However, just as antibiotics are meant to protect one’s health, they can also create serious problems (“Antibiotics in your meat”). When continually fed antibiotics, chickens internally grow bacteria which start gaining resistance to the drugs. Hence, not only is the chicken subject to hosting a “super strain”, but the consumer is also at risk for hosting a bacterium that is immune to available drugs. The Campylobacter bacteria exemplifies the danger antibiotics have to chicken and consumer health. In 1996, the FDA allowed for an antibiotic to be used on poultry which would treat the Campylobater bacteria. In 2001, the human resistance level of Campylobacter grew to 19%, meaning that 19% of humans who were infected with Campylobacter still had the disease after antibiotic treatment (“Antibiotics in your meat”). In essence, antibiotics could result in a super strain of viruses or bacteria which advance the development of drug treatment.

     In addition to antibiotics, natural and artificial compounds present in chicken present health risks for consumers. For example, nitrates are commonly added to chicken for color preservation, flavor improvement, and bacterial prevention. Common in the form of sodium nitrate, nitrates can form cancer in the stomach and bowel areas (Arnarson). Another dangerous factor is heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are naturally occurring compounds which form when meat is cooked at high temperatures. Hence meat, such as chicken, cooked well-done is at risk for containing the dangerous compound. When given to animals in large amounts, HCAs have been found to cause cancer.

      Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the antibiotics nor the compounds which could lead to serious disease. In fact, not one athlete interviewed outside of Malley was aware of the potential dangers associated with chicken. As previously mentioned, they actually saw chicken as the “healthy” protein to eat. Perhaps the most troubling sign was the confidence such athletes had in chicken being the optimal source of protein to nurture their bodies. Thankfully, one can gain awareness and avoid the health risks associated with chicken. By replacing the white meat with alternatives such as vegetables, beans, and soy, athletes will not only make gains in muscle, but also gains in preserving their overall health.