Despite all of today’s medical innovations, several diseases are still on the rise including diabetes. Sugar is not the only culprit of this blood disease, but also high levels of a specific protein which is found in dark meat, according to a Duke-NUS study.
The myoglobin protein carries heme-iron which binds oxygen. This iron can accumulate in certain organs and cause oxygen related stress, specifically in the pancreas which controls the regulation of blood sugar levels.
The study was conducted on more than 45,000 Singapore Chinese citizens aged between 45 and 74. In Singapore and other Asian countries, beef and dark meat poultry found in chicken legs and thighs are preferred over the white meat found in chicken breast. This preference, specifically in poultry, is proving to be a cause for health problems for people in that area of the world.
A study published in Food and Nutrition Sciences, stated that out of multiple types of meat, chicken breast had far less heme-iron than any other meats, having half as much chicken thighs.
There are some redeeming qualities to dark meat poultry such as it costing less and being tenderer, but, like all foods, variety is best.
