Chicken feet, often overlooked in Western cuisine, are a popular and nutritious ingredient in many cultures around the world. From flavorful broths to crispy snacks, chicken feet offer a unique culinary experience and a range of potential health benefits. This article explores the nutritional value of chicken feet, their traditional uses, their potential role in weight loss, and how to prepare them for maximum health benefits.
What Are Chicken Feet?
Chicken feet, also known as "poultry paws" or "chicken paws," are the edible lower portion of a chicken's leg. While they may seem like an unusual food choice to some, they are a staple in Asian, African, and Caribbean cuisines. They consist mostly of skin, cartilage, tendons, and bones, with very little meat.
Traditional Culinary Uses
Across various cultures, chicken feet are used in diverse and creative ways:
- Broths and Stews: Chicken feet are commonly used to create rich, flavorful broths and stews. Simmering them for extended periods extracts collagen, gelatin, and essential nutrients, enhancing the overall taste and texture of the dish.
- Dim Sum: In Chinese cuisine, chicken feet are known as "feng zhua," or "phoenix claws," and are a popular dim sum item. They are often braised in a savory sauce made with garlic, ginger, black bean sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
- Street Food: In some countries, like Mexico, South Africa, Jamaica, and Trinidad, chicken feet are sold as street food.
- Festive Dishes: Chicken feet can also be part of festive dishes.
- Adobo: In the Philippines, chicken feet can be cooked adobo style, using the family’s go-to recipe for chicken adobo, or included in regular chicken adobo to thicken the sauce and make the dish richer.
- Curry: Spicy chicken feet curry is a hearty dinner option made by infusing chicken feet in aromatic spices.
Nutritional Profile
Despite their appearance, chicken feet are surprisingly nutritious. A serving of 2 chicken feet (70 grams) provides approximately:
- Calories: 150
- Protein: 14 grams
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbs: 0.14 grams
- Calcium: 5% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Phosphorous: 5% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 2% of the DV
- Folate (vitamin B9): 15% of the DV
About 70% of their total protein content is collagen, a structural protein that provides shape, strength, and resistance to your skin, tendons, muscles, bones, and ligaments. Chicken feet are also a good source of folate (vitamin B9), which aids DNA synthesis and helps prevent birth abnormalities.
Read also: Creamy Keto Ranch Chicken Recipe
Here’s a closer look at what makes them so beneficial:
- Low Fat Content: Chicken feet are remarkably low in fat.
- Good Protein Source: Chicken feet provide a high-quality source of protein, essential for muscle repair and maintenance.
- Rich in Collagen: Collagen, found abundantly in chicken feet, is a protein that promotes skin elasticity, healthy joints, and youthful glow.
Health Benefits of Chicken Feet
The potential health benefits of chicken feet are largely attributed to their high collagen content.
Skin Health and Appearance
Evidence suggests that collagen intake may improve the hydration, roughness, elasticity, and density of your skin.
- A 6-month study in 105 women with moderate cellulite found that regular collagen ingestion significantly reduced cellulite and skin waviness compared with the control group.
- Furthermore, in a review of 11 studies in 805 people, collagen intake showed promising short- and long-term results for wound healing and skin aging.
- Animal studies note that collagen may increase skin hydration and reduce wrinkle formation caused by ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation, which is a type of ultraviolet ray that causes sunburns.
Collagen may work by increasing levels of hyaluronic acid, a water-retaining molecule that’s believed to help prevent skin aging. Consuming collagen-rich food can help supplement collagen loss, keeping skin glowing and managing other signs of skin aging.
Joint Pain Relief
The collagen in chicken feet may relieve joint pain. Research suggests that collagen may stimulate tissue regeneration to reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis wears or breaks down your cartilage, allowing bones to rub against each other and causing pain, swelling, and difficulty moving.
Read also: Low-carb chicken nuggets recipe.
- A 3-month study in 191 people with knee osteoarthritis concluded that a daily dose of collagen derived from chicken cartilage significantly reduced markers of pain, stiffness, and physical dysfunction.
- A 12-week study in 139 athletes with knee pain found similar results. Those who took 5 grams of collagen daily experienced significant improvements in pain intensity during activity and a reduced need for additional treatment.
The rich collagen found in chicken feet maintains cartilage integrity and reduces joint inflammation. Regular consumption can contribute to stronger joints and reduce discomfort, making them an excellent choice for active people. Collagen also helps manage pain and stiffness in the joints, and may help stimulate tissue regeneration, which can aid with painful bone problems like osteoarthritis. Studies suggest that consuming more collagen can help soothe the side effects of daily wear and tear.
Bone Health
- A 1-year study in 102 women found that taking 5 grams of collagen peptides - a form of degraded collagen - per day increased bone mineral density and synthesis while decreasing bone degradation, compared with a control group.
- Similarly, in a study in 39 women, those who took a collagen supplement showed significantly less loss of bone mineral density than the control group.
Researchers believe that collagen may provide these effects because it’s a major constituent of bone mass. Long-term collagen consumption may also help increase bone mineral density, especially in people at greater risk for osteopenia and osteoporosis. It can also help manage symptoms like stiffness, poor posture, and back pain by strengthening your bones against breakage.
Calcium and other key minerals present in chicken feet contribute to bone strength and density, helping prevent osteoporosis and supporting long-term skeletal health.
Other Potential Benefits
Due to their high collagen content, chicken feet are also associated with the following benefits:
- Aids blood sugar control. An animal study determined that chicken feet proteins may help improve blood sugar levels by stimulating glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that activates insulin production.
- Promotes heart health. Collagen is a vital component of arteries and veins, alongside elastin. Research suggests that a good elastin to collagen ratio is crucial for preventing heart disease.
- Gut Health: Chicken feet contain gelatin, which has a positive impact on gut health. Gelatin can soothe digestive linings and improve nutrient absorption, promoting better digestion and overall gut function.
- Promotes Healthy Hair: Collagen and other nutrients in chicken feet also support healthy hair growth by providing essential building blocks for keratin production. This contributes to stronger and healthier hair strands.
- Boosts Immune Function: Chicken feet are rich in vital vitamins and minerals, such as zinc and vitamin C, which support immune function. Regular consumption can strengthen your body’s defense mechanisms.
Chicken Feet and Weight Loss
While there's no direct evidence that chicken feet specifically promote weight loss, their nutritional profile suggests they can be a helpful addition to a weight-conscious diet.
Read also: Chicken and Brown Rice: A Healthy Choice
- High Protein Content: Protein is known to promote satiety, helping you feel fuller for longer and reducing overall calorie intake.
- Low Fat Content: Chicken feet are relatively low in fat, making them a lean protein source.
- Collagen Benefits: While more research is needed, some studies suggest that collagen may help improve body composition by increasing muscle mass and reducing fat mass.
It’s important to note that the way chicken feet are prepared can significantly impact their suitability for weight loss. Deep-frying, for example, adds a significant amount of unhealthy fats and calories.
Potential Drawbacks
Despite their potential benefits, there are some drawbacks to consider when consuming chicken feet:
- Trans Fats: Chicken feet are often served deep-fried, which may negate any of their potential benefits. Deep-fried foods are high in trans fatty acids (TFA), an unhealthy, unsaturated fat known to harm heart health. Specifically, TFA may increase inflammation markers, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol while decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol. In turn, this elevates your risk of atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in your veins, and heart attacks. Furthermore, TFA is linked to an increased risk of prostate and breast cancers.
- Cleanliness and Choking Hazards: When buying chicken feet, be sure to inspect them carefully. Those that appear dirty or have ammonia-burned skin indicate poor hygiene management. You should discard or avoid those with ammonia burns, which look like overgrown calluses and are often caused by the chicken standing on their own droppings. If the feet you buy look unclean, thoroughly wash them to remove the dirt. Lastly, chicken feet consist of multiple small bones, which pose a choking hazard for both children and adults.
Preparing Chicken Feet for Maximum Health Benefits
To maximize the health benefits of chicken feet, it's best to avoid deep-frying and opt for healthier cooking methods:
- Simmered Chicken Feet Broth: A comforting and nutrient-rich broth made by simmering chicken feet for several hours to extract collagen and flavour.
- Steamed Chicken Feet: Steamed chicken feet seasoned with herbs and spices, ideal for a light yet satisfying meal.
- Chicken Feet Bone Broth: A preparation that can serve as a healthy, nourishing, and subtle way to ease into them.
Here’s an easy multi-cooker recipe to get you started:
Ingredients
- 10 chicken feet
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of sea salt
- Filtered water
- Vegetables and herbs for flavor (optional)
Steps
- If your chicken feet have the outer layer of skin on, they’ll have to be blanched first to remove it. To do so, place them in a pot of boiling water for 10-30 seconds, then put them in cold water. Pull off and discard the outer skin.
- Place the feet in your multi-cooker and add filtered water until they’re completely covered. Add the vinegar, salt, herbs, and vegetables.
- Bring it to a boil, then reduce the temperature to a simmer.
- Using a spoon, skim off any foam or scum that forms on top.
- Cook it overnight, then strain the feet, vegetables, and herbs from the broth.
- Enjoy the broth right away or pour it into glass jars and refrigerate it for up to 1 week or freeze it for up to 6 months.