Role of poultry meat in a balanced diet aimed at maintaining health and wellbeing

Poultry meat is a valuable source of several nutrients, generally at higher concentration than most other foods' relative to caloric content, although many different factors such as the species, the genetic background, the animal's diet, the farming systems (organic, free range, intensive), the cut, the presence of skin, the cooking procedure have been shown to influence some compositional aspects of the meat. Most of the essential nutrients are present in poultry meat and are highly bioavailable: high biological value proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B complex. Poultry meat, like other meats and foods of animal origin, has high-quality proteins, due to their richness in all essential amino acids. Meat from poultry contains a lower amount of connective tissue and collagen in comparison to meat from other animals; this promotes its digestibility. The fat content of poultry meat depends on the species (turkey is leaner than chicken), the feeding, the cuts, and the presence of skin. Skin is the main source of fat, the fat content in the main cuts from chicken and turkey range from 1 to 15% but cuts including skin had higher values. Commonly, the leg portion, namely drumstick, and other dark meat parts have higher fat and calorie contents. The fat content of poultry meat is significantly higher in unsaturated fatty acids and lower in saturated fatty acids compared to those of red meat. The content of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) can be further increased using appropriate feeding, and a genotype-based selection has also been suggested to produce poultry meat with high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content, possibly representing an alternative to fish. Poultry meat is a source of vitamin B complex – particularly B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), and B12 (cobalamin) and fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, and E – and minerals, particularly iron and zinc as well potassium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and copper. In addition to the essential nutrients, scientific studies have revealed that the poultry meat contains several bioactive compounds, like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), glutathione, taurine, anserine, carnosine and carnitine that are associated with protection against oxidative stress and with other health benefits. The content of the most of these bioactives can be increased as well by appropriate feeding. Future perspective indicates poultry meat as a promising functional food to improving the health and wellness status of individuals. Poultry meat is frequently more affordable than other meats, and it can make many positive contributions to the diet of those on low incomes and in developing countries; not surprisingly “a chicken in every pot” has been a politicians’ quotation. Associations between meat consumption and risk of chronic disease and cancer have been investigated in several epidemiological studies. There is no association between poultry consumption and risk of colorectal adenomas or other cancers. Evidence of an association between unhealthy dietary patterns (characterized by red and processed meat, sugary drinks and salty snacks, starchy foods, and refined carbohydrates) and risk of certain cancers may be mediated by lifestyle factors.