Alternative Health Blog

More fodder for grandmas everywhere: Japanese researchers have published a new study showing that the collagen proteins found in chicken may actually lower blood pressure. What’s more, that poultry broth floating your noodles or matzo ball might well allow a patient with high blood pressure to reduce medications known as ACE inhibitors.

Chicken soup is a well-traveled remedy for the common cold that has earned some scientific stripes in recent years, documenting the healing effect. Something about the proteins to build up our immune system’s defense along with hot liquid opening up the air passages.

In truth, the new soup study focuses on chicken itself and not the broth or (though there is something to be said about the health value of the Japanese buckwheat variety). Clearly with an ulterior motive in mind—not always mutually exclusive to developing alternative remedies—scientists at Nippon Meat Packers Inc.’s Research and Development Center explored whether chicken collagen (connective tissue) can be used as the active ingredient in a blood pressure medication. Their report was published in late October in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Scientists at Hiroshima University partnered on the study.

What’s fascinating about this research is the scientists, in looking for ways to use the whole chicken, discovered that chicken legs and feet are both high in the therapeutic collagen while the breast in past studies not been found potent enough in collagen to be effective. In fact, four different proteins in the leg meat were found to act similar to the ACE inhibitor blood pressure drugs, at least in the lab rats that were part of the experiment.

Scientific reviewers agree there is not reason to believe the same anti-hypertensive effect. Rats fed a serving of chicken legs and feet appeared to enjoy (can rats enjoy something?) significant reductions in blood pressure within eight hours compared to a control group. The positive outcome continued over four weeks of the experiment.

Of course, chicken drumstricks and/or chicken soup can be turned into a less than positive experience for human blood pressure. Deep-frying chicken can drive up your unhealthy fat intake and blood pressure in tandem, while too much salt in chicken soup can do the same. Solutions: “Oven-fry” your chicken by baking it and make your own chicken soup to control the sodium.

One more thing about chicken legs and thighs: Beside collagen, the dark meat is also high in iron. If you have eliminated red meat from your diet, chicken legs and thighs can provide a formidable substitute for dietary iron. Think about that next time you are at the supermarket. Just remember organic and no hormones/chemicals-raised chickens are the safest choice.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.