The Myth – Eating Chicken Feet Will Keep You Looking 16 Forever
I’m sure many of you have been on the receiving end of this exchange – female relatives crowding around you during family gatherings while you pick at the slimy, alien-looking talons on your plate.
“Eat it, it’s good for your skin!” they insist. “It’s full of collagen, and eating collagen keeps your skin looking young.”
So you reluctantly take a bite and then realize – hey, this isn’t all that bad! Chicken feet has actually been incorporated into various cuisines and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, but does it actually help with attaining youthful skin?
Sorry ladies, but the answer is no. You can eat as many of those talons as you can ‘stomach’ (no pun intended) but it won’t keep that dewy glow you rocked in secondary school!
Scientifically Speaking, Here’s Why
1. Facts about Collagen
– It’s a structural support protein in the dermis (inner layer) of your skin.
– Your cells produce less collagen as you age.1
– This is inevitable. Valar Morghulis.
2. Does Chicken Feet actually contain as much collagen as people say it does?
Long story short: it does.2 Sort of. Let us explain:
It’s actually high in gelatin content, which is what you get when you boil/steam food rich in collagen. It’s the stuff you find in jelly and gummies.3
3. Does ingesting collagen (or gelatin) actually help with regenerating collagen fibres?
Not exactly.
Despite what a small number of research papers and dermatologists claim, collagen really is just a clever marketing tool. Attempting to regenerate collagen fibres is affecting the way your body produces a protein, not just the way it absorbs and stores something like fat, for example.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
– Your body digests collagen and/or gelatin into amino acids (the basic ‘building blocks’ for protein) that it can utilize.4
– These amino acids are important and useful as your body does need them to produce collagen, BUT
– You can get these from various other sources – like eating eggs and meat, or soybeans and asparagus if you’re vegan.
Is There Any Health Benefit To Eating Chicken Feet?
Of course! Superficial improvements shouldn’t be the only reason for healthy eating habits. Not only are chicken feet delicious, (hey, we’re fans!) they’re also a good source of amino acids, and glucosamine and chondroitin5 – one of the most common dietary supplements taken to maintain joint health.
Here are a couple of places that serve #chopeapproved chicken feet if you’re keen on getting your hands on some!
Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant
If you must have chicken feet, you have to do it right – with dim sum, of course!
Find it at 183-191 Jalan Besar, s208882
Book at table at Swee Choon Tim Sum Restaurant and earn 2X Chope-Dollars with the code TASTYBLOG
Crystal Jade Dining IN Restaurant
Chicken feet with a view. Could you ask for anything better?
Find it at 1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-112 VivoCity, 098585
Book a table at Crystal Jade Dining IN Restaurant and earn 2X Chope-Dollars with the code TASTYBLOG
Tim Ho Wan
Braised chicken feet stewed with abalone sauce. Yum!
Find it at 68 Orchard Rd, #01-29A, Plaza Singapura, Plaza Singapura, 238839
Click here for more info on Tim Ho Wan.
Closing Notes
I’m sure you’ve heard this all before, but the best things you can do to slow the effects of ageing are to apply sunscreen regularly, exercise, stay hydrated, happy and relaxed, and ensure that your nutritional needs are properly met. It’s a good thing that you have Chope to help you make stress-free bookings to satisfy all your food and beverage needs then, huh? 😉
3 comments
[…] being important for skin, nail, hair and bone health, collagen and gelatin are crucial for maintaining gut […]
Great write up!
im sorry, but this is a dumb article. no science, flaccid explanation as to why it claims this is a Myth and marketing scheme, and further followed up with horrible advice about sunscreen to prevent aging. not gonna get into that, but its the chemicals in the sunscreen that get baked into your skin that cause aging and cancer- do your own research). Anyway, I like to keep it positive, or keep it to myself but sometimes people gotta speak up about spreading elementary nonsense, and taking up my time reading hollow content probably just to make a buck on the back end.