All your life, you may have considered chicken as a type of white meat, as opposed to red meat such as beef, lamb and pork. But did you know that there’s this so-called dark meat chicken, too? And did you know it’s also a good idea to have it included in your diet on a regular basis?

If this is the first time that you have come across dark meat chicken, read on. Below you will learn some of the most important matters about it, such as why it’s called that way and the various health benefits it offers.

Also, don’t forget to share this article afterwards on your various social media sites to let your health-conscious family and friends know the reasons why they should consider eating dark meat chicken, too!

It’s true that dark meat chicken is considerably darker, or redder, in color than most other parts of a chicken. You will notice the big difference most especially after frying, baking, grilling or roasting — chicken parts that contain dark meat is noticeably darker in color than chicken parts that are regarded as white meat.

What makes dark meat chicken darker than usual is the presence of more blood supply.

Dark meat chicken are parts of a chicken that are situated in the legs and thighs — these are body parts that are used by chickens intensively for movement since they cannot rely on their wings as they are flightless birds. Because chickens have to use their legs and thighs all the time, these parts of their bodies need to be supplied with a lot of blood.

It’s exactly for such reason why meat in the legs and thighs of a chicken is fairly darker in color compared to meat in other areas of its body, such as wings and breasts.

Everyone knows that the intake of chicken breasts is highly recommended for those who are trying to shed off excess pounds, wanting to build muscles or attempting to lower their risk of heart disease. That’s because chicken breasts are very low in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol compared to other types of meat.

Other parts of a chicken are rarely recommended for health purposes as they tend to contain more calories, saturated fat and cholesterol than chicken breast.

But according to experts, those extra calories, saturated fat and cholesterol found in other parts of a chicken aside from the breast are not really that high. And compared to most other types of meat out there except fish, these hardly ever suggested parts of a chicken are way healthier.

So is it perfectly fine for a health-conscious individual like you to also add dark meat chicken to your diet alongside white chicken meat? Definitely, according to health experts!

However, just like when eating any other part of a chicken, it’s important for you to remove the skin because that’s where much of the saturated fat and cholesterol can be found. Also, you have to make sure that you cook your chicken in a healthy manner — deep frying it in animal fat is definitely a no-no.

The following are some of the perks of eating dark meat chicken, too:

Reduced iron-deficiency anemia

Dark meat chicken contains more iron than white meat chicken. It’s because of this reason why consuming it can help you keep iron-deficiency anemia at bay. It’s also a wonderful addition to the diet of anyone who is battling such type of anemia.

Increased immunity

Aside from iron, dark chicken meat is a great source of zinc, nutrition experts say. Zinc has many different roles, and one of them is strengthening the immune system. So if you are prone to infections, consider eating dark meat chicken regularly.

Optimized brain and nerve health

There are also more B vitamins in dark meat chicken than other parts of a chicken, and this is why it’s very good at keeping the nervous system in an excellent shape. B vitamins found abundantly in dark meat chicken also help generate energy.