Denatured protein, enzymes, and amino acids

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tanya,

How does boiling chicken impact the protein? Specifically, how much if at all does it denature the protein?

Thank you,

Brent
ANSWER: Hi Brent,

Yes, heating can change such protein property as "functional conformation" meaning that a protein molecule might fail producing its intended effects in the body, for example, certain enzyme will not work. It happens because denatured protein loses most of its biological activity.

However, during the process of digestion, proteins in foods are being denatured anyway so that proteolytic enzymes can work on them to further degrade to amino acids.

Hope it helps,

= TZ

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So is their a large difference in protein quality between cooking it in a pan and boiling it? Reason I ask is because I am a bodybuilder and like to boil my chicken.

Thank you,

Brent

Answer
Brent,

To your first question - YES. Boiling means heating and as I answered, heating does it.

To your second question - hard to tell not knowing exact boiling parameters. Even an altitude could matted or pressure cooking, or how fat your chicken is, since all of these influences boiling temperature. The hardness of the chicken meat influences cooking time and the degree of biochemical changes.

= TZ

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