Chicken, Myths, and the Stories We Choose to Believe

Walk into any conversation about food today especially here in the Middle East and sooner or later someone will say:

“Chicken today isn’t real anymore.”

“They pump it with hormones.”

“It grows in a few days… that can’t be natural.”

It sounds convincing. It spreads fast. And honestly, it feels like it could be true.

But here’s the thing most of it isn’t.

What’s Actually Happening?

Chickens today do grow faster than they used to. That part is true.

But not because someone is injecting them with hormones or “creating” them in a lab.

It’s because of something much simpler—and much older: selection.

For decades, farmers have been doing what humans have always done with plants and animals:

They choose the best, strongest, fastest-growing ones… and breed from them.

Then repeat.

And repeat again.

For years.

What we see today isn’t artificial—it’s the result of time, consistency, and science working together.

Why Do We Still Doubt It?

Because fear spreads faster than facts.

And lately, there’s been a wave of voices across the region offering “different truths” about food and health.

One of the most talked-about figures is Diaa Elawady, who built a large audience by challenging conventional nutrition and promoting bold, unconventional ideas about what we should and shouldn’t eat.

For many people, that message felt refreshing.

Simple. Direct. Almost comforting.

But when strong opinions aren’t backed by strong science, they can blur the line between:

• questioning the system
• and misunderstanding it

Where Chicken Fits Into This Story

When you hear repeatedly that:

• “everything modern is corrupted”
• “your food is harming you”
• “only extreme solutions work”

…it becomes easy to look at something as common as chicken and start questioning it too.

Suddenly, it’s not just food anymore.

It’s a symbol of doubt.

But the truth is far less dramatic.

There are no hormones secretly injected into chickens.

There’s no overnight miracle growth.

Just better breeding, better feeding, and a system designed to make protein available to millions of people every single day.

Is Everything Perfect?

Of course Not.

That doesn’t mean modern farming is flawless.

There are real conversations worth having:

• How animals are raised
• The quality of feed
• The impact on the environment

These are important.

But they’re very different from the myths we often hear.

The Bigger Picture

We live in a time where information is everywhere but clarity is rare.

It’s easy to follow a strong voice.

It’s harder to pause and ask: “Does this actually make sense?”

Chicken didn’t become what it is today overnight.

And it didn’t become “fake.”

It simply evolved just like everything else we rely on.

In the End

This isn’t just about chicken.

It’s about how we think, what we believe, and how easily a powerful story can shape our reality.

So next time you hear someone say,

“This isn’t natural…”

Maybe the better question is:

“According to who?”

Hesham Zahran - April 2026