Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin wasn’t a stranger to the kitchen, but she had to remove chitlins from her cooking itinerary. Chitlins are pig intestines that are either boiled or fried and often served with apple cider vinegar or hot sauce and are described as an acquired taste. Although harmful if eaten in excess, what caused Franklin to strike off chitlins entirely from her diet?

Aretha Franklin stopped eating chitlins because of their adverse impacts on her health, such as weight gain and raising her blood pressure levels. Chitlins take a long time to prepare since, they are intestines, and need a thorough cleaning before they can be safely consumed to avoid contamination with the germ yersinia, which can cause illness in humans.

Franklin told NPR that she was giving up chitlins for health reasons, and there was credible cause for concern in relation to the increased blood pressure. Organ meats, while full of nutrients, are also high in cholesterol, and elevated cholesterol levels can heighten your heart attack risk.