A research conducted by researchers at the University of Florida published in 1978 on

Poultry Science applied three different treatments to broiler meat:

1.

marinating in water 2.

marinating in salted brine, And 3.

no-marinating.

After cooking, the meat samples were evaluated for flavor, tenderness, and juiciness by a

taste panel.

The result?

While, all of them were scored favorably for flavor, tenderness, and juiciness, samples

marinated in salted brine received higher scores than the other two.

Also, according to them, the meat brined in salted water had significantly higher moisture

content and lower shear force values (Which is a fancy way to say it's more tender)

than meat marinated in water or meat that went through no marinating process.