The TRUTH About Free-Range Eggs (Special Health Alert) Claims on egg cartons can be VERY misleading. Free-range... pastured... organic... added lutein... added omega-3... So which ones are the best? The simple answer is: you want the eggs than come from the healthiest hens possible. In other words, hens need to have access to sunshine and be able to eat the omnivorous diet they’re supposed to eat. Yes, hens are in fact omnivores (mostly insectivores), and do not usually eat the grains most farmers feed them nowadays. Eggs raised this way (pastured eggs) pack a ton more nutrition than regular factory eggs. - 66% more vitamin A - 200% more omega-3 - 300% more vitamin E Very much like beef, eggs’ claims are mostly not regulated. For example, farmers could say that their hens are cage-free but, in fact, they could still be packed into an overcrowded barn in the dark – which leads to very poor life conditions for them. Ultimately these eggs in your shopping cart will contain less nutrients. Also, another misleading claim (that just isn’t worth the extra money you pay) is Added Omega-3. It’s true that using flax as part of the hens poultry ration can increase the ALA omega-3 content of egg yolk fat. BUT --- there’s a caveat: this type of omega-3 is 8 to 33 times less absorbable than the animal-based omega-3 (EPA and DHA) naturally contained in eggs. To make it even worse, the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s independent lab tests revealed that certain enriched eggs contain less than half of the omega-3 claimed on the packaging. The bottom line: just like buying grass-fed beef, knowing your egg farmer personally remains the best way to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you’re paying a premium for. Pastured and organic are probably the two labels that I would trust the most, but if you’re still in doubt, make sure to verify the color of the yolk. If the yolk is a pale yellow, chances are that these eggs aren’t really pastured. But if it’s bright orange, you’ve got a keeper. Important reminder: Of course, if you can only get regular factory eggs, remember that they’re still MUCH better than any granola bar as a filling snack, or as any pastry or cereals for breakfast.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 06:12:55 +0000
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