Omega-3 Enriched Eggs an 'Eggs-traordinary' Choice for Heart Health
Environmental Nutrition
Q. I've seen eggs that say they contain omega-3 fatty acids. How is this possible and are they good for me?
A. You're not the only one puzzled over omega-3 fatty acids turning up in eggs.
After all, you typically associate omega-3s with fish, not poultry eggs. How do omega-3s end up in eggs? It all starts with the chicken and not the egg, after all.
It's been observed that when chickens are allowed access to pasture, eating a diverse diet of plants and insects, they produce eggs with double the omega-3 content compared with conventional eggs that contain only about 40 milligrams (mg) of omega-3 fatty acid. So scientists developed a special diet of ground flaxseed and/or marine algae to feed hens, to produce eggs even higher in omega-3 fatty acids. With the increasing interest in the health potential of omega-3s, enriched eggs have become popular. These eggs look, taste, and cook up the same way conventional eggs do--but are they really a healthier food choice?
Back to omega-3 basics.
The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (
Omega-3 eggs in focus.
All omega-3 enriched eggs are not created equal. Depending on the hen's diet, enriched eggs can vary in content from 100 to 350 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per egg. More important, the omega-3 facts on the egg carton can be confusing. For instance, an egg carton may claim that eggs have 250 mg of omega-3 fatty acids each, but not specify if it's DHA/
Before you give up on omega-3 eggs altogether, let's consider the good news.
Even though
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