Eggceptional Eggs

I recently had a friend ask me what the health benefits were from eating organic or free range eggs. I surprised myself that I could not put into words why they were better. So after some research, I have come up with a few reasons:

1. There is a difference in diet. Commercial/generic hens eat a grain meal that can consist of corn, soy, and/or cotton seed. Free range chickens sometimes have access to a similar food, but they also eat grass, seeds, worms, and bugs.
2. Free range grocery store eggs are different from free range farmer's market eggs. The commercial  free range type may be set up similarly to generic eggs (chickens live indoors with a concrete floor) with the exception that there is one small door allowing the chickens to go into a small fenced-in grass area. They typically do not choose to go outside.
3. A study done by Mother Earth News concluded that free range eggs had the following as compared to a commercial/generic egg.
• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 7 times more beta carotene
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega 3 fatty acids
4. If you have not noticed, free range eggs are a darker yellow then commercial eggs.

Left: Commercial egg; Right: farmer's market egg.
Photo from The Nourishing Gourmet.

So what do labels mean on the carton?

• Free Range/Free Roaming - hens are not in a cage, they typically do have access to the outdoors, USDA does not regulate this term
• Certified Organic - hens are not in a cage, they have access to outside for an unspecified amount of time, they are fed a vegetarian organic diet
• Omega 3 - Slightly higher omega 3 levels through altering the hen's diet
• Cage free - hens are not in a cage, they typically do not have access to the outdoors
• Natural - no regulation for this term, may not mean anything

So... what kind of eggs do you eat?

Sources:

Mother Earth News

The Nourishing Gourmet

Egg Carton Labels