Shell Game: Hidden Benefits of Eggs Revealed

Article by healthybalance.com staff
Posted on August 07, 2008

After years of bad press, health researchers are finally cracking the myths about eggs being dangerous to your health. In March, The University of California at Berkely Berkeley Wellness Letter reported that eating eggs does not raise the cholesterol levels of most people. “They may even be good for your heart in some ways,’’ it states. In addition, the article states that eggs offer unsaturated fats, B vitamins and many other vital nutrients that are notable important to healthy vision, as well. The article goes on to say,

“More significantly, eggs do not appear to contribute to heart disease in most people. A pivotal study from Harvard in 1999, of nearly 120,000 men and women, found no association between eggs — up to one a day — and heart disease, except in people with diabetes. Nor did it find a link between eggs and strokes. Studies since then have similarly vindicated eggs.”

Get what they’re laid for.
An issue these studies do not address is that most supermarket eggs offer inferior nutrition when compared to eggs laid by free range hens. Factory farm hens live tortured lives in dark, massive warehouses. Cages contain many birds and are so small that the birds can barely move. Because the cages are routinely stacked one on top of another, droppings contaminate the cages on lower levels, causing disease and increased use of antibiotics to prevent it. These hens eat commercial feed devoid of naturally occurring nutrients. No wonder their eggs are not as nutrient rich as those of free range hens.

In addition to enjoying fresh air and sunshine, hens that have access to green pastures routinely eat live insects. This diet increases the amounts of heart healthy omega 3 fats. It only makes sense that if standard supermarket eggs boost heart health, eggs from free range hens will boost it even more. In other words, eggs from happy hens build healthier hearts.

Free range, heart-stamped, organic or brown?
Which eggsactly is the best buy? Well, if you have opportunity, buy eggs from a local farmer. This doesn’t mean a random drive in the country—many health food stores or farmer’s markets offer locally-laid, free-range eggs. The color of the shell has nothing to do with the nutrition within. It simply indicates the hen’s breed.

Since large factory farms often find loopholes in organic labeling requirements, buying from a smaller farmer is usually the better health and food budget investment. Even at $2 to $3.50 a dozen, eggs from free range hens are still one of the best healthy food bargains available.

The proof’s in the poultry
According to the 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project found, “compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These amazing results come from 14 flocks around the country that range freely on pasture or are housed in moveable pens that are rotated frequently to maximize access to fresh pasture and protect the birds from predators.”

Add an egg to…
• Oatmeal or hot cereal while cooking
• Premixed pancake batter even when not required
• Tuna or chicken salads
• Sliced on a salad
• Your lunch, hardboiled and kept cool in a thermos
• Clear soups or ramen, whisk well, do the “egg drop” and stir in briskly while boiling.