Crack On Pt.1
So I was doing some snooping online (ok not really snooping...) and I found some intensely eggsciting information about eggs...
This is Part 1, the nutrition-related stuff about eggs (because...well...you know me...) and I’ll be answering the 2 questions below:
1. Which type of egg (white/brown/organic/free range/pasture-raised/etc.) is the most nutritious to purchase and why?
2. In reviewing different types of egg studies, do some types clearly have better nutrition content or promote more health benefits?
1. Which type of egg (white/brown/organic/free range, pasture raised, etc) is the most nutritious to purchase and why? (Are some egg types/claims just marketing gimmicks? What should people look for on an egg label? Which label do RDs recommend and why would they pick one type of egg over another?)
Contrary to what you may believe, the nutrient content of eggs is similar regardless of color (white or brown is dependent on the breed of hen that laid the egg), grade (AA, A, or B), or how the hens are raised (organic, free-range, pasture-raised). However, if we consider nutritionally-enriched eggs, then it becomes a different story...
An egg’s composition can become modified by altering the hen’s diet (although a vegetarian diet seems to have no more nutritional benefits than a normal diet). For example, a hen could be fed a diet enriched with vitamin E, and naturally, the hen’s metabolism would deposit more vitamin E into its eggs to create “vitamin E-enriched eggs”. Thus, if you are looking for the “most nutritious egg” in terms of “high omega-3”, then you might consider purchasing a case of omega-3 enriched eggs.
If all egg types have similar nutrient content, does this mean that egg claims out there are just a marketing ploy to get me to buy their product? Sometimes. If you’ve ever seen the “Hormone-Free” label, don’t be tricked! U.S. federal law requires that all hens be raised without supplemental hormones, so essentially this label is meaningless. “Farm fresh” and “natural” are also unregulated in terms of eggs. Even though people often associate them with healthfulness, these labels have no true meaning when slapped onto an egg carton. Other egg claims are just ambiguous—"Free-Range” and “Pasture-Raised” labeled eggs have no uniform standards to comply by, so while these eggs are priced higher than your normal eggs, they might not be matching the criteria that you imagine. However, other labels such as UEP Certified Regular & Cage-Free and USDA Organic must be verified through a third-party audit before they can be placed on commercial egg cartons. Thus, if you’re purchasing egg labels like these, you can rest assured that you’re paying for what you’re expecting.
But ultimately, the best thing to look for on an egg label is the USDA grade shield. Then, even though your eggs are not any more nutritious than another egg type, at least they’re meeting the standards for egg quality.
Image Credit: Thought Catalogue
2. In reviewing different types of egg studies, do some types clearly have better nutrition content or promote more health benefits?
Eggs are one of the best natural sources of high-quality protein and other nutrients. In terms of health, research suggests that eggs are beneficial in weight management, muscle strengthening, maintaining a healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health, and much more. While different types of eggs may promote differences in egg mineral content, the differences are on such a small magnitude they are unlikely to have meaningful impact on human nutrition.
A few studies compared the nutrition contents of eggs from hens of different strains, ages, or housing systems (such as caged, free range), and all of these studies agreed that the resulting differences in egg mineral content were either unsubstantially small or nonexistent. Regardless, their impact on human nutrition would most likely be insignificant.
Thus, the ultimate answer is 'No’. There isn’t any one egg type that is clearly more nutritious than the rest. However, it is worth noting that nutritionally-enriched eggs have “better nutrient content” than non-enhanced egg types because the hens that lay these eggs are fed a specific nutrient-enhanced feed for the purpose of inducing a higher concentration of the specific nutrient.
If you’re curious about the egg studies mentioned, here they are: Eggs Eggs More Eggs
References:
Anderson, K. E. (2011). Comparison of fatty acid, cholesterol, and vitamin A and E composition in eggs from hens housed in conventional cage and range production facilities. Poultry Science,90(7), 1600-1608. doi:10.3382/ps.2010-01289
Egg Safety Center. (n.d.). How Can We Help You? Retrieved from https://eggsafety.org/how-can-i-help-you/
Giannenas, I., Nisianakis, P., Gavriil, A., Kontopidis, G., & Kyriazakis, I. (2009). Trace mineral content of conventional, organic and courtyard eggs analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Food Chemistry,114(2), 706-711. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.09.079
Heflin, L. E., Malheiros, R., Anderson, K. E., Johnson, L. K., & Raatz, S. K. (2018). Mineral content of eggs differs with hen strain, age, and rearing environment. Poultry Science,97(5), 1605-1613. doi:10.3382/ps/pey025
Rains, T. (2018, March 05). Are free-range eggs more nutritious? Retrieved from https://www.eggnutritioncenter.org/articles/are-free-range-eggs-more-nutritious/
United Egg Producers. (n.d.). What Do The Labels on Egg Cartons Mean? Retrieved from https://uepcertified.com/what-do-label-on-egg-cartons-mean/