visiting the egg aisle

Eggs have always been a symbol of Easter week and of life itself.  In recent years eggs have been out of favor, then back on the good listl.  Besides being a token of life, eggs are one of the best sources of needed nutrients, including:  

a)  the omega-3 fats, ALA and DHA (DHA is essential to the brain, eyes, and nerves);

b)  vitamin A, lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent vision problems like cataracts and macular degeneration;

c)  a complete source of the essential protein amino acids, and

c)  important antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium. 

The basic egg has been changing—we can buy eggs in five forms now:

• Regular:  The basic low-cost egg from grain-fed caged chickens.  According to the U.S.D.A., the egg contains 37 mg of omega-3s, roughly 1/4^th is DHA.

• Cage free:  I bet the chickens are clucking about their new door-less cages, but they eat the same diet of grains as caged chickens.  So same egg, you just pay a little more. 

• Flaxseed omega-3 eggs:  These eggs typically come from cage free chickens fed grains plus some flaxseed to boost their total omega-3.  Some eggs claim 115, others 225 mg.  DHA, the important omega-3, gets a little boost (I have heard of 75-80 mg. but I’m doubtful as it’s not shown on the label.)

• Marine-fed omega-3 eggs:  To really boost DHA, chickens are fed fishmeal, fish oil, or micro-algae, and the DHA level can reach 150 mg.  The supplier of cultivated algae requires licensed farms to use the “Gold Circle Farms” label on the eggs. 

• Pastured eggs:  These chickens live in movable cages so get sunshine and eat pasture greens and insects supplemented with grain.  These are the healthiest chickens and eggs but are as rare as hen’s teeth.  Bad joke.

The Egg Aisle:  I did a tour of the grocery stores in my area, to see what I could find in the way of eggs, and learned a few things:

1. The best deal was Costco’s Norco Organic high-omega eggs at $3.19 per dozen (but sold in 18-count cartons).  Omega-3 content was 225 mg per egg.  I expected Costco to be cheaper, but I thought the other stores might offer a quality advantage.  They didn’t.

2. Costco also had a rock bottom price for eggs from caged chickens but we’re not going there.

3. Of the omega-3 fats, DHA is most deficient in our diet so getting more is a big issue.  I was surprised that no store I visited is offering a DHA-enhanced egg. 

4. What are the egg companies pushing?  Free-range, cage-free, or hens living with roosters.  The documentary Food Inc. gets a lot of credit but kindness to chickens now trumps nutrition. 

5. Who has the best DHA eggs?  Maybe the poultry firms licensed by Gold Circle Farms.  They claim 150 mg of DHA per egg from their special diet but I didn’t find them in the stores I searched.  I sent an e-mail to Henry’s (our whole foods market) and got a quick call from the store director saying people hadn’t been buying them (there is about a $1.00 premium, a bargain considering the higher DHA) but he would try them again.  I’ll pick some up tomorrow.

6. The best food source for DHA omega-3?  If you bought the following foods for just the DHA (not a bad idea) here is what you would pay per gram:

a. If you bought Costco’s high-omega egg, I estimate you are paying $6.00 for a gram of DHA. 

b. If you find the Gold Circle high-DHA eggs, the cost is roughly $2.50.

c. If you get DHA in Nature Made fish oil capsules, you pay $5 per gram.

d. If you buy farmed salmon you pay roughly $2.50. 

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Bottom line: Enjoy salmon (plus other cold-water fish) and high-omega eggs in your diet; the Gold Circle eggs are a bargain despite the premium and deserve our support.

Why We Need DHA:

DHA is an essential fatty acid of the omega-3 family.  It is critical to the systems in the body involved with data: the brain, eyes, and nervous system.  Deficiency is linked to depression, dementia, memory dysfunction, attention-deficit disorders, and mental diseases.  Though not proven, some theorize that obesity and violent behavior can be added to the list.  In a future post we’ll talk more about DHA—it’s the most interesting fat.

Comments

[Provident Princess]

Thanks for a very informative post, I look forward to reading them every Mon and Thurs. I just checked my Costco and they didn't sell the Norco eggs but I did find an 18 pack for $2.99 by Oakdell Egg Farms that promises 350 mg Omega 3 per egg which includes 100mg DHA.

There are also no hormones or antibiotics used in the production of the egg. I don't necessarily know if that means they didn't give the chick antibiotics before it started laying eggs though.... have you heard anything about that?

Also, I'm very interested in GMO's. Are you planning a post about that soon? I've been looking into it a lot lately but don't feel like I know the whole story yet.

Thanks!

FYI-this was in Utah