Eggs

There seems to be a lot of contradiction and confusion regarding eggs. Every thing from the ideal that the cholesterol in yolks being linked to heart disease to the labelling scams you see in the market place. I eat a lot of eggs, both cooked and raw. Egg protein is undoubtedly one of the most bio-available proteins out there. In addition eggs are probably one of the more ecologically friendly sources in that the land space and feed to waste ratio ( how much they eat vs. how much they poop), is low compared to meat production. Chickens are with the right farming methods also completely self sustainable, but that's a topic for another time.

Don't Yolk around.....One of the biggest myths about eggs is that the yolk causes heart disease. The fact is dietary cholesterol has nothing to do with blood cholesterol. A world renowned researcher named Ancel Keys stated years ago that cholesterol in the diet doesn't matter unless your a chicken or rabbit. On top of that , the yolk is where all the fat burning omega-3 and most of the vitamins and minerals are. So stop thinking your doing something healthy by ordering "egg white" omelets.

LET MY PEOPLE GO: Pasture-raised eggs that come from hens allowed to see sunshine -and eat an omnivorous diet they're supposed to (chickens are not vegetarians), have on avaerage;

66% more vitamin A
200% more omega-3
300% more vitaminE

POSERS: Omega-3 enriched eggs are the rage, but do they live up to the hype? Not so much.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest's independent lab tests revealed that certain enriched eggs contain less than half of the omega-3 claimed on the packaging. Using flax as 20% of the poultry ration can increase the ALA content of egg yolk fat from 0.4% in the ordinary egg to 8.9%. The caveat: This type of omega-3 is 8 to 33 times less absorbable than animal based omega-3. Which is why I advise my patients to take Fish Oil as opposed to Flax Oil.

So, What DO The Label Claims Mean?

Natural: Basically meaningless: Can apply to any food that's not processed.
No added hormones: Misleading and useless, because poultry cannot be given any hormones in the U.S.
Omega-3 enriched: Hens have been fed flax, and therefore their eggs contain a little bit more omega-3. Says nothing about farming conditions.
Vegetarian-fed: The hens feed contains no animal by-products.
United Egg Producers Certified: One of lamest claims out there. This voluntary program permits factory farmers to intensively confine hens in "battery cages" less than the size of a piece of paper.
Cage Free: This term has no legal definition. While hens are not in cages, they can be crammed in warehouses by the thousands.
Free range or Free roaming: Claim that is not controlled by the USDA, allowing producers to label any egg as such.
Certified organic: Hens are fed an organic, all vegetarian diet free of the usual animal by-products, antibiotics and pesticides - but can still be confined in cages.
Certified humane: Birds are un-caged and may or may not be able to spend time outside in their natural habitat.
Food Alliance Certified: Cage free and access to outdoors. Hens must be able to perform natural behaviors.
Pastured: Refers to chickens allowed to roam in open pastures.
Happy Hens or Ethically Raised: Doesn't have legal standing, but more believable when used in conjunction with "Pastured" and "Organic".
No Label: Don't dismiss eggs with no labels. Often come from small local producers.
've always said your most powerful voice is where you spend your money. Supporting small, local if possible farms sends a loud message that we demand safe, healthy, life affirming food.