Which Kind of Egg Is the Healthiest?

Eggs have essentially the same nutritional elements, unless the chickens eat special formulas that change their eggs' composition. Chickens that roam free and eat a variety of bugs and plants produce eggs with slight changes in nutritional make-up. Chickens used for egg or poultry production cannot be fed hormones. All eggs are healthy, but if you want to consume less cholesterol, raise your omega-3 fatty acid intake or eat organic, look for eggs with these benefits.

Organic eggs come from chickens that are fed certified organic feed. These chickens are supposed to range free outdoors, but labeling eggs as organic doesn't guarantee this. While feeding chickens organic food might produce healthier birds, it doesn't necessarily create healthier eggs, according to registered dietitian Monica Reinagel.

Chickens that are allowed to roam free and eat plants and bugs produce different eggs than chickens kept in cages or in hen houses and fed commercial chicken feed. Free-range chickens produce eggs with higher amounts of beta-carotene, vitamin D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are found in the yolk. Free-range birds generally spend some time outdoors during the day but are often brought in at night for their safety. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture only certifies as free-range those chickens used for meat, not those used as egg-layers.

Feeding chickens grains with added nutrients can change the composition of their eggs. Chickens that eat feed containing extra omega-3 fatty acids -- essential fatty acids that are difficult to get in your diet -- produce eggs with a higher omega-3 fatty acid count. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils and possibly flax seed aid in brain and retinal development and might also improve immune function and help prevent heart disease by decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis. The omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the yolks. Special feed can also raise the vitamin E content of chicken eggs.

Different colored eggs might look pretty, but blue, brown and other colors of eggshell don't have any more nutritional value than plain white. The type of chicken the egg comes from influences shell color; eggs from different varieties of chickens all have the same basic nutritional value.

If you're watching your cholesterol, look for eggs labeled as low-cholesterol. These eggs must be at least 25 percent lower in cholesterol than the cholesterol found in a standard egg yolk, according to the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The total amount of cholesterol in eggs is lower than previously thought, 185 milligrams rather than 213 milligrams per standard egg, according to Ken Anderson, a poultry science professor at North Carolina State University.

Article reviewed by Connie Bye Last updated on: Aug 1, 2012

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