Are Omega-3 Fortified Eggs Worth the Extra Money?

When you scan the grocery store shelves trying to figure out which brand of eggs to buy, all the egg carton labels can begin to blur into one - "farm fresh", "cage free", "pasture raised", "organic", "omega-3 fortified", etc. It can be difficult to decide which carton to buy to be sure you’re getting the best eggs.  With egg prices rising, especially if you are buying organic eggs or eggs with added Omega-3 fatty acids, you might be wondering, "Are Omega-3 fortified eggs worth the extra money?"

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for optimal human (and animal) health. They control cell and genetic functions of living things, and healthy levels of Omega-3’s improve overall body functions, control inflammation and blood clotting and increase the flexibility of artery walls. Omega-3’s also reduce blood pressure and triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the body. Omega-3s can help control excess weight gain and have been reported by Harvard Medical School to help prevent heart disease and strokes.

While Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for healthy living, they are one of the nutrients that the body can't make from on its own, so that means that Omega-3 must be derived from the foods that we eat. Flax is one of the best sources of Omega 3. Some other foods that are high in Omega-3 include fish such as salmon, tuna and herring, shellfish, walnuts, mangoes, broccoli, and leafy greens like spinach and lettuce. Adding some of these foods to your diet can help increase your Omega-3 levels.

Eggs, while a great source of protein and other vitamins and nutrients, don't contain very much Omega-3 in their natural state.  Egg yolks do contain some Omega-3s, but the amounts naturally occurring in eggs are negligible. However, because of the way the nutrients in an egg are deposited by the hen, Omega-3 enriched or fortified eggs can be a wonderful source of the essential nutrient.

Fun fact: A laying hen is able to direct the nutrients in the food she eats directly into her eggs, thereby increasing the nutritional value of the eggs she is laying. According to the Brazilian Journal of Poultry Science, there is a proven direct link between the foods a hen eats and the quality and nutritional value of her eggs - and because of this, it's important to provide laying chickens with the best diet possible.

And since eggs are such an important part of so many people's diet - the average American eats almost 300 eggs per year - figuring out a way to increase the nutrient content in eggs is beneficial for the health of our society.

Eggs are naturally a fairly poor source of Omega-3’s, each containing about 30 mg of Omega-3’s, but studies have shown that increasing the Omega-3s in a chicken’s diet results in higher levels of Omega-3 in their eggs. Omega-3 fortified eggs can contain upwards of 100-500 mg of Omega-3’s per egg, depending on how much flax and other sources of Omega-3 the hens have been fed.

Omega-3 fortified eggs usually cost more at the supermarket, but since adding the nutrients to the laying hens’ diet that they then pass into the eggs they lay results in healthier hens and more nutritious eggs, if your family’s health is important to you, then spending a bit more for the Omega-3 fortified eggs just might make sense.

And if you raise your own backyard chickens, feeding them a well-balanced layer feed in addition to some of the foods high in Omega-3s such as flax, hemp, pumpkin or chia seeds; walnuts; fish skins and scraps; brussels sprouts or sea kelp will increase the Omega-3 levels in the eggs they lay making the hen's diet far better for her - and her eggs far more nutritious for your family.

Lisa Steele is a 5th generation chicken keeper and the author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook as well as several books devoted to raising backyard poultry flocks which have sold more than 165,000 copies. She lives on a small farm in Maine with her husband, their corgi, tuxedo cat and flock of chickens, ducks and geese. Lisa is currently producing and hosting the award-winning show Welcome to my Farm on CreateTV. For more information visit https://www.lisasteele.com or connect with Lisa on Instagram.