Feeding hens a special fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) boosts certain healthy fats in their eggs more than another fat called linoleic acid (LA), and it might skip a slow step in the process —...

Feeding hens a special fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) helps their bodies make more healthy fats for the egg yolk—16.7% better than another fat called linoleic acid—because GLA skips a slow step in the process.

If you feed laying hens oil rich in a fat called SDA, their eggs end up with way more of the good omega-3 fats—like EPA, DPA, and DHA—compared to feeding them another plant-based omega-3 oil. This happens because SDA skips a slow step in the hen’s body that usually holds back omega-3 production.

Feeding hens a certain type of fat called stearidonic acid helps their bodies make more healthy omega-3s in egg yolks—43% better than another fat called ALA—because it’s easier for their bodies to process.

When the feed for laying hens is adjusted to contain more alpha-linolenic acid, the eggs produced contain higher levels of omega-3 long-chain fatty acids including EPA and DHA.

Laying hens fed a diet where 6% of the energy comes from alpha-linolenic acid produce eggs with nine times more omega-3 fatty acids and a much lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio than hens fed a diet with 0.3% alpha-linolenic acid.