Can chicken eggs become super healthy by changing what hens eat?
Assessment of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid profiles and ratio of omega-6/omega-3 of white eggs produced by laying hens fed diets enriched with omega-3 rich vegetable oil
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists fed hens special food with more plant-based omega-3s and found their eggs got way healthier.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists fed hens special food with more plant-based omega-3s and found their eggs got way healthier.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 510 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
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Claims (6)
Chickens fed corn and soybean meal produce eggs with higher levels of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than chickens fed natural pasture and insects.
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.
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.
Feeding laying hens a diet with 6% of energy from alpha-linolenic acid changes the fatty acid composition of their eggs, lowering the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio from 7.17 to 1.29 and making the lipid profile more balanced.
When laying hens are fed feed with less linoleic acid, their eggs contain more long-chain omega-3 fatty acids because the hens convert more of the alpha-linolenic acid in their diet into these fatty acids.