Can chicken eggs become healthier by changing what hens eat?
Dietary Inclusion of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) Oil on Fatty Acid Profile of Egg Yolk in Layer Chicken
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hens that eat flaxseed oil lay eggs with more good fats (omega-3s) and fewer bad fats, without laying fewer eggs.
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Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Hens that eat flaxseed oil lay eggs with more good fats (omega-3s) and fewer bad fats, without laying fewer eggs.
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 517 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
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The types of fats found in chicken eggs are set by what the hen eats.
Adding 3.5% linseed oil to chicken feed increases the amount of EPA and DHA in egg yolks to 2.25% and 6.88%, respectively, compared to 0.57% EPA and 1.43% DHA in eggs from chickens fed without linseed oil.
Feeding laying hens linseed oil at 2.5% in their diet increases the omega-3 fatty acid content in their egg yolks by 13.6% and lowers the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio from 4.95 to 1.01, changing the fat composition of the eggs without affecting how many eggs are produced.
Adding 3.5% linseed oil to layer chicken feed results in egg yolks with 15.6% omega-3 fatty acids and an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 1.00, but also reduces how much feed the chickens eat and increases feed expenses compared to 2.5% linseed oil.
Adding linseed oil at 1.5% to 3.5% to layer chicken feed lowers saturated and monounsaturated fats in egg yolks by 15–20% and doubles polyunsaturated fats compared to standard feed.