More Great News About Free-range Eggs

More vitamin A, more omega-3 fatty acids, and now it turns out that free-range eggs also have more vitamin D than supermarket eggs — three to six times as much!

February/March 2009
By Tabitha Alterman 
Chickens
Image Gallery
More vitamins, less cholesterol and saturated fat — not to mention great flavor! — free-range eggs are far superior to supermarket eggs.
ISTOCKPHOTO/DIETER HAWLAN
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

The results are coming in from Mother Earth News’ latest round of pastured egg nutrient tests. Once again, pastured egg producers are kicking the commercial industry’s butt — yippee, go free range! Our previous tests found that eggs from hens raised on pasture — as compared to the official USDA data for factory-farm eggs — contain:

RELATED CONTENT

  • 1/3 less cholesterol
  • 1/4 less saturated fat
  • 2/3 more vitamin A
  • Two times more omega-3 fatty acids
  • Three times more vitamin E
  • Seven times more beta carotene

Now we’re looking at vitamin D, of which many people don’t get enough. New research is showing that this common vitamin deficiency may be related to much more than just weak bones — from diabetes and cancer to heart disease and multiple sclerosis. (You can read more about this important health issue in Vitamin D: Sunshine and So Much More.)

Our bodies can get vitamin D in two ways: when sunlight strikes our skin, or from our diet. Eggs are one of a small list of foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. The USDA says supermarket eggs contain an average of 34 International Units per 100 grams. Our tests of eggs from four pastured farms in Texas, Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania found that their eggs contained three to six times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs. This means two scrambled eggs from pastured hens may give you 63 to 126 percent of the recommended daily intake of 200 IU of vitamin D.

You can keep track of our ongoing pastured egg research at our Chicken and Egg Page. If you raise pastured chickens and are interested in participating in one of our studies, e-mail us.

Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

Comments

  • ruthie 4/4/2009 1:05:44 PM

    I am so pleased to begin, or perhaps really, go back to basics. This year we are going to plant a relatively large garden in a city that was once a quiet rural spot, but unfortunately has grown into a refuge for city folks.

    It is located just outside of Boston where my grandad, dad, and I have at some point in our lives farmed within a 1/4 mile from each other.

    It has since developed into a less than farm animal freindly neighborhood and so, with the prospect of purchasing hens and selling beautiful free-range eggs my hopes are beginning to dim. From what I understand, the board of health and building inspectors must come in to play, deeming more politics than good hard work.

    Are there other such areas that have the same effect, and what are your experiences?

    Regards
    Ruthie

Add Your Comment

Please note that there is currently a problem with the comments function and your comment may or may not post successfully. We are working to correct the problem and thank you for your patience. 

You can use this comment form to enter your personal experiences or additional information and resources that you'd like to share with Mother Earth News readers. Your helpful advice will be posted on this page.  E-mail addresses are never displayed on comments, but they are required to confirm your comments.

Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.

New to Mother Earth News?
Sign up to share comments.
Asterisks(*) indicate required fields.
Name*
Your name appears next to your comment.

E-mail Address*
This will be your login ID.

City State Zip Code

Password*


Confirm Password*

Comments
1500 character limit (Offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)
Please Note: Your sign-up must be verified via e-mail before your comment is published.
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.