Similar to how we looked at and graded the various forms of milk in a previous newsletter (link), we'll do the same with eggs this month.  

Although they've taken quite a beating during the last 50-odd years thanks mainly to the cholesterol and corresponding saturated fat scares (and 'low fat' lifestyle that results in diabetes), eggs are truly one of the healthiest foods on earth.  We'll take a quick look at eggs in general, and then discuss what is available to you the consumer.  Keep in mind that while many species of eggs can be purchased for the purpose of ingestion, we'll be discussing chicken eggs.    

During a discussion with author Randy Roach, he made mention to me of the fact that inside a single egg holds the genetic 'information' - for lack of a better word - to make a chicken.  In the context of a very informative 90 minute phone call, the inability to recall every fact Randy mentioned has me admittedly having a hard time wrapping my brain around the importance of this fact, but consider that everything else we eat is a result of said genetic information (muscle or organ meat from beef, poultry, etc.).

And, other than un-pasteurized milk, there aren't any other foods available to us that have so much nutritional density.  Within each egg is 6-7 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat necessary to use said protein for tissue repair/growth, and a wide array of heart and brain healthy compounds (vitamins A, K, E, D, B-complex and minerals iron, phosphorus, potassium and calcium, and 200 milligrams cholesterol).  When eaten whole, and cooked as little as possible (raw is best, as hard as it may be for most people to digest this in a figurative sense), you are giving your body one of its best sources of fuel. 

However - and you knew there was a 'however' coming eventually - as with most of the foods available to us, the quality of the various eggs available for purchase varies across a very broad spectrum. 

When you walk into the supermarket and stand before the egg section, there can be sometimes close to a half-dozen varieties, and that is not including color or size: eggs from various manufacturers; eggs from 'cage free' hens; organic eggs from 'cage free' hens; omega-3 enriched eggs.  But what are you buying?

Unfortunately, I have no idea. 

While guidelines exist for classification, they fall very short of ideal with regard to our health.  'Cage free' and 'organic' should mean that the hens are free to roam, which is how they would live if left alone in the wild - with access to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas and clean water. 

This is not the case, however.  Many egg manufacturers skirt around these guidelines to save money as it's less expensive to keep thousands of chickens in one building 24/7 than support a system that allows them access to shelter and pasture, and with enough room to systematically 'roam' so that the land has time to be replenished and continue to feed said chickens.

Also, just because the chickens might have access to sunlight and fresh air does not mean they are being fed their ideal diet.  This can be problematic because the health of the bird will equate to the health of the egg - and thus your health.  Just like how the beef we eat is best when it comes from grass-fed animals, chickens should be foraging and scavenging about the land, eating bugs, seeds, greens, etc. 

 According to Dr. Joe Mercola:

Don't be fooled by the egg industry's double-speak definitions of what organic and free-range really is. True free-range eggs are from hens that walk about freely outdoors on a pasture where they can forage for their natural diet, which includes seeds, green plants, insects, and worms.

A hen that is let outside into a barren lot for a few minutes a day but is fed a diet of corn, soy and cottonseed meal, plus synthetic additives, is NOT an organic free-range hen, and will not produce the same quality eggs as its foraging counterpart.

Likewise, a hen that is fed an organic diet, but never gets to go outside is also NOT a true free-range hen, although it may currently slide through as an "organic" one...

A few paragraphs earlier, I mentioned how it may be impossible to know exactly what the quality is of the eggs you purchase.  I base this on a report that the Cornucopia Institute published recently, which can be found here.  There is a ton of information on egg quality found within said report, and a supplemental 'grading' of almost all store bought eggs.  Unfortunately, even previously thought of as reputable Whole Foods and Trader Joes were unwilling to offer full disclosure on where and how their egg producing chickens are raised, and as a result these chains did not receive good scores. 

So that leaves you the consumer with a choice: 

• Risk the ingestion of poor quality eggs, and purchase as usual
• Forgo all egg consumption and attempt to eat a nutritionally dense and healthy diet without any eggs, which is in my opinion impossible
• Seek out healthy alternatives to industrial egg production via local farmers, and by way of said farmers, health food stores

This third option is quite viable, even in the South Shore area.  A search on craigslist will typically offer several locations, as will perusing the Local Harvest and Eat Wild websites.  The beauty of this is that you can actually talk with the farmer and ask them what they feed their hens, and often view them close up right on the farm.  With more and more people searching for healthier food choices for what they feed their families, more and more options are appearing on the landscape.  Expect this to increase in the coming years as well; I'm not the only person writing about this stuff. 

Finally, if feeling up to the task, consider raising your own chickens!