Fit Fare

We’ve all heard the studies. Eggs are bad for you. Eggs raise cholesterol. There was even a study recently that stated that diabetic men who ate eggs died significantly earlier than those who didn’t! So what’s an egg loving, elevated cholesterol girl to do? She eats pastured eggs!

There have actually been a number of studies done recently that indicate that free range eggs are truly a lot healthier for you. There have been a few independent studies on the matter, but one in particular comes from the farm where I purchase my eggs. I encourage you to read the entire study, here, but to summarize, here is how one particular farm’s pastured eggs compared to your average supermarket egg.

• 4 times the amount of Vitamin E
• Double the Vitamin A
• 10 times the amount of Beta Carotene
• 3 times the amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• 100 mg less Cholesterol
• 1/2 gram less Saturated Fat

Wow. Pastured eggs really are better for you. In fact, I eat at least 4 eggs a week and my cholesterol has gone down over the past year!

Now, before you rush out and look for “free range” eggs in your supermarket, there’s some more information you should know. The USDA’s definition of “free range” states that the chickens must have access to the outdoors. This “access” can be as little as a door in the chicken coop that allows them to leave, even if they never use that door. The chickens don’t even need access to the outside when they are too young to produce eggs, so they end up spending their entire lives in a cage rather than foraging for food outside.

So if you love eggs, and you’re concerned about the variety of studies that indicate they aren’t so good for you, consider switching to local, organic, truly pastured eggs.