Omega-3 eggs: Hope or Hype?

What are Omega-3 eggs?

Omega-3 eggs are eggs fortified with any of the two different omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Omega-3 eggs are produced by feeding the hens a diet containing higher omega-3 fatty acids (1-2). 

First, let us understand what omega-3 fatty acids are?

What are Omega-3 fatty acids?

Omega−3 fatty acids (also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3, or n3 fatty acids) are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and are found in certain foods such as fish, flaxseeds, fish oil, walnut, etc. They are widely used as dietary supplements because of their beneficial role in health.

The three major omega-3 fatty acids are:

1. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) –ALA is mainly present in plant oils such as flaxseed, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp oil, and other edible seed oil. It is also found in soybean and canola oils.
2. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – EPA is mainly found in fish and fish oil
3. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – DHA is mainly found in fish and fish oil

ALA is an essential fatty acid, but our bodies cannot synthesize it. Thus, we must obtain it from the diet. However, our bodies can convert ALA to EPA and DHA. This process is inefficient, with 5% of ALA being converted to EPA and <1% into DHA which is a very small amount (3). Thus, we must take dietary supplements to increase the levels of these fatty acids in the body.

EPA and DPA are mainly present in fish such as Salmon, Mackerel, Herring, Sardines, etc. Again, fish do not synthesize them but obtain them via their consumption of marine food including algae and plankton. Sometimes marine fish are also supplemented with EPA and DHA so that they have similar omega-3 as wild-caught fishes.

Omega-3 fatty acids have several health benefits. They reduce inflammation and may help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, etc. DHA levels are very high in the retina, brain, and sperm cells. DHA plays an important role in the development and maintenance of brain cells. Most of the health effects of omega-3 fatty acids come from EPA and DHA. 

ALA from flaxseed and other vegetarian sources needs to be converted in the body to EPA and DHA. 

Due to the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on human health, a variety of omega-3 enriched or fortified foods have become available commercially including omega-3 eggs (1-3).

Now coming back to Omega-3 eggs.

Omega-3 eggs nutrition facts

As mentioned in the beginning, the hens are fed a diet containing omega-3 fatty acids. The diet may comprise fish oil, flaxseed, canola oil, green algae, seawood, etc. Sometimes, the hens are fed only the flaxseed and produce ALA which gets converted into DHA (1-2).

The amount of omega-3 in a fortified egg varies from 100-500mg per egg. It was reported that if you consume 4 ounce serving of Salmon or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, it will give you 6-7 times higher omega-3 than a large fortified egg (4). Hence, you may not get the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids which is required to produce health benefits. 

Further, if you think of consuming more eggs to get higher omega-3 levels, your cholesterol level might also go up. 

Thus, fish salmon or fish oil is a better source to obtain omega-3 fatty acids than  omega-3 eggs. This is because you get EPA and DPA directly. With a vegetable source like flaxseed, one gets ALA which needs to be converted to EPA and DHA.

Also, one must be careful that the amount of ALA and DHA varies in different varieties of eggs and would also depend a lot on how the hens are fed. 

So, you can judge for yourself now if omega-3 eggs are hope or just hype!