Chia Seeds and Oil for Eggs with More Omega-3
Feeding hens with omega 3 produces healthier eggs
Enriching hens' diet with chia seeds or oil (Salvia hispanica) leads to eggs with higher amounts of Omega 3. This was demonstrated by a research team led by Alejandra Antruejo from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario in Casilda, Argentina. Published in the British Poultry Science journal, the study showed that hens process Omega-3 sources differently. Using chia seeds increased the Omega-3 content in eggs by more than 60% compared to flax seeds.
Healthy and balanced diet: a friend of health
A diet high in fats, especially those from the saturated fat group, raises the risk of developing some cardiovascular diseases. However, there are also “friendly” fats for health: Omega-3, abundant in fatty fish and some plants such as flax seeds and walnuts. A diet richer in these molecules compared to other fatty acids, namely Omega-6, helps reduce cardiovascular risk. Western diets tend to have an imbalanced Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio favoring Omega-6. To increase intake of these “friendly” fats, one can enrich their diet with foods high in Omega-3. Besides fatty fish and plant sources, the market offers various Omega-3 enriched foods, including eggs from hens fed Omega-3 enriched feed.
Not all feed is equal
The research team led by Antruejo evaluated whether the amount of Omega-3 in eggs differs depending on the source of fatty acids added to hen feed. Over about 84 days, Argentine researchers fed hens with flaxseed and chia seed oil. Chia, known as salba, belongs to the mint family. All these Omega-3 sources increased the nutrient levels in egg yolks. However, chia oil and seeds proved superior to flax. After just 56 days, hens fed chia oil and seeds produced eggs with 54.5% and 63.5% more Omega-3 per gram of yolk than those fed flax oil or seeds. After 84 days, the differences were 13.4% and 66.2% respectively.
A new source of Omega-3
The authors conclude that hens utilize different Omega-3 sources with varying efficiency. This suggests chia could become an important source of Omega-3 for producing foods enriched with higher amounts of these valuable nutrients.
