This is a follow-up post to "??? Free-range, organic, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, pasture-fed, vegetarian-fed, fertile, natural EGGS ??? which I posted some months ago. I still stand there in the grocery store trying to figure out which eggs were produced by animals who get to eat bugs. LOL But in my Body Ecology Diet newsletter this morning, they answered my question. :)
Organic. Organic chickens eat feed and grains that were not grown with pesticides. The animals are not given hormones or antibiotics, but "organic" on the label does not tell us if the chickens were able to exercise, nor does it tell us what they were fed.
Free range vs. Cage free.
Free-range chickens usually have a covered shelter and access to an outside scratch yard. They are pasture-fed and can get worms and bugs, which is the ideal feed for health and strong immunity.
Cage free chickens do not live in cages but typically live inside a hen house without access to the outdoors.
Vegetarian eggs are not necessarily good for you. Chickens need protein to develop properly (that's why bugs are a part of their natural diet) so chickens that are vegetarian may be fed genetically modified soy and other unhealthy grains.
White vs. brown eggs. There is no difference between white and brown eggs. White eggs come from hens with white feathers while brown eggs come from hens with red feathers.
Conventional eggs. These eggs come from chickens fed conventional food, which includes GM (genetically modified) grains, GM soy and pesticides.
The toxins from pesticides and herbicides are stored in the fat of these chickens and their tightly packed living conditions make exercise difficult. It's no surprise that these chickens are unhealthy and can harbor diseases like salmonella.
Antibiotics are often needed to rid conventional chickens of diseases.
Conventional eggs have abnormally high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. High levels of omega-6 fatty acids may increase your risk for cancer, obesity and heart disease.
Putting it all together: Look for organic, free-range (NOT cage free)or pasture-fed (but most don't specify this) eggs for the most health benefits.
-Donna Gates - Body Ecology Diet
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