Eating eggs dates back to ancient civilizations. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, all incorporated eggs into their diets.

Which brings us to the age-old debate: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Well, whatever your stance — eggs have been a nutritious food source for humans up until recently.

In the last few decades the conventional way of processing eggs has changed.

Mass production has led to a depletion in many of the beneficial nutrients we get from eggs.

This may not seem like a big deal, but read on to find out exactly what that means.

Let’s Get Cracking…

Many people question whether or not there are any real health benefits to getting organic eggs let alone pasture-raised.

They wonder if it’s just a ploy for manufacturers to mark up their prices.

Not to mention all of the other ways eggs are marketed — it can be confusing.

Common Marketing Phrases on Egg Cartons

“Hormone-free” is a nuance.

It is prohibited to give chickens hormones, so every egg is hormone-free and has been since the 1950s.

“Grade A” refers to the shell being a nice shape and free of defects. Nothing more.

“Vegetarian fed” chickens are eating a diet of genetically modified corn and soy. Not really worth advertising since chickens are omnivores.

“Omega 3 enriched” is another gimmick, because we really don’t know the source. It could be from something like flax or chia seeds or it could be a synthetic source of omega 3.

Worst to Best Classification

Conventional farmed chickens are raised in cages in warehouses and never see daylight.

Factory farms can hold 80-100 thousand chickens in the same space. They are given antibiotics almost every day of their life to help speed up their growth.

Cage-free chickens are in the same situation, but without the cage.

Free-range chickens are required to have 2 square feet of space per chicken with limited outdoor access (maybe a window) to see outside and are antibiotic free.

Pasture-raised chickens are the best. They are given 108 square feet of space per chicken, they are able to go outside to forage and be chickens.

Organic means the chickens are fed a non-genetically modified feed (feed that was produced without chemical pesticides or fertilizers), and must also be free-range.

Now, what I’m about to share with you, not only shocks me, but leads me to question the entire food system.

Ever Heard the Old Adage “You are What you Eat"?

Well, you may not want to read on if that’s true.

Chickens are omnivores and are supposed to consume things like grass, bugs, worms.

However, commercially raised chickens are fed things like yellow grease or restaurant fry oil that has been reheated and used over and over.

Which is a hazard to dispose of in landfills, I might add.

But what is even more concerning than that is the animal protein products in their feed.

It consists of things like animal carcasses (including feathers, skin, blood, and organs) – oh, and manure – yes, poop.

Commercially raised chickens that lay eggs, that we consume are fed poop.

Gives the phrase “eat sh*t” a whole new meaning.

Shell Shocked?

You aren’t the only one.

On a lighter note —

What do you call an egg on a journey?…

Let’s Move on to Some Nutritional Benefits

Let me first mention, there is no evidence to prove that eating eggs, including the yolk, will increase bad cholesterol or LDL.

Eggs, however, will increase good cholesterol, HDL. Which is not bad for your heart.

Eggs contain every vitamin and mineral needed by the human body, except for vitamin c.

Egg yolks are rich in Zinc.

Zinc plays a powerful role in the regulation of hormones, including those involved in growth and reproduction.

Zinc is also great for preventing and healing acne (which is another form of inflammation, in case you didn’t already know).

Eggs are a good source of choline, which helps prevent against a fatty liver.

They contain Vitamin K2, which helps guide calcium away from areas where it shouldn't be, like in arteries, and directs it towards areas where it's needed, like bones.

Perhaps the most important benefit to eating eggs is that they have the highest anabolic effect compared to all other sources of protein.

Anabolic refers to building muscle protein in the body.

48% of the protein in egg turns into body tissue.

Egg yolks contain carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin.

These are very powerful antioxidants that are responsible for the deep yellowish-orange color of the yolk.

They support eye health by protecting against UV rays and preventing macular degeneration, or vision loss.

Lutein also helps protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV radiation and oxidative stress, contributing to healthy and youthful-looking skin.

Yolk Color Used to be a Good Indicator of the Nutritional Value

The deeper the color, the higher the nutritional value.

Guess what?

Manufacturers are also aware of this.

They now use synthetic dyes to make egg yolks a deeper color.

One of the specific dyes used is called canthaxanthans.

This was restricted in Europe, by the way, because it causes crystals on the retina.

Curious to Know How Old Eggs Are?

The factory farmer has up to 30 days to package eggs after they have been laid.

Then the eggs can be sold up to 30 days after the date they were put in the carton.

That means commercially sold eggs can be two months old by the time you buy them.

Another thing to point out, there are no regulations for the expiration date on eggs.

Eggs can be sitting on the shelf for months before being purchased.

Pasture-raised organic eggs are a little more expensive but the healthiest choice.