Q: I have read that eggs from free-range chickens have less cholesterol than from chickens confined in pens. Is this true?

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Answer : Given the growing popularity of free-range chickens, surprisingly little scientific research has been done on the nutritional differences, if any, of these chickens or their eggs compared to chickens raised in more confined conditions. A 2007 study conducted by Mother Earth News magazine, but not published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, did find that eggs from free-range chickens contained one-third less dietary cholesterol and (more important for blood cho-lesterol levels such as LDL) one-quarter less saturated fat. The eggs from free-range birds were significantly higher in vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene and contained twic omega-3 fatty acids.

Several other studies have shown that free-range eggs are superior in one or another nutrient, but few have produced similar results regarding cholesterol and saturated fat. A 1999 Penn State University study did report that eggs from free-range (or pastured) birds had 10% less total fat and 34% less dietary cholesterol compared to the standard USDA data on supermarket eggs. (The same study also tested free-range chicken meat, and found it to have 30% less saturated fat than the USDA standard.)

The American Egg Board, which repre-sents the conventional egg industry, maintains that the nutrient content of eggs is not af-fected by whether hens are raised free-range or in floor or cage operations. The industrys Egg Nutrition Council says, Barring special diets or breeds, egg nutrients are most likely similar for egg-laying hens, no matter how they are raised.

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