Eggs are a staple food in most households around the world and they are even used as important in many drinks or food items due to their nutritional value. 

However, while most people view eggs as nutritious food, not many know that their nutritious value mostly depends on how the hens were raised and fed. Let’s read further to understand the difference between pastured eggs, omega 3 enhanced eggs, and conventional eggs. 

1. Pastured Eggs: In this case, the hens are allowed to roam freely and feed on their natural food like insects and plants, along with some added commercial feed.
2. Omega-3 Enhanced Eggs: The eggs in such cases are produced from chickens that are given feed supplemented by omega-3 sources like flax seeds. 
3. Conventional Eggs: These eggs are the standard type that we find in supermarkets. The chickens that lay these eggs are usually fed grains, supplemented with vitamins and minerals.

Other than these three types of eggs there are also organic eggs, free-range eggs, and cage-free eggs that are available for consumption.

What’s the difference?

While the basic differences between the three types of eggs have been explained above, there is more that one should know about.

To begin with, according to a study, the fatty-acid composition of omega-3 and conventional eggs differed to some extent. This difference was pointed out as follows-

1. Omega-3 eggs contained about 39% lesser amounts of arachidonic acid, an inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid that most people tend to consume a lot.
2. Omega-3 enriched eggs contained five times more omega-3 than conventional eggs did.
3. The consumption of Omega-3 enriched eggs offered consumers more health benefits than other types of eggs.

Furthermore, another study by the Mother Earth News Egg Testing project, 2007, stated that pastured eggs had more nutritional value than conventional eggs. Additionally, when compared to the official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, it was also found that pastured eggs had over 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, one-fourth less saturated fat, and one-third times lesser cholesterol than other types of eggs. 

Conclusion

Looking at the comparisons of all three eggs, it can be concluded that the healthiest type of eggs that one can buy and eat to stay fit are pastured eggs. This is owing to the fact that pastured eggs have more nutritional value when compared to omega-3 and conventional eggs. Unlike factory produced eggs, hens that are raised in open pastures have more space to move around, keeping them happy and healthy. Thus we can be sure that the pastured eggs are more nutritious and natural for our diet.