Cracking the secret of omega-3 enriched eggs
Getting some extra omega-3 fatty acids in your diet will soon be easier with enriched eggs developed through a collaboration between the University of Adelaide and South Australian egg producer Solar Eggs.
“Omega-3 has been shown to be very important in human health, particularly in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, in brain development and for newborn babies,” said University of Adelaide researcher Dr John Carragher.
Omega-3 is found naturally in plants and fish, and is important in our diet “because it is a fatty acid that we can’t make,” explained Professor Robert Gibson, who has spent many years studying the health benefits of omega-3.
The research demonstrated that flaxseed oil contains high levels of a short chain omega-3 fatty acids (α-linolenic acid - ALA) and that chickens fed a diet containing flaxseed oil produced long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched eggs.