Diet Eggs

Omega - 3 Fatty Acids - A brief overview

The pioneering discovery that Omega -3 fatty acids protects against Coronary Heart Disease in Greenland Eskimos consuming fish has generated much research over the past decades on the various health benefits of dietary omega -3 Fatty Acid from fish oils. Researchers around the world have focused on the health effects of the dietary supply of omega -3 Fatty Acids, party because those fatty acids have been reported to protect against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, as well as certain types of cancer and partly because it has been shown that omega -3 Fatty Acids are essential nutrients for adults and children. The benefits of dietary Omega 3 PUFA include, among others, reduction in Plasma Triglycerides, Blood Pressure, Platelet Aggregation, Thrombosis and Atherorsclerosis particularly in Diabetics, Tumor growth, Skin disease and enhanced immunity. When the diet of infants contains no EPA and DHA, then LNA should be supplied as 1% of energy intake. The recommendation was made on the basis of the fact that the diet is depleted of the Omega -3 fatty acids in general.

The egg industry has stepped in to fill this gap and has begun to return the Omega -3 Fatty Acids into the food supply. The ration of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acids is important, and the current high ration should be reduced to less than 4 to 1. To date the main supply of Omega -3 Fatty Acids in human diet has been fish and fish oil.

Diet Eggs Based on designer food concept ™

The Fatty Acid composition of yolk fat can readily be modified by diet. In recent years
several researchers have investigated the ability of the hen to enrich the egg with
Omaga-3 Fatty Acids. The incorporation of Omega-3 PUF A into egg yolk fat was easily accomplished by feeding laying hens diets containing Omega-3 Fatty Acid (linolenic Acid). The egg Lipid composition is the result of a combination of de novo Lipogensis and incorporation of Lipid components from the diet. Another factor regulating the quantity and the type of Fatty Acid deposition is the feed back inhibition of dietary long chain PUFAs. Therefore, it is feasible to alter the Fatty Acid composition of poultry products through dietary manipulation of long chain PUFAs and to design food products reflecting the nutritional guidelines, supplying Omega-3 Fatty Acids while having optimal PUFA: SAFA and Omega-6: Omega-3 Fatty Acid ratios.

Sim's group have carried out a series of studies to enhance the value of chicken eggs enriched in Omega-3 Fatty Acids (500-600 mg/egg) with a significantly elevated PUFA : SAFA ratio (from 0.6 to 1.02), and lowering the Omega-6 : Omega-3 Fatty Acid ratio (from 10:1 to 1:1). One large egg can supply about 600 mg of total Omega-3 Fatty Acids (balanced with DHA, DPA and EPA) equivalent to approximately 100 g serving of fish.

Fatty acid profile comparison of omega - 3 fatty acid-enriched egg (DE) and regular egg (others).
P/S = Polyunsaturated / Saturated, SAFA = Saturated fatty acids, PUFA = Polyunsaturated fatty acids, w-6FA = omega-6 fatty acid, w-3FA=omega-3 fatty