Diet Eggs

Although LNA was the major Omega -3 Fatty Acid deposited in the egg yolk, considerable amount of longer chain Omega- 3 Fatty Acids were also incorporated into the phospholipid fractions of the yolk lipids. The hens fed with special diet produced eggs enriched with Omega -3 Fatty Acids(7 - 12% of yolk lipids) in the following order:
LNA>DHA>EPA. This indicates that laying hens can convert dietary LNA to EPA, DPA and DHA via the desaturase and elongase enzyme systems. AA, the metabolite of linoleic acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid), was significantly reduced. Consequently, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 Fatty Acid was significantly decreased in the Omega-3 Fatty Acid enriched eggs (from 10:1 to 1:1).

Nutritional significance

A series of studies were carried out to examine the influence, if any, Omega -3 PUFA enriched eggs have on Plasma Cholesterol and Tissue Fatty Acid modification in animals and human. Plasma and liver tissue cholesterol levels and fatty acid composition were analyzed after feeding Omega-3 Fatty Acid enriched eggs to rates, as an animal model, and humans, as egg consumers.

Plasma Lipids

The eggs were hard boiled, yolks were removed, pulverized and dried. Dry yolk powders were incorporated into a semisynthetic diet at a 15% level and fed to weaning female Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 weeks. The blood and liver cholesterol levels and fatty acid composition were determined at the end of the feeding period. Feeding Omega - 3 PUFA enriched eggs reduced both plasma and liver total cholesterol contents by 20 and 38%, respectively.

Plasma and liver cholesterol levels of rats at the end of 28-days of being fed yolk powder with and without omega-3 PUFA enrichment.

Source: Jiang and Sim

Twenty-four healthy male students aged 18-32 were recruited and randomly divided into two groups of 12 each. Each subject had two eggs at breakfast. Before the start and at the termination of the 18-day study, subjects fasted for more than 12 hours to take blood samples at the University Health Clinic. There are clear patterns to state that consumption of Designer Eggs (Diet Eggs) does not provoke plasma cholesterol despite their high inherent cholesterol content, increases HDL-cholesterol, suppresses LDL-cholesterol, and produces a marked reduction of plasma triglyceride levels. (Figure 3). Consuming Diet Eggs also enriches body tissue lipids with Omega-3 Fatty Acids, in particular phospholipids. Similar results were reported by other researchers. Ferrier et al found that human consumption of LNA enriched eggs decreased serum triglycerides and increased Omega -3 Fatty Acids, particularly DHA, which accumulated in platelet phospholipids.