Real Aphrodisiacs for Valentine's
How to Make a Healthy Snack
McBites = Modern McNuggets?
Classic Valentine Dishes
How to Scrape a Vanilla Bean
Mark Bitterman on Chocolate
The bottom line, says Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat and the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, is that “the color [of an egg yolk] doesn’t reflect the nutrient value in any significant way.”
Egg yolks range in color from pale yellow to deep orange. Richer-colored egg yolks are more likely to come from free-range hens, says Dr. Hilary Shallo Thesmar, director of food safety programs for the Egg Nutrition Center (ENC): Free-range hens have the opportunity to eat more pigmented foods, and the pigment is then transferred to the yolk. But the macronutrients (protein and fat) remain the same regardless of yolk color, Thesmar says. “However, there might be small changes in some of the micronutrients such as vitamin A and/or lutein.”
Nestle explains that the color of a yolk is due specifically to carotenoids, which are natural pigments found in some plants. Some carotenoids, like beta-carotene, have nutritional value (our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, for instance). But deeper-colored egg yolks only indicate the presence of carotenoids in general, says Nestle, not necessarily the presence of beta-carotene. And other carotenoids that might be present “may have antioxidant function, but they are not essential nutrients,” she says.
While the yolk is not an indicator of nutritive value, there is mounting evidence that true pasture-raised hens produce more nutritious eggs overall. The ENC, however, states that “free-range eggs do not differ from regular eggs in terms of nutritional value or cholesterol level.”
The Weston A. Price Foundation had UBE Laboratories in Fullerton California analyze egg yolks from the supermarket and from pastured hens. We found two times more vitamin A and 8 times more vitamin D in eggs from hens on pasture. This dovetails with a study done in 1929 which found high vitamin D activity in eggs from chickens raised outdoors and NO vitamin D activity in egg yolks from hens...+READ
The Weston A. Price Foundation had UBE Laboratories in Fullerton California analyze egg yolks from the supermarket and from pastured hens. We found two times more vitamin A and 8 times more vitamin D in eggs from hens on pasture. This dovetails with a study done in 1929 which found high vitamin D activity in eggs from chickens raised outdoors and NO vitamin D activity in egg yolks from hens raised inside.-COLLAPSE
@seattledebs: the only problem with what you say is the official stance of nutritionists is that things like vitamin K2 are not essential nutrients. I've upped my animal fat intake generally and tried to focus on animal products from pastured animals who live in the sun and eat green grass, to up my natural K2 intake. I also take vitamin K2 once in a while. More and more research is showing it...+READ
@seattledebs: the only problem with what you say is the official stance of nutritionists is that things like vitamin K2 are not essential nutrients. I've upped my animal fat intake generally and tried to focus on animal products from pastured animals who live in the sun and eat green grass, to up my natural K2 intake. I also take vitamin K2 once in a while. More and more research is showing it has an important role not just in a healthy vascular system, but in preventing Alzheimers, osteoporosis, and a host of other things.
Medical science has known we need vitamin K generally for ages, so animal feed of factory farmed animals is loaded with vitamin K precursors, but this doesn't produce much K2 and generally is a poor imitation of nature's complexity.-COLLAPSE
I disagree. The color of the yolk does seem to correlate with nutrient content -- unless something's been added to the feed to make them seem more orange than they would otherwise be. The color reflects the beta carotene in the plants eaten, meaning high vitamin A content, and is often correlated with high vitamin K2 as well.
A little more info:...+READ
I disagree. The color of the yolk does seem to correlate with nutrient content -- unless something's been added to the feed to make them seem more orange than they would otherwise be. The color reflects the beta carotene in the plants eaten, meaning high vitamin A content, and is often correlated with high vitamin K2 as well.
A little more info: http://www.gofrolic.org/gofrolic/food_blog/Entries/2009/3/15_Eggs_and_Vitamin_K2_MK-4_(menaquinone-4).html-COLLAPSE
In my book Righteous Porkchop, I document the history of the American poultry industry. As the book explains, the color of egg yolks notably became dull and grayish when chickens began to be raised indoors (starting in the 1920s). It became standard practice during the 20th century -- and still is today -- to add DYE to the hens' feed. Marigold petals are only used in natural egg production.
A long time ago (20+ years ago?) my sister and I tried to make rotten eggs during the very hot summer (no A/C; average temp high 80sF). We left a carton in the window for 2 weeks. No smell. Another week, still no smell (down to 10 eggs). We gave up the last week, but got rid of the eggs anyway.
I've kept eggs out of the refrigerator and on the counter (US and EU, standard store bought, from farms with "eggs" signs and an honor box, organic eggs, the full lot) without an issue. Eggs cook better at room temperature, and fluff higher too.
The only reason I keep eggs in the refrigerator now is lack of space; there's a goofy egg spot in the refrigerator that is good for nothing else and our...+READ
I've kept eggs out of the refrigerator and on the counter (US and EU, standard store bought, from farms with "eggs" signs and an honor box, organic eggs, the full lot) without an issue. Eggs cook better at room temperature, and fluff higher too.
The only reason I keep eggs in the refrigerator now is lack of space; there's a goofy egg spot in the refrigerator that is good for nothing else and our counters are over-filled.-COLLAPSE
Right! Thank you.
Twinwillow? Methinks you mean Salmonella, not e-coli? That is the big scare with eggs that most people associate.
Having spent quite a bit of time in Europe, I noticed that eggs in the European countries always had really bright orange yolks. I enquired and was told, they feed marigold flowers to the chickens.
An aside: Ever wonder why in European homes and most smaller European food shops and restaurants they're able to keep their eggs out at room temperature without fear of e-coli?
They are not by law,...+READ
Having spent quite a bit of time in Europe, I noticed that eggs in the European countries always had really bright orange yolks. I enquired and was told, they feed marigold flowers to the chickens.
An aside: Ever wonder why in European homes and most smaller European food shops and restaurants they're able to keep their eggs out at room temperature without fear of e-coli?
They are not by law, required to wash their eggs as producers are in the USA.
When a fresh egg is washed, the natural protective coating on the shell is removed. Thus making refrigeration a must.-COLLAPSE
According to his obituary in the New York Times, it was Frank Perdue who developed a method of adding marigold petals and dye to his chicken feed to give his chickens a golden color that customers seemed to prefer. It didn't affect the taste of the bird, but it sure helped sell them.
Feeding chickens marigold flowers will also result in a brightern yolk:
http://www.poultryhub.org/index.php/Egg
http://rareseeds.com/seeds/Marigolds-French