Are Omega-3 Eggs as Good as Eating Fish?
Fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids. But what if you can’t eat seafood? Can omega-3 enriched eggs or peanut butter provide the same health benefits? Nutrition Diva answers a listener question.
Nutrition Diva podcast listener Adele writes: “My husband is allergic to fish so he buys omega-3 eggs instead. Do you get the same benefits from eating omega-3 eggs as you would from eating fish?”
How Do They Make Omega-3 Eggs?
You’ve probably seen omega-3 enriched eggs at the grocery store. Perhaps you’ve wondered how they get the omega-3 into the eggs? It’s actually a pretty low tech method: They feed the hens flaxseed, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Just like you and me, hens that take in more omega-3s end up with more of these fatty acids in their tissues, and that applies to their eggs as well.
In terms of protein, both fish and eggs are high quality protein sources, although you’d have to eat about three eggs to get the same amount of protein as in a 3-ounce serving of salmon. In terms of omega-3 fatty acids, there are two things to keep in mind. One is how much omega-3 you’re actually getting.
The oilier ocean fish (like salmon, mackerel, and sardines) tend to be higher in omega-3 while the milder fish and and shellfish are lower.
How Much Omega-3 Can You Get from Eggs?
The amount of omega-3 in an enriched egg varies considerably from around 100 to 500 mg per egg. The most popular brand of omega-3 eggs claims just 125 mg of omega-3 per egg. By comparison, a 4-ounce serving of salmon (or just one tablespoon of flaxseed) is going to give you six or seven times as much omega-3 as a serving of omega-3 eggs. (I’m considering two large eggs to be a serving.)
Not all fish is quite as rich in omega-3 as salmon is. Generally, the oilier ocean fish (like salmon, mackerel, and sardines) tend to be higher in omega-3 while the milder fish and and shellfish are lower. A serving of grouper, flounder, or perch, for example will have about as much omega-3 as you’d get from a couple of omega-3 eggs. Shrimp, tilapia, and crab are even lower in omega-3s.
See Also: Can You Get Too Much Omega-3?
What Kind of Omega-3 Do You Get in Eggs?
The other thing to bear in mind is the type of omega-3 you’re getting. When we say “omega-3s,” we are actually referring to a whole family of related fatty acids. Flaxseed, chia seed, hemp, and omega-3 eggs all contain Alpha Linolenic Acid, or ALA. The omega-3 fats that we get from seafood are mostly longer-chain omega-3 fats, including EPA and DHA.
See Also: DHA and Your Brain
These longer chain fatty acids in fish are far more biologically active than ALA. In fact, in order to use ALA, our bodies first have to convert it into those longer chain fatty acids. The problem is that this conversion process is not terribly efficient. As a result, eating foods that are rich in ALA (such as flax or omega-3 eggs) will not have the same benefits as eating fish.
How to Improve Your Conversion of ALA
There are a few things that affect your ability to convert ALA into those more potent longer-chain omega-3s. Your production of the enzymes needed for converting ALA into EPA and DHA is determined in part by your genetics. Not much you can do about that. Women also seem be better at converting ALA than men. Again, not a lot of help there.
But here’s something you do have control over: Decreasing the amount of omega-6 fatty acids in your diet can boost your conversion of plant-based omega-3s. This is because omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids depend on the same enzymes for their metabolism. But omega-6 fats tend to be a lot more competitive. They shoulder the omega-3s aside and scarf up all the enzymes. (It’s sort of like putting a single bowl of food down for two dogs. Whichever dog is more assertive is probably going to get most of the food). Decreasing your intake of omega-6 fats can give those omega-3s a fighting chance.
See Also: How Much Omega-6 Do You Need?
The primary source of omega-6 in the Western diet is from vegetable and seed oils including corn, soybean, sesame, and sunflower oils. If you routinely cook with these oils, you can switch them out for olive oil, which is rich in monounsaturated fats instead. The other primary source of vegetable oils is processed and prepared foods. Vegetable oils are relatively cheap and, therefore, popular with packaged food manufacturers and fast food restaurants.
Vegetable oils are relatively cheap and, therefore, popular with packaged food manufacturers and fast food restaurants.
The Bottom Line on Omega-3 Eggs
To sum up my answer to Adele’s question, the type of omega-3 you get from omega-3-enhanced eggs is not the most biologically active and the amount you’d get is also fairly modest. And, by the way, if it’s the omega-3 you’re after, don’t throw away the yolk, because all the omega-3 is in the yolk.
You’d get a much bigger dose of omega-3 from flaxseed, chia seed, or hemp hearts. And to help your body better convert those plant-based omega-3s into the more active forms, try to limit your intake of vegetable and seed oils.
What About Omega-3 Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter is another food that’s sometimes fortified with omega-3s. How does it compare to omega-3 enhanced eggs?
Smart Balance Omega-3 peanut butter adds flaxseed oil to their omega-3 peanut butter. Two tablespoons provides about the same amount and type of omega-3 as you’d get from two omega-3 enhanced eggs.
Jif’s brand of omega-3 enhanced peanut butter uses deodorized fish oils to bump up the omega-3 (note to vegans: steer clear). So in this case, you’d be getting the more biologically active type of omega-3 found in fish but the amounts are tiny: just 32 mg per serving, or about what you’d get from a single mouthful of salmon.
Have a Question for the Diva?
If you have a question that you’d like me to answer in an upcoming podcast, call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206 and leave me a message. I’d love to hear from you!
Omega-3 eggs image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Monica Reinagel is a board-certified licensed nutritionist, author, and the creator of one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts. Her advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, NPR, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Do you have a nutrition question? Call the Nutrition Diva listener line at 443-961-6206. Your question could be featured on the show.
