Whenever you go to the market to buy eggs, there are generally two types of chicken eggs available in the shop. One has a white shell and the other has a reddish shell, that is, in simple words, farm and country eggs. So the question is which egg is better for human health and which one is more nutritious? The debate among nutritionists about this does not stop and just goes on and on. Many people say that red eggs are more nutritious, but when they are asked why?
So their answer is very interesting and that is because these eggs cost more! After hearing this explanation from common sense, many people disagree and give arguments to the contrary. What do the experts think about this? Before we get to know what are the reasons behind two colored chicken eggs?
What causes eggs to be red or white?
Egg color depends on the breed and genes of the hen. Generally, the eggs of white-feathered (farmy) chickens are white, while the eggs of dark-colored (domestic) chickens are reddish.
White leghorn hens lay predominantly white eggs, although they come in a variety of colors. On the other hand, Plymouth Rocks or Rhode Island hens lay red eggs. Some breeds of chickens lay red eggs despite being white. The brown color of the eggshell is mainly due to the glands in the hen’s uterus.
According to a study by Michigan State University, it usually takes 26 hours for an egg to develop inside a chicken. First, the egg yolk is formed in the hen’s uterus. After that, a membrane forms under the shell for over an hour.
This is where the upper hard shell forms. It takes about 20 hours to make this shall. All eggs are initially white in color, but the color of the shell is added at the last minute. This color is produced by a pigment present in the chicken’s body.
However, white eggs do not contain color. Some studies have also shown that as hens age or if they are under a lot of stress, their eggs start to turn lighter in color. Some studies have also shown that as hens age or if they are under a lot of stress, their eggs start to turn lighter in color. Generally, dual-breed hens that are kept for both egg and meat production lay red eggs. Since these chickens are larger, they require more feed.
As a result, the production cost of eggs is high. On the other hand, the cost of breeding white-winged chickens is slightly lower. They require less feed than brown chickens. Therefore, the price of white eggs is kept lower than that of reddish eggs.
Which color eggs are more nutritious?
The question is, does this color change make any difference in the nutrition of the egg? In this regard, nutritionist Syed Tasneem Hussain Chaudhry and poultry expert Shakeela Farooq both said that the color of eggs does not make any difference in their nutrition.
Red eggs contain slightly more omega-3 fatty acids, said New York researchers. But this difference is so small that it does not make much of a difference to the nutritional quality. So you can safely eat eggs of any color.
A 50-gram egg contains about 72 calories and 4.75 grams of fat. According to experts, in terms of nutrition, it is not the color of chicken eggs, but what kind of food the chicken eats and the environment in which it lives and grows that is more important.
However, nowadays, Omega-3-rich eggs, organic eggs, organic and non-GMO-fed chicken eggs, free-range chicken eggs, etc. are also available in the market and are in great demand.
