Brown or White Eggs: Is There a Difference?
By Sara Butler
If you asked around, you’d probably find people have some strong preferences when it comes to egg color. Some people are of the mind that brown eggs are better or more natural than their white brethren, or that white eggs taste better than their brown counterparts. But is there really a difference between the two?
An Egg of Many Colors
No doubt you’ve seen both white and brown eggs at the grocery store, but have you ever stopped to wonder why eggs come in different colors? The explanation is pretty simple, different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs. And the colors can go beyond brown and white; some chickens even lay blue-green or blue eggs.
The environment of the hen laying the eggs can have an impact on the color too. Eggs can be lighter or darker depending on the level of stress the hen is under, but the actual base color of the egg won’t change due to outside factors impacting the hen.
Are Brown Eggs Healthier?
People are often under the impression that brown eggs are nutritionally superior to white eggs, but the nutritional profile of all eggs is actually pretty similar. They all are excellent sources of minerals, protein, and vitamins your body needs to function well. All the studies that have focused on the nutritional difference between brown and white eggs have yet to find a difference in the quality or nutritional composition of the egg.
What Does Matter?
While the color of the shell may not make that big of a difference, there are factors that do impact the nutrient content of eggs. Eggs from hens that are allowed to roam free in the sunshine have more Vitamin D than eggs from a hen who didn’t have those advantages. The food fed to hens can also impact nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D.
Is There a Difference in Taste?
Do you swear that brown eggs just taste better? Well, that may all be in your head, because research has yielded no results that support a difference in flavor between the two different colors. But, again, the type of feed and the environment provided to the hens can make a difference. This is why you may notice a difference in flavor in the eggs you got from your neighbor than the ones purchased at the grocery store.
No matter your preference, eggs are just plain good for you. Whichever color you prefer, just make sure you’re eating them!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.