(NaturalHealth365)  Which came first, the chicken or the egg?  These days, this age-old question actually seems a lot less confusing than understanding the difference between “pasture-raised,” “free-range,” and “cage-free.”

You know, those buzzwords printed all over the egg cartons – at your local grocery store.

Which one is best?  What’s the difference?  One thing is true: those ‘healthier’ varieties are more expensive than the conventionally-raised eggs.  But the question remains: are they really worth the extra cash?

Comparing pasture-raised eggs to conventional brands

Conventionally-raised eggs come from chickens that are force-fed a garbage diet and kept in unbelievably inhumane conditions.  Leaving alone the ethical implications, you’re still stuck with sub-par eggs – that are riddled with chemicals and contain a measly 30 to 80 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids.

The truth is, a higher-quality egg is worth a few extra dollars.  But which one should you buy?

Generally speaking, buying “certified organic” eggs is a good choice since you know you’ll be avoiding synthetic hormones, GMOs, and antibiotics.  However, “certified organic” only means that the animals are fed organic foods (like corn, grains, and soy), not foods they would naturally eat in the wild.

Why does this matter?  Because chickens eating “organic” grains don’t produce a desirable amount of essential omega-3 fatty acids in their eggs.  Omega 3 fatty acids – including DHA and EPA – are extremely heart-healthy and can boost many other aspects of your health.

The best quality egg that money can buy

Now, if you want to ensure the highest quality of your eggs, choose pasture-raised.

Besides raising your chickens, buying eggs labeled as “pasture-raised” ensures you’re getting the healthiest eggs possible.  These eggs come from chickens who have been allowed to roam outside freely (getting at least 108 square feet each) and consume grass, bugs, worms, and anything else they can forage – things they eat naturally.

They may still be given some feed, but it will be high-quality and a smaller proportion of their diet.

Remember how paltry conventional eggs’ omega-3 content is?  Pasture-raised eggs have been shown to contain double the amount of omega-3 fatty acids, triple the amount of vitamin D, four times the amount of Vitamin E, and seven times the amount of beta-carotene compared to farm factory eggs.

If that’s not a good return on investment, we don’t know what is!

The next best thing to pasture-raised eggs

If you can’t find pasture-raised and certified humane eggs, organic is your next best bet – yes, even over “free range.”

In general, free-range chickens have more space than caged and cage-free animals but are still given less than about 2 square feet per hen.  Plus, they don’t get outdoors as often as the name would imply – and some are still fed an unnatural diet heavy in corn or soy.

If you can, it’s also great to buy eggs labeled as Certified Humane Raised and Handled®.  This label ensures that the eggs come from chickens reared by farmers following a set of Animal Care Standards.

And above everything else, avoid “cage-free.”

Why “cage-free” eggs are a BAD joke

As far as we’re concerned, “cage-free” is pretty much worthless.  Honestly, it’s more of a marketing loophole than a meaningful denotation.

In fact, “cage-free” just means that chickens have a small door in a barn that they could conceivably use to get outside – but they still may be crammed into a building with thousands of other chickens and rarely, if ever, leave!

We’re not saying all cage-free eggs are “bad,” but because there’s no way to tell which companies actually allow their chickens outside and which don’t, we advise staying away from them so you don’t waste your money.

Sources for this article include:

Thespruceeats.com
Healthline.com
CertifiedHumane.org
CertifiedHumane.org
TheNutritionWatchdog.com