Science / Medicine : Wild Greek Chickens Lay a Healthful Egg

Eggs, which many cholesterol-conscious people shun, could possibly help lower cholesterol levels if farmers fed their chickens differently, researchers reported last week. Compared to eggs purchased in U.S. supermarkets, eggs laid by wild Greek chickens had about 10 times the levels of a fatty acid found in fish oil that has been linked to a reduced risk for heart attacks, the researchers found.

“It’s quite possible that these eggs may be more healthful than supermarket eggs,” said Norman Salem of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, who helped conduct the analysis.

In a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Salem and Dr. Artemis Simopoulos of the American Assn. for World Health in Washington reported the results of a study comparing the two types of eggs.

The Greek wild chicken eggs had 17.87 milligrams per gram of the substance, known as omega-3 fatty acid, contrasted with 1.74 milligrams per gram found in eggs purchased in U.S. supermarkets, they said. The researchers speculated that the Greek eggs may have more omega-3 because the wild chickens eat purslane--a wild plant that is rich in omega-3--as part of their diet.