Yesterday I was on BBC Radio Derby with Aleena Naylor chatting about reports that egg's have more Vitamin D than they did in the 1980's. The link to the show is below and its available for 7 days. I thought I'd just show you this little picture to display the difference between 3 types of cage free (free range eggs).
iPlayer Link 2 hours 11 minutes
iPlayer Link 2 hours 11 minutes
My main thoughts are that back in the 80's supermarkets just sold generic eggs, nobody knew or cared about the animals welfare. So, its more that we are undoing the damage that we did when we began mass producing food.
Their is a difference between a chickens that are true foragers like they should be and ones that mix grain with foraging. The picture on my blog today of the difference in the colour of the yolk is enough evidence for me that we need to get back to nature. I find that naturally raised chcikens produce darker orange yolks with a rich flavor when compared to grain fed. Take a cage reared egg, crack it and your likely to end up in a mess. Try the same with a naturally raised egg and it holds it shape much better.
Eggs a 100 yrs ago would be far healthier than eggs today's with far superior omega 6/3 ratios. Nowadays its estimated that we are around 15-20/1 due to mass grain consumption of which the chicken also indulges making their eggs so high in omega 6 when compared to omega 3. The higher Vit D is due to better diet and more sunlight from at least getting sometime to roam.
Its a fine line between mass production of eggs and everybody going back to raising their own chickens. Whilst more people are starting to do that, for most convenience will win so its a step in the right direction that we are considering the animals welfare a little more.
Its also worth considering that generically 1 large egg has 40 international units (IU ) of Vitamin D so you'd need quite a few eggs a day to get the RDA (think its 200IU and America has just gone up from 400IU to 600IU. (this is based upon the assumption that it is all dietary)
Depending upon where you are in the world, skin colour time of day, season etc you could probably get that much easier by being in some daylight for 20-30 mins. We are a nation of bingers. We binge drink, binge eat and even binge sunbath. I have a website linked in this post,
Website to Estimate Sun Exposure Required for adequate Vitamin D levels
that allows you to work out how much daylight you need based upon all the details above. Really handy for working out how much time you should spend outside in the winter months.
Their is also the argument that while most people (especially those in the northern hemisphere) don't receive enough sunlight and so would POSSIBLY benefit from some Vit D, their will be those that don't need it and could suffer from the consequences of taking in extra (not many though). The point is that people shouldn't really rush out and start supplementing with anything without being tested (its possible to overdose on vitamins).
The important message here is get yourself and your family tested for Vitamin D the test is called 25(OH)D, doctors have in the past basically ignored it due to the NHS guidelines set out for them. Its not the test I use but if your not coming to see me and your concerned then your GP can test you. They may not want to but they can...persistence is key.
Sun exposure also helps synthesize vitamin D from cholesterol .
Website to Estimate Sun Exposure Required for adequate Vitamin D levels
Years ago the majority of the population spent most of the days outdoors. Today we spend much less time outdoors and receive far less sunshine. A tan is now a sign of luxury, that we are able to go on foreign holidays and relax like the wife of a footballer. 200 years ago it would of been the sign of peasantry from the workers out in the fields yet nowadays every wannabe WAG is pray tanning themselves to get the look. Quite ironic!!
Keep reading for more posts on Vitamin D, Cholesterol, Restless Leg Syndrome, Insomnia and the connection between them all....
- Eggs from caged hens – Antibiotics, lack of sunlight (vit D)
- Free range organic eggs – still usually fed grain feed but it has to be organic, can only use antibiotics during an outbreak and not routinely.
- Natural Forager - Not really something you'll see in the supermarkets but by either keeping your own or knowing some friend that keep chickens you'll undoubtably be sure that you know what goes into your egg.
Their is a difference between a chickens that are true foragers like they should be and ones that mix grain with foraging. The picture on my blog today of the difference in the colour of the yolk is enough evidence for me that we need to get back to nature. I find that naturally raised chcikens produce darker orange yolks with a rich flavor when compared to grain fed. Take a cage reared egg, crack it and your likely to end up in a mess. Try the same with a naturally raised egg and it holds it shape much better.
Eggs a 100 yrs ago would be far healthier than eggs today's with far superior omega 6/3 ratios. Nowadays its estimated that we are around 15-20/1 due to mass grain consumption of which the chicken also indulges making their eggs so high in omega 6 when compared to omega 3. The higher Vit D is due to better diet and more sunlight from at least getting sometime to roam.
Its a fine line between mass production of eggs and everybody going back to raising their own chickens. Whilst more people are starting to do that, for most convenience will win so its a step in the right direction that we are considering the animals welfare a little more.
Its also worth considering that generically 1 large egg has 40 international units (IU ) of Vitamin D so you'd need quite a few eggs a day to get the RDA (think its 200IU and America has just gone up from 400IU to 600IU. (this is based upon the assumption that it is all dietary)
Depending upon where you are in the world, skin colour time of day, season etc you could probably get that much easier by being in some daylight for 20-30 mins. We are a nation of bingers. We binge drink, binge eat and even binge sunbath. I have a website linked in this post,
Website to Estimate Sun Exposure Required for adequate Vitamin D levels
that allows you to work out how much daylight you need based upon all the details above. Really handy for working out how much time you should spend outside in the winter months.
Their is also the argument that while most people (especially those in the northern hemisphere) don't receive enough sunlight and so would POSSIBLY benefit from some Vit D, their will be those that don't need it and could suffer from the consequences of taking in extra (not many though). The point is that people shouldn't really rush out and start supplementing with anything without being tested (its possible to overdose on vitamins).
The important message here is get yourself and your family tested for Vitamin D the test is called 25(OH)D, doctors have in the past basically ignored it due to the NHS guidelines set out for them. Its not the test I use but if your not coming to see me and your concerned then your GP can test you. They may not want to but they can...persistence is key.
Sun exposure also helps synthesize vitamin D from cholesterol .
Website to Estimate Sun Exposure Required for adequate Vitamin D levels
Years ago the majority of the population spent most of the days outdoors. Today we spend much less time outdoors and receive far less sunshine. A tan is now a sign of luxury, that we are able to go on foreign holidays and relax like the wife of a footballer. 200 years ago it would of been the sign of peasantry from the workers out in the fields yet nowadays every wannabe WAG is pray tanning themselves to get the look. Quite ironic!!
Keep reading for more posts on Vitamin D, Cholesterol, Restless Leg Syndrome, Insomnia and the connection between them all....
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