With the days getting shorter and the cold weather driving us indoors, we could all probably use a little extra vitamin D this time of year. Well, according to a study conducted at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, you can find a whole lot of the “sunshine vitamin” right in your back yard.
All chicken eggs contain Vitamin D, but it turns out free-range eggs contain far more Vitamin D than their cage-raised counterparts. The scientists who conducted the study reached this conclusion after analyzing 270 eggs from three different farm production systems (organic, free-range and indoor) over a period of five months. After evaluating the Vitamin D content of the eggs, the scientists found that eggs from free-range chickens contained an average of 30 percent more Vitamin D than eggs from cage-raised chickens.
In addition to improving our mood, Vitamin D also helps to regulate calcium intake, prevent rickets and support our immune systems. Vitamin D is primarily absorbed through sunlight, which may explain why eggs from chickens that spend their days outside contain higher concentrations of the vitamin. Aside from eggs, Vitamin D can only be found in a few other foods such as salmon, shrimp, herring and liver.
So, if you start feeling gloomy this winter, just head out to the coop and grab a few eggs from your girls. A little extra Vitamin D might be just what the doctor ordered.
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop!
