Boron supplementation

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated January 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Boron is the fifth element of the periodic table, and trace amounts can be found in the Earth’s crust. Though boron is a trace element, it is critical for a variety of plant and animal metabolic processes. In fact, boron deficiency in plants is a major concern for farmers, being the second most common micronutrient deficiency (1). With boron micronutrient deficiency common in crops, it’s likely that most people are likewise deficient in boron, and that’s a cause for concern.

A quick summary of boron’s effects on health can be best described as Wolverine’s superpowers! Boron improves wound healing, builds stronger bones, balances hormone production, strengthens the immune system, and more.

Before we cover all of boron’s amazing health benefits, lets first understand the interactions of vitamin D, magnesium, and testosterone, and how boron has major positive effects on these three systems.

Vitamin D, Magnesium, and Testosterone

For the general populace, vitamin D and magnesium are the first and second most common micronutrient deficiencies. It has been estimated that as many as 1 billion people around the world are vitamin D deficient (2). A vitamin D deficiency has many negative effects on health such as a weakened immune system, poor energy metabolism and fatigue, increased chance of mental health issues like depression and anxiety, muscular pain, loss of bone mass and strength, dysfunctional hormone production, hair loss, and more.

Insufficient magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency, and the possible symptoms are likewise unpleasant, ranging from high blood pressure and asthma to mental disorders and weak bones. Against this nutrient deficiency backdrop, testosterone levels have been decreasing in men for decades (3, 4) due to a variety of factors such as the use of plastics, overuse of antibiotics, and artificial hormones. Vitamin D and magnesium are micronutrients critical for proper hormone health for men and women. The altering of androgenic hormones like testosterone on a population level mean that large swathes of men are experiencing the side effects of low testosterone which include loss of muscle and bone mass, crippling fatigue, severe mood changes, a greatly diminished sex drive, and increased body fat (5).

It has been clearly demonstrated that when vitamin D, magnesium, and testosterone levels are out of balance serious health problems arise. Luckily it has been found that supplementing with mere milligrams of boron everyday greatly improves vitamin D and magnesium absorption.

Does Boron Increase Testosterone?

Because boron aids in the absorption of vitamin D and magnesium, both micronutrients being very important for the functions of the hormonal system.

For young healthy men, boron supplementation has conflicting results on its ability to raise testosterone levels. In one study with young male bodybuilders, though boron supplementation raised plasma boron values, no significant effect was observed on testosterone as compared to the boron-free control group (6). The group using boron did see their total testosterone level increase to a greater degree than the control group, but the increase wasn’t to significance, likely due to the small sample size. An interesting observation from this study is that by the end of the 7 week training protocol the bodybuilders went through for the study, the boron-free control group had significantly lower levels of boron in their plasma that they started with. Both the boron supplementation group and the control increased their lean body mass, total testosterone, and free testosterone, and it’s conceivable that the study duration was not long enough to observe the beneficial effects of boron on testosterone, and that the control group was able to achieve similar results as the boron supplemented group because they made use of the boron already in their body, depleting their reservoirs right as the study ended. If the study was lengthened, it’s possible that different results regarding boron supplementation for testosterone levels would have been observed.

With another study, eight healthy men who supplemented with 6 mg/day of boron for a week increased their free testosterone levels by 28% from 11.83 pg/mL to 15.18 pg/mL, and their estradiol (E2) decreased 61% from 42.33 pg/mL to 25.81 pg/mL (7). In a different study on eight men, 10 mg of boron per day supplemented for four weeks increased E2 levels from 51.9 to 73.9 pmol/L, and total testosterone levels increased from 17.4 to 19.4 nmol/L (8). It is unclear why estradiol levels decreased overall in the subjects in one study and increased overall in the other.

One explanation for boron’s changing effects on hormones is that boron is a hormonal adaptogen, balancing hormone levels for optimal wellness. There are so many factors that influence the hormonal system, from stress to micronutrient levels throughout the body, that it is difficult to determine boron’s effect on testosterone levels in men even with a study designed to observe just that.

Considering the extremely low cost and ease of boron supplementation (details below), for anyone interested in boosting testosterone levels I recommend supplementing with 6-10 mg boron daily for 1-2 months while also taking careful observations of libido and general well-being. Basic testosterone tests can also be schedule at the beginning and end of the personal experiment for the most conclusive results. Individual results will vary, and it’s also individual results that matter. Beyond testosterone, having adequate boron levels has many other health benefits.

Boron Health Benefits

Summarized from the research paper Nothing Boring About Boron by Lara Pizzorno, boron has been proven to be an important trace mineral for the following known reasons (9):

Boron is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone

• Boron was found to reduce calcium excretion in boron deficient post-menopausal women by 44%. Also at play was magnesium, and when magnesium levels were adequate, women lost 22 mg/day of calcium, while those low in magnesium lost 52 mg/day (10).

• In vitamin-D deficient animals (chicks and rats), boron supplementation helped stimulate bone growth (11).

Boron greatly improves wound healing

• One study found that when a 3% boric acid solution was applied to deep wounds, the time required in intensive care was reduced by two-thirds, 20 versus 55 days (12). For the 12 patients applied the boric acid solution, this collectively resulted in approximately $350,000 1990 USD in reduced medical expenses.

• The mechanisms responsible for this dramatic improvement in wound healing was further investigated, and it was found that boron has direct actions on specific enzymes found in fibroblasts (13). Fibroblasts are the most common cells found in animal connective tissue, responsible for synthesizing the connective tissues extracellular matrix and collagen. If you have bad joints, boron supplementation can be paired with a connective tissue regrowth protocol to help speed up the healing process.

Boron beneficially improves hormone levels in post-menopausal women

• In a study on post-menopausal women, boron supplementation of 3mg/day in the magnesium deficient group almost doubled serum estradiol levels, increasing E2 from an average of 21.1 pg/mL to 41.4 pg/mL, and testosterone nearly tripled, rising from an average of 0.31 ng/mL to 0.83 ng/mL. For the magnesium adequate group, E2 rose from an average of 15.5 pg/mL to 38.0 pg/mL, and testosterone increased from 0.38 ng/mL to 0.65 ng/mL (10).

Boron greatly improves Vitamin D status, the most common micronutrient deficiency

• In a clinical trial, five men and ten women were placed on a low-boron diet (regular western diet, also marginal in magnesium and copper) for 63 days. Afterwards, 3 mg of boron was supplemented per day for 49 days. Vitamin D levels increased from an average of 44.9 nM after boron deprivation to 62.4 nM after the 49 days of boron repletion, a 39% increase (14).

• During the winter months, 13 middle-aged individuals predetermined to be extremely vitamin D deficient (serum vitamin D3 < 12 ng/mL), were given 6mg of boron per day for 60 days. The study took place beginning in October and concluded by January, a seasonal time period when vitamin-D status would be expected to worsen due to reduced daylight hours. After 60 days of boron supplementation, vitamin D3 levels rose by an average of 20% even during reducing sunlight conditions, which is phenomenal (15).

• Boron increases vitamin D levels by suppressing the activity of 24-hydroxylase, the microsomal enzyme primarily responsible for the catabolism (breakdown) of vitamin D. The suppression of this enzyme increases the half-life of vitamin D in serum, therefore increasing vitamin D levels overall (15).

Boron is cancer protective and reduces the adverse effects of chemotherapy

• On a broad scale, boron-rich diets (from regions where the soil and water are rich in boron) correlate with lower risks of several types of cancer, including breast, cervical, prostate, and lung cancers. Boron-containing compounds have a roll in a variety of fundamental cellular mechanisms, negatively effecting the reproduction and physiology of cancer cells (16).

• In one study, men whose diets supplied more than 1.8 mg of boron per day lowered the risk of prostate cancer by 52% lower compared to men whose dietary boron intake was 0.9 mg per day or less (17).

• In one ten year study on post-menopausal women, those who were not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and had a boron intake of 0.77 mg or less per day had a 95% increased odds of developing lung cancer compared to women on HRT who had a dietary intake of 1.25 mg of boron per day (18).

• One of boron’s main anti-cancer mechanistic effects is a result of how boron directly interacts with cancer cells. With a boron rich diet (3-10 mg), sugar-borate esters transport borate in greater quantities inside cells, increasing the intracellular concentration of borate. High intracellular borate concentrations keep cancerous growth in check and stimulate apoptosis (cellular death). In normal cells not yet ready to undergo apoptosis, the borate is easily exported. Cancer cells however commonly over-express sugar transporters as a way of fueling their growth, and are less effective at reducing intracellular levels of borate. As a result, a boron-rich diet exerts a protect anti-cancer effect, sparing healthy cells but killing cancer cells (19).

Adequate boron levels in the body contributes to stronger bones, faster wound healing, higher vitamin D and testosterone levels, and is cancer protective.

In addition to the more well known effects above, boron has also been shown to have the following beneficial effects:

1. Boron reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)

2. Boron raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase

3. Boron protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity

4. Boron improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders

How to Supplement with Boron

On average most people ingest about 2 mg of Boron a day (20), which is under the 3 mg or greater ideal dietary intake. With a diet low in plant products such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, someone’s dietary intake of boron could be much less than 3 mg per day. Following a plant-based diet will increase boron consumption.

To increase boron concentrations in the body, the simplest and most economical way to supplement is with borax, chemically known as sodium borate. With a similar LD50 as NaCl for rats (similar for humans), sodium borate is safe and as a salt it’s highly bioavailable. Many studies on boron use sodium borate, and borax is many times cheaper than the typical boron fructoborate supplement. A box of 20 Mule Team borax is highly refined and pure, simply set aside a small jar for personal use and use the rest for cleaning applications if you'd like!

Most studies on boron supplementation use a dose of 3 mg of elemental boron (again through a compound like borax).

To supplement with 10 mg of elemental boron via borax, ~88.5 mg of borax is required based on the chemical formula of Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O and elemental molecular weights. To estimate the volume of the scooper needed, we need to know the density of borax. Borax has a density of 1.73 g/cm³, so 88.5 mg of borax (10 mg boron) requires approximately a 0.05 ml scoop. I used to use this G82 Ultra Small Measuring Spoon (pictured) when dosing boron, but now I simply take a pinch of equivalent size and dissolve it into a drink.

With no taste and the ability to fully dissolve, supplementing with borax couldn't be easier. Add the scoop to a glass of water, a smoothie, or a post-workout drink, it won’t be noticed.

Another way to supplement with boron is with nettle. Stinging nettle contains high levels of boron in addition to other valuable nutrients such as vitamins A, C, K and minerals calcium, iron, and manganese. Brewing nettle leaves into a tea individually or as part of a blend is easy, and in addition to providing the body boron it acts as a diuretic and lowers blood sugar and blood pressure slightly. Purchase nettle leaf products from Mountain Rose Herbs.

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Foods Highest in Boron

With it’s wide ranging health benefits, extreme safety, beyond cheap price, and unbelievable ease of supplementation, boron is a micronutrient everyone should make sure to get enough of. If you’d rather pass on the borax and stick to whole foods, then make sure to consume the following high boron foods from organic and biodynamic farmers who grow from healthy micronutrient rich soils.

Fruits, vegetables, and nuts are your best sources of boron. Dried fruits like raisins and apricots are loaded with boron. Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts are also packed with boron, and legumes such as peanuts and kidney beans also contain significant amounts of boron. Another high boron food is avocado which has many other beneficial micronutrients as well.

Make an effort to get more boron in your diet whether that’s by supplementation, diet, or a combination of both, and take note of how you feel. Boron can be supplemented with daily at doses of 3-10 mg, and care should be taken when dosing higher amounts for it’s possible testosterone boosting effects.

References

1. Importance of Boron in Plant Growth - Crop Nutrition

2. Sahota O. Understanding vitamin D deficiency. Age Ageing. 2014;43(5):589-91.

3. Travison TG, Araujo AB, O'donnell AB, Kupelian V, Mckinlay JB. A population-level decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(1):196-202.

4. Andersson AM, Jensen TK, Juul A, Petersen JH, Jørgensen T, Skakkebaek NE. Secular decline in male testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin serum levels in Danish population surveys. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(12):4696-705.

5. Traish AM, Miner MM, Morgentaler A, Zitzmann M. Testosterone deficiency. The American Journal of Medicine. 2011;124(7):578-587.

6. Ferrando AA, Green NR. The effect of boron supplementation on lean body mass, plasma testosterone levels, and strength in male bodybuilders. International Journal of Sport Nutrition. 1993;3(2):140-149.

7. Naghii MR, Mofid M, Asgari AR, Hedayati M, Daneshpour MS. Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2011;25(1):54-8.

8. Naghii MR, Samman S. The effect of boron supplementation on its urinary excretion and selected cardiovascular risk factors in healthy male subjects. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1997;56(3):273-86.

9. Pizzorno L. Nothing Boring About Boron. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015;14(4):35-48.

10. Nielsen FH, Hunt CD, Mullen LM, Hunt JR. Effect of dietary boron on mineral, estrogen, and testosterone metabolism in postmenopausal women. FASEB J. 1987;1(5):394-7.

11. Hunt CD. The biochemical effects of physiologic amounts of dietary boron in animal nutrition models. Environ Health Perspect. 1994;102 Suppl 7:35-43.

12. Blech MF, Martin C, Borrelly J, Hartemann P. Treatment of deep wounds with loss of tissue. Value of a 3 percent boric acid solution. Presse Med. 1990;19(22):1050-2.

13. Nzietchueng RM, Dousset B, Franck P, Benderdour M, Nabet P, Hess K. Mechanisms implicated in the effects of boron on wound healing. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2002;16(4):239-44.

14. Nielsen, Forrest & Mullen, L.M. & Gallagher, S.K.. (1990). Effect of boron depletion and repletion on blood indicators of calcium status in humans fed a magnesium-low diet. Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine. 3. 45-54.

15. Miljkovic D, Miljkovic N, Mccarty MF. Up-regulatory impact of boron on vitamin D function -- does it reflect inhibition of 24-hydroxylase? Med Hypotheses. 2004;63(6):1054-6.

16. Scorei RI, Popa R. Boron-containing compounds as preventive and chemotherapeutic agents for cancer. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2010;10(4):346-51.

17. Cui Y, Winton MI, Zhang ZF, et al. Dietary boron intake and prostate cancer risk. Oncol Rep. 2004;11(4):887-92.

18. Mahabir S, Spitz MR, Barrera SL, Dong YQ, Eastham C, Forman MR. Dietary boron and hormone replacement therapy as risk factors for lung cancer in women. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167(9):1070-80.

19. Scorei RI, Popa R. Sugar-borate esters--potential chemical agents in prostate cancer chemoprevention. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2013;13(6):901-9.

20. Devirian T, Volpe S. The Physiological Effects of Dietary Boron. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2003;43(2):219–231

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Swap Oats for a Buckwheat Breakfast

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated October 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Millions of people around the world start their morning with an oatmeal breakfast, either from steel cut, rolled, or instant oats. Oatmeal is delicious, fiber dense, and convenient. Buckwheat may be better for many people than oats, especially those who need be more mindful of their gut health, and it’s buckwheat!

Containing different micronutrients than oatmeal overall, buckwheat is a great breakfast for those looking to distance themselves from wheat production and glyphosate usage or simply for those who want a second hot creamy breakfast porridge option with a different micronutrient profile. It’s fiber dense but not as hard on the intestinal lining at oats or wheat, and it takes other foods easily like bananas, almond butter, nuts, dried or fresh fruit very well, making a vegan nutritious delicious meal.

What is Buckwheat?

Buckwheat is not a type of wheat. In fact it’s not even a cereal grain. Buckwheat is a type of flowering plant whose seeds resemble grains, and is referred to as a psuedocereal (like chia seeds and quinoa). It is rare for flowering plants to have strong defense mechanisms, instead working with animals and insects symbiotically to reproduce.

Grasses (like wheat) aren’t as cosmopolitan, and grasses have evolved serious defense mechanisms throughout time. The leaf blades of many grasses are hardened with silica (glass) phytoliths (crystals), which discourage grazing animals. The parts we actually eat, cereal grains, are pleasantly referred to as spikelets, and then you have fibrous chaff surrounding the grain. Next is a hard protective bran shell, and then finally the germ and endosperm, which are the parts of the grain containing the most desirable and evolved nutrients.

Field of buckwheat. Not a grass, but a flower!

Digesting Wheat and Oats is Paleo Difficult

Grasses are so hard to digest that the holy grass chomping animal, the cow, has four stomachs just to digest them. The first three stomachs of a cow help break down the fibrous plant material, and the last stomach more closely resembles ours. Even then, cows are known for their prodigious flatulence, a byproduct of the process. Humans don’t have four stomachs, and even with the advanced processing we use to strip wheat grains from chaff, we evolutionarily aren’t predisposed to being able to digest wheat and other grains like oats well.

Add in many pesticide applications during cultivation, harvest, and storage as is done with non-organically grown whole grains like wheat and oats, gut health and wellness suffer. Toxins like glyphosate (the main herbicide found in Roundup) disrupt the shikimate pathway and has an antimicrobial effect on the microbiome. Pesticides also erode the mucus lining of the digestive system and degrade epithelial cellular junctions underneath. These three factors together cause stress to the digestive system. When tested non-gmo crops were found to have glyphosate residues at 0.07 mg/kg to 0.09 mg/kg. For a GMO crop, the range was found to be between 3.3 and 5.7 mg/kg (1).

Those with sensitive or compromised digestive systems will experience bloating, indigestion, volatile digestive motility, and loose stool from consumption of whole grains sprayed heavily with pesticides. Some people can handle it for a time.

The reason many people experience digestive upset from non-organic cereal grains is because the body eliminates them from the digestive track in order to avoid absorbing toxic pesticides into the body, which then cause stress on other organs such as the liver, kidneys, spleen, etc.

The goal of eating is to extract as much goodness from food as easily as possible, and any food which the body can’t or refuses to process efficiently should be eliminated from the diet and can reintroduced again at a later time for testing.

Buckwheat is Easy to Digest

Unlike oats or wheat, buckwheat is relatively easy to digest. This is due to the fact that buckwheat comes from an angiosperm plant and not a grain. Buckwheat shares many of the same culinary traits as oats though. Buckwheat cooks similarly, has similar taste and texture, and has a nearly identical macronutrient profile. Buckwheat also has the advantage of often being gluten free as it’s processed on separate machinery free of wheat residues.

Cooked Buckwheat (left) vs Cooked Oats (right)

Oats, even organic oats, unless specifically stated “gluten-free” contain residual gluten and wheat proteins from having been processed on the same machinery as wheat. To anyone with a gluten intolerance, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease, this “hidden” source of gluten can wreak havoc.

Buckwheat will have lower levels of trace gluten from processing, but is still sprayed with glyphosate as are most crops in the USA, though not as much. Only non-gmo organic buckwheat will have very low to zero glyphosate contamination, and this what I recommend you find if you love having a breakfast cereal in the morning.

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Buckwheat Macronutrients (100g)

Calories: 343 calories

Fat: 3.4 grams

Carbohydrates: 71.5 grams

Fiber: 10 grams

Protein: 13.3 grams

Oats Macronutrients (100g)

Calories: 379 calories

Fat: 6.5 grams

Carbohydrates: 67.7 grams

Fiber: 10.1 grams

Protein: 13.2 grams

For all their differences evolutionary and processing wise, buckwheat and oats have similar macronutrient ratios as seen above. Both buckwheat and oats are a good option when a high carbohydrate meal is desired.

When it comes to micronutrients, buckwheat and oats are similar but overall I think buckwheat is the better option for reasons I’ll explain. For 100 grams of oats vs 100 grams of buckwheat see the nutritional differences below:

Vitamins	Buckwheat	Oats	Greater Than By
Thiamin (mg)	0.1	0.46	360%
Riboflavin (mg)	0.43	0.16	168%
Niacin (mg)	7.02	1.13	521%
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.21	0.1	110%
Folate (mcg)	30	32	6.6%
Vitamin B12 (mcg)	0	0	--
Pantothenic Acid (mg)	1.23	--	--
Vitamin A (IU)	0	0	--
Vitamin C (mg)	0	0	--
Vitamin D (IU)	0	0	--
Vitamin E (mg)	--	0.42	--
Vitamin K (mcg)	--	2.0	--
Minerals
Calcium (mg)	18	52	189%
Iron (mg)	2.2	4.25	93%
Magnesium (mg)	231	138	67%
Phosphorus (mg)	347	410	18%
Potassium (mg)	460	362	27%
Sodium (mg)	1.0	6.0	500%
Zinc (mg)	2.4	3.64	51%
Copper (mg)	1.1	--	--
Manganese (mg)	1.3	--	--
Selenium (mcg)	8.3	--	--

Macronutrient and Micronutrient data pulled from the USDA database.

Oats have more micronutrients which have greater values than buckwheat (7 vs 5), but buckwheat has higher levels of the micronutrients more commonly deficient in the diet. Buckwheat also contains much higher percentage levels of those certain micronutrients, so they come out ahead.

Buckwheat contains 67% more magnesium, magnesium being second most common micronutrient deficiency and vital for hormone health, skin, sleep, and bone strength. Buckwheat also has 27% more potassium, which helps to balance sodium/potassium ratios in the body which is important for the heart, brain, digestion, and nervous system.

Oats do have significantly more calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc than buckwheat. Buckwheat contains significantly more of the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6, only containing significantly less thiamin than oats does. Nutritional yeast is the highest source of thiamin, unfortified unlike artificially fortified grains, and completely vegan.

Try Buckwheat for Breakfast for One Week

Watch your Gut Health Get Better

Next time you reach to buy a bag of oats at the grocery story, reach for a bag of buckwheat instead!

Try it out and see if you like buckwheat’s flavor and texture, and pay attention to your energy levels and state of digestion after eating it. Worst case you don’t notice any positives eating buckwheat over oats, and best case you improve your digestion and get more of the critical micronutrients such as magnesium that are missing from most modern day diets. In my experience buckwheat has never made my digestion worse, and it’s good to have reliable food like that on hand.

Buckwheat could very well be your perfect food (2). If you are of Eastern European ancestry that is more likely to be the case as a lot of buckwheat has been grown in those areas historically.

Try out some organic hulled buckwheat groats and explore a whole new world!

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References:

1. Glyphosate-tested. Healthy Traditions.

2. Wijngaard HH, Arendt EK. Buckwheat. Cereal Chemistry Journal. 2006;83(4):391-401.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Nutrition

Muscle Building Workout Shake

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Whether you already work out, or plan on starting soon, the main goal for exercising is to get stronger and build muscle. Whatever the exercises, from lifting weights to yoga, physical movement creates a stimulus for muscle growth, and good diet then builds that muscle. Without the proper nutrition before and after exercise, you’ll spin your wheels at the gym and make no progress.

To give yourself a muscle building advantage, make sure you consume a healthy macronutrient and micronutrient dense post workout meal or shake. For this purpose I recommend the following shake which contains all the building blocks needed to build strong dense muscle and improve natural testosterone levels.

Once recovery is accounted for, the main dietary building blocks needed for muscle growth are:

• Protein

• Cholesterol

• Water

• Creatine

• Micronutrients

To cover all of these requirements, we create a workout shake from the following ingredients:

• 8 oz coconut milk

• 30 grams protein

• 6 eggs

• 3 grams creatine monohydrate

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Four Ingredients for Muscle Building Success

1. Eight oz coconut milk. We start with coconut milk for the base of this shake because coconut milk contains the valuable electrolytes potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Coconut milk is primarily water, great for rehydrating, and the healthy fats are surplus calories and make the shake nice and creamy.

2. 30 grams of hydrolyzed whey protein. Hydrolyzed whey is the fastest digesting and best utilized greatest protein known. Considering muscle is primarily made of protein, ensuring you get at least 1g of protein per pound of body-weight is very important for optimal muscle growth. If dairy proteins don’t sit well with you, plant protein can also be used, with the benefit of including additional fiber.

3. Six raw pasture raised egg yolks. Six egg yolks contains ~990 mg of cholesterol, 16.2 grams of protein, and is a good source of various minerals, B vitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Cholesterol is the base building block for all steroidal hormones such as testosterone, and a much needed component of muscle tissue. Add cistanche for some real muscle boosting effects.

4. Three grams of creatine monohydrate. Creatine is an important part of the energy production chain in muscle cells. Fully-saturated muscular creatine stores increases power output and build more muscle. 3 grams post workout ensures you quickly refill creatine stores which were depleted during exercise.

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Flavor Enhancers and Raw Egg Consumption

Add flavor enhancers like cinnamon or cacao powder to improve the flavor. Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and is a great enhancement to add.

I recommend raw eggs for this shake because raw egg yolks will digest better and be more readily absorbed by the body. The raw eggs add no off-flavors to the shake, instead improving the consistency and mouthfeel. If you are concerned that the yolks are raw and might contain salmonella, buy pasteurized eggs which are heated in shell to kill all microorganisms. Pasture-raised eggs on the other hand are raised in more humane conditions and are much safer to consume raw than battery, cage-free, or free range eggs. Be safe and cautious regarding the raw eggs if you have a weak immune system; reset your digestive system to strengthen your immune system.

Drink this shake after every workout, taking into account your overall calorie and macronutrient targets, and I guarantee you’ll notice strong muscle building and strength boosting effects quickly

Break Sugar Addiction by Avoid Added Sugars

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Being healthy and free from sickness, pain, and disease is as simple as consistently following and adhering to a collection of small healthy habits. Depending on your current state of health, becoming well can seem impossibly daunting, for one, where do you start? If you keep a lifestyle unchanged, but add one healthy habit, then wellness has been improved. To create a healthy habit, you must first be hyper-conscious of your actions until they become second nature, becoming a habit you do unconsciously. The hard part of being healthy isn’t following wellness habits, but rather forming the habits one at a time, and performing them long enough that they become second nature.

One of the most impactful wellness habits you develop is to kick a sugar addiction (1). Like other addictive chemicals, sugar is toxic (2), creates widespread inflammation in the body (3) when consumed in excess, shifts the microbiome to a less diversified pathogenic state (4), and desensitizes dopamine receptors (5). The average American consumes 10 times more sugar than 100 years ago; in 2017 this totaled 90.7 grams of added-sugar everyday (6).

For reference, Canada clocked in about 1/3 lower than the USA in 2017 at 58.5 grams per day (7), and the average per-capita added-sugar consumption for rural China in 2017 was only 3.75 grams. In India, Israel, and Russia, people on average consume 5.1, 14.5, and 20 grams of additional sugar per day respectively (8).

For most countries in the world, the processed food industry is driving the ever increasing consumption of sugar, and the health complications are piling up. Over-consumption of sugars together with other factors contributes to the current obesity epidemic

A healthy habit to form which would transform your life would be to kick a sugar addiction. Some sugar in a diet from natural foods and sugars is fine, but a strong effort should be made to avoid heavily processed added-sugars if true health and wellness is the goal.

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Symptoms and Complications of Sugar Addiction

Sugar addiction has many of the same symptoms of other common addictions like tobacco or opioids. When sugars are consumed, natural endogenous opioids get released. Outside the context of a healthy balanced diet, substantial parallels between sugar and drugs of abuse can be observed in behavior and brain neurochemistry.

Animal studies have shown sugar to be addictive than cocaine (9). You might be a sugar addict if you display any of the following behaviors:

Free yourself from the toxic behavioral influences of sugar

• You make excuses to consume more sugar.

• You make special trips to buy more sugar laden products

• You drink sugar sweetened beverages.

• You eat sugar dominant foods to breakfast.

• You reward yourself with a sweet for motivation or as a reward.

• You have a secret stash that you binge from when alone.

• You previously tried to stop eating sugar, and couldn’t.

Beyond these behavioral patterns, there are two types of symptoms when it comes to sugar addiction. There are symptoms present when actively feeding the sugar cycle, and there are the symptoms of sugar withdrawal.

Symptoms of Sugar Addiction

• Persistent brain fog

• Volatile swings in energy

• Intense cravings disguised as hunger

• Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD

• Persistent fatigue

• Racing thoughts

• Strong sexual urges

• Regular foods like fruit and vegetables taste bland and dull

• Vehement denial of a sugar addition when questioned

• Being overweight or obese

Symptoms of Sugar Withdrawal

• Intense cravings

• Depression

• Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Nausea

• Irritability

• Altered sleep patterns

• Cognitive issues, brain fog

• Low blood sugar, dizziness

• Other symptoms associated with drug withdrawal

These symptoms themselves can cause serious complications towards everyday life, but there are more insidious long term health complications from being addicted to sugar.

When naturally occurring sugars are paired with a healthy dose of fiber, like with fruit and vegetables, overall the known negative health effects of sugar appear to be negligible. The issue with sugar is when it is consumed without fiber. When sugar is consumed in excess and without fiber, inflammation in the body rises dramatically. Inflammation is not the root cause of disease, but it is a complicating factor in 100+ diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, mental health disease, and more. More sugar also means more cavities, so oral health and hygiene is also affected (10).

Chronic levels of inflammation keep the body in a state of fight-or-flight, with the now dominant sympathetic nervous system being out of balance with the rest-and-relax parasympathetic nervous system. This over activity places stress on all the major systems of the body such as the immune system, liver, digestive system, circulatory system, and more.

Besides being predisposed to 100’s of different chronic health ailments, chronic inflammation increases body fat storage and can lead to obesity. Obesity itself is another complicating health factor, and now what was one health issue became two.

We are what we eat, and sugar is toxic. We know excess sugar consumption leads to inflammation, obesity, and disease, but what is the step that sits in-between sugar consumption and chronic inflammation?

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Sugar and the Digestive System

After sugar is consumed, before it can supply energy to the body through the mechanisms of insulin transport, it needs to be digested. Different sugars have different chemical structures and therefore different rates of digestion and absorption. Sugar is a general term used for sweet-tasting soluble carbohydrates. There are simple sugars which composed of a single sugar molecule, or compound sugars, where two sugar compounds are connected together. Whether sugars are consumed as simplex, compound, or as a starch (a chain of many sugar compounds), the digestive system will break apart and hydrolyze carbohydrates into simple sugars for transport into the blood stream. Let’s examine the most commonly consumed simple sugars:

Monosaccharides

• Fructose - Fruit Sugar

• Glucose - The basic form of sugar used by the body

• Galactose - Present in milk

Disaccharides

• Sucrose - One fructose and Glucose sugar combined

• Lactose - One glucose and galactose sugar combined

• Maltose - Two glucose molecules combined

There are also alcohol sugars, polysaccharides (which are larger chains of sugars), artificial sugars, and many more. The chemistry of sugars is complex, but what is clear is that excess sugar consumption is dangerous, and it all starts with the gut.

The microbiome is the collection of symbiotic (helpful), commensal (indifferent), and pathogenic (bad) microorganisms that inhabit your gut. Your gut is technically “outside” of your body, and it contains 10x more organisms than cells in your body, over 100 trillion! When the microbiome is well diversified and balanced (containing primarily symbiotic organisms) food will digest best and qualitative health markers are improved across the board.

The villi connect the digestive, immune, and circulatory systems.

We know the body only transports simple sugars into the circulatory system by passive and active transport through the cell membranes of the finger-like villi structures of the gut. Fats, proteins, and carbs which are still too large for transport need to be broken down. This is where the microbiome plays a critical role in digestion. The chemical and mechanical processes of the digestive system help break down food into smaller pieces, and the microbiome performs the finishing touches breaking apart food into sufficiently small compounds.

When excess simple sugars are consumed, it becomes much easier for the microbiome to access the energy of the sugar first for their own survival needs rather than needing to break chemical bonds first. Over time, this can shift the balance of the microbiome, creating sugar craving microbes with a mind of their own. In order to keep their over-sized populations stable, an unbalanced microbiome will directly interact with the body and brain through the release of chemicals and neurotransmitters. The gut is the second brain of the body, and for many people it’s not under their control. This will manifest as the affectionately known “sweet tooth”.

With an unbalanced microbiome, issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or more serious complications like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), irritable bowel disease (IBD), and Crohn’s disease can arise. Considering the gut is the boundary between the barbarian (microbes) and gate keepers (epithelial cells), the immune system is most active at the gut. A compromised digestive system with failing tight junctions which lets microbes and undigested molecules slip into the bloodstream is the source of inflammation that sugar causes. Sugar without fiber or not existing in long polysaccharide chains is too easily accessed and used by the microbiome, shifting the balance towards pathogenic microbes. It is this easy access to cheap resources with no nutritional value beyond calories that compromises the integrity of the entire digestive system, leading to chronic inflammation, and therefore obesity and disease.

And there are other complicating factors. Where did the sugar come from? Depending on the plant a sugar ultimately derives from is very important. Modern agricultural practices use heavy amounts of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides which contaminant everything they are sprayed on. These compounds have can take decades to break down. A GMO cane sugar will be genetically modified to survive when exposed to greater amounts of dangerous herbicides like glyphosate. Glyphosate is an effective herbicide because it interferes with the The shikimate pathway, an ancient seven-step metabolic pathway used by bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, some protozoans, and plants for the biosynthesis of folates and some amino acids.

While the shikimate is not found innately in humans, it is found and utilized for the survival of our microbiome. Unless sugar is label organic, and even that can have its flaws, it is mostly likely contaminated with glyphosate and other compounds which interfere with the shikimate pathway and other similar metabolic processes. Consumption of this sugar will disrupt the growth of symbiotic microorganisms which might be content munching on fiber all day, and simultaneously fuel the growth of short-lived commensal and pathogenic microbes. Natural sources of sugar like honey are best because they are free or much less contaminated by these dangerous herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

When the food source is taken away from these overgrown and unbalanced microbiomes, microbes will release chemicals and neurotransmitters in an effort to acquire more resources (aka you need to eat some sugar NOW) while simultaneously having their population die-off in the wait for more resources. This die-off reaction can release built-up toxic compounds, stressing your gut and liver while you simultaneously experience volatile swings in energy as you’ve become insulin resistant and blood sugar levels have dropped dangerously low.

It’s a terrible health predicament that can be frightening to experience, but feeding the microbiome with more sugar will only make breaking the addiction harder or inevitably lead to the genesis of a deadly disease down the line.

Does your microbiome work for you, or against you?

There is no one living without a microbiome, a healthy microbiome is a critical component to living a healthy disease-free life. If conscious awareness isn’t given to the microbiome through a healthy, organic, unprocessed diet, the microbiome will make itself known to you, either physically, chemically, or behaviorally, demanding nutrients. Understanding the 100 trillion microorganisms that make up your microbiome is the the key to unlocking your health, and the first step towards breaking a sugar addiction.

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Now that we’ve laid everything out, lets formulate a strategy that best increases your chances to kick sugar while also reducing the negative health effects that will be experienced during the healing process.

How to Kick a Sugar Addiction

To kick a sugar addition, you need to be aware of what drives a sugar addicition, and how you can break the cycle. Below is a simplified version of the vicious cycle that can form when consuming excess sugar. To break an addition, there isn’t any one strategy that will work, you must first have the innate desire to be free of addiction, have the willpower and discipline to see it through, devote time, and have strategies developed for each step of the cycle. Relapse can occur at any of the stages, so preparation is required for each stage.

In preparation for the following sugar reset, your environment must be made to be conductive to change. Follow the steps below first:

1. Eliminate all sugar from the household. This means throwing out all sweets, treats, desserts, sources of simple carbohydrates, etc.

2. Make a list of your favorite sugar pit stops (convenience markets, coffee shops) and blacklist them, vowing to not visit them again.

3. Practice saying no. Other people might offer you sugar-rich or other unhealthy foods during this reset, rehearse your line and practice saying no in order to avoid temptation, such as: “No thank you John, I am currently working to break my addiction to sugar”. The more truthful and to the point your words are, the less others will try to convince you that taking a bite or having one small treat isn’t a big deal.

4. Identify your trigger foods. Tracking your diet, mood, and energy in a journal for a week before starting the reset will help you identify your trigger foods that must be completely avoided during the reset.

5. Develop a plan for how you will drink 1 gallon of filtered water a day. Tap water containing fluoride kills microbes, so for the microbiome to survive more sugar is required, and they will release neurotransmitters for this. Filtered or spring water is pure and free of chemicals.

Once the steps above have been taking, find a 7 day chuck of time in your schedule which is expected to be lower stress. Breaking a sugar addiction takes longer than seven days, but the first week accomplished 80% of the work. Stress triggers sugar cravings, so to increase the chance of success this should be scheduled around a time period of low stress.

The fastest and most painless way to get the ball rolling is to start this week long period with a 24 hour fast, that is no eating from dinner on day to dinner the next. Unless you’re in a state of serious health complications, a 24 hour is safe and achievable by anyone to do. A 48 hour fast is even better as it takes you right to the edge of ketosis (fat only metabolism), but this can be trickier for those really dependent on sugar for their energy levels.

Fasting simultaneously does the following:

• Improves blood sugar levels

• Sensitizes insulin

• Kills off an overactive microbiome

• Reduces inflammation

• Heals the digestive system

• Burns body fat

Fasting promotes health in the exact opposite ways sugar addiction promotes disease. Fasting is a powerful wellness methodology. Fasting also removes many of the questions “like what should I eat instead” and removes analysis paralysis; there are only two objects, don’t eat and drink water! If you carry significant levels of body fat, an every other day strategy for fasting has been shown to be highly effective in breaking the sugar cycle, improving microbiome diversity, and lowering body fat.

An every other day 24 hour fasting schedule would look like this:

• Day 1 fasting, drinking only water (1 gallon recommended)

• Day 2 refeed with organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, minimally processed grains, animal protein

• Day 3 fasting

• Day 4 refeed

• Repeat

If you do this, expect body fat to melt off as it is used to cover your energy needs throughout the week. Blood sugar, lipid, and insulin markers will improve, energy levels will stabilize, mood will brighten, and sleep will improve. Fasting is the “rip the band-aid” off approach. It’s the most effective and ultimately causes less pain and suffering in the long run, but can be nerve racking to start.

If you think you’ll be more comfortable with a gradual approach, then the first step is to cut out the main offenders. This means cutting out sugar and all sweetened beverages, desserts like cookies and ice cream, and bread products, anything that contains almost exclusively sugar.

Even if you just stop drinking soda, that has a huge impact over time! According to the CDC, 5 out of 10 adults and 6 out of 10 youth drink a sugar sweetened beverage at least once a day. This equates to on average an extra 145 calories for both adults and youth consumed everyday, with one 12 oz soda containing 39 grams of sugar, double than the upper limit we recommend of 20 grams.

If you’re overweight and carry an unhealthy amount of body fat, then either replacing 1 soda a day with water over the course of a month reduce your caloric consumption by 4200 calories, or 1.2 lbs of fat. Over the course of a year of no soda, that equals 14.4 lbs of fat gone.

Once the main sugar offenders have been removed from your diet, you’ll want to replace them when the cravings hit with healthy fats and fiber rich foods.

Foods Containing Healthy Fats

• Avocado

• Nuts - walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans,

  pistachios

• Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, etc

• Animal Fats (grass-fed) - butter, ghee, cream, cheese

• Eggs (pasture raised) - chicken, quail

• Cacao (fair trade) - Dark Chocolate 70% +

• Oils (cold pressed) - olive oil, coconut oil, red palm oil, avocado oil

Foods the contain both healthy fats and fiber:

• avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, coconut, and cacao

Foods Containing Fiber

• Squash - butternut, winter, zucchini

• Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, chia, flax, cacao

• Nuts - almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pistachios

• Legumes - beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, peanuts

• Fruits - such as avocado, pear, jackfruit, berries, mango, banana, papaya, coconut, guava, kiwi, etc

• Vegetables - carrots, eggplant, jalepeno, tomato, artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, sweet potato, radish, etc

• Dark Leafy Greens - spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, mustard, etc

• Grains - quinoa, popcorn, oats, black/brown/red rice,

As you can see, there are plenty of delicious foods which contain fiber and fats, excellent additions to any diet. All of the foods above are also micronutrient dense, and a sugar based diet is lacking in critical vitamins and minerals, the deficit of which can have massive health implications.

Homemade Raw Trail Mix

• 1/4 cup Almonds

• 1/2 cup Cashews

• 1/4 cup Walnuts

• 1/4 cup Pecans

• 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds

• 1/2 cup 70% Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

In your purse, bag, or on your person, keep a bag of raw trail mix with you. When a sugar craving hits, unless you’re in the middle of a fast, a few handfuls of trail mix is a nice healthy treat that will keep you satiated and content. Right now do not be concerned about calories.

Make sure to buy nuts and seeds which are raw. Raw foods are those that aren’t heated for pasteurization, and eating raw foods helps diversify your microbiome. Raw foods also contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals since the heat didn’t break them down.

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Building your Fat Metabolism

A sugar dependent diet is skewed heavily towards carbohydrate metabolism for energy. Carbohydrate metabolism isn’t necessarily bad in and of itself, but often the carbohydrate metabolic cycle will be overdeveloped and out of balance with fat metabolism. The metabolism of fat for energy, either from food or body fat, provides longer lasting and more sustainable energy levels. Having a well-functioning fat metabolism fills in energy dips that are experienced when eating carbs. By stabilizing your energy levels, fats will help keep you calm and emotionally stable, reducing your chance of giving into temptation and reaching for that sugary treat when your sugar starved microbiome and low blood sugar levels are saying you need it most.

Fatty acid metabolism can be improved by eating a diet higher in fats for an extended period of time, or more quickly through a ketogenic diet. A ketogenic diet is a very low carb diet where the body has to produce ketones for use by the brain. The brain exclusively runs on simple sugars or ketones for energy. Since a ketogenic diet is <5% carbs and 70% of greater fat macronutrient wise, it will very quickly improve your ability to metabolize fatty acids. Be aware that you might initially experience what is known as keto flu. Keto flu is a set of flu like symptoms that people first transistioning to a ketogenic diet might experience. The same smptoms can be expereinced during longer duration fasts too as the body as enters ketosis 36-48 hours after fasting has begun.

The digestive system is the seat of power for the immune system, and there is a removal of sugar & nutrients, a die off reaction will occur and many diseased microbes will die. Now these microbes are diseased waste that need to be expelled by the body, causing immune symptoms until this occurs. If tight junctions of the intestines are compromised, then some of these dead microbes will filter into the blood stream and cause an immune response, hence flu-like symptoms can be experienced. If you wish to avoid these flu-like symptoms during the start of fasting or ketogenic diet, then it is important that the tight junctions of the body are healed and have no gaps that undigested food or microbes can exploit to enter into the blood stream. It’s also been shown that glyphosate damages tight junctions, so be mindful of that information. I wrote a guide on how to heal tight junctions naturally with four methods. Luckily the digestive system regenerates very quickly, so even just following those recommended steps for one or two weeks before kicking your sugar addiciton will greatly reduce your risk of experiencing flu-like symptoms when resetting your microbiome and metabolic systems.

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Quit Sugar Quick Start Guide

Putting everything discussed into practice, below is a quick start guide with actionable steps you can follow to kick your sugar addiction, balance your microbiome, heal your digestive system, and build your fat metabolism.

1. Week 1 - Keep a food and mood journey for 1 week. This will help you identify your trigger foods which need to be blacklisted

2. Clean your Environment - Remove all junk food, sugar, and treats from your home, work, and car.

3. Practice Saying No - Be honest, and formulate a game plan for your first 7-14 days sugar free.

4. Prepare - Stock up and buy the healthy organic foods you require to be healthy and successful with this important health endeavor. Figure out your plan on how to drink 1 gallon of water daily (24 oz wakeup, 84 oz day, 24 oz bedtime)

5. Week 2 - Commit to one of the two dietary strategies listed above. Either do a 24 hour fast every other day, or keep a baggie of raw trail mix with you at all times for those moments when cravings strike.

6. Week 3 - The hardest part is over, continue with your wellness schedule. If fasting, you can ease up from the every other schedule and do two 24 hour fast every week instead. Keep eating whole unprocessed organic foods!

7. Week 4 and Beyond - It takes four weeks to create a habit, congratulations! Kicking a sugar addiction is a major accomplishment and over time your body will heal from the damage created by the consumption of added sugars. Now is not the time to relapse, stay disciplined!

If you’ve made it 30 days without added sugars, congratulations! At this point you might be tempted to experiment with “moderation” and have a bite of your favorite treat again, do not do this! Physiological addictions can be broken in a few weeks, but psychological addictions can take months or years to erase. The mind is a powerful thing, and overtime you’ll discover your old definition of moderation was not in fact moderation. By this point your taste buds will have changed, and sugary treats you once found delicious might now be revolting. Trust your instincts and give yourself the time needed to heal from that traumatic period of your life. Ask yourself, what was feeding my sugar addiction? Examine your emotions and look inwards. Food is often the cover for emotional turmoil, and true healing won’t occur until emotional healing can take place.

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References

1. Dinicolantonio JJ, O'keefe JH, Wilson WL. Sugar addiction: is it real? A narrative review. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(14):910-913.

2. Lustig RH, Mulligan K, Noworolski SM, et al. Isocaloric fructose restriction and metabolic improvement in children with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24(2):453-60.

3. Aeberli I, Gerber PA, Hochuli M, et al. Low to moderate sugar-sweetened beverage consumption impairs glucose and lipid metabolism and promotes inflammation in healthy young men: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(2):479-85.

4. Di rienzi SC, Britton RA. Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota to Modern Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(3):616-629.

5. Gene-Jack Wang, Et al. High sugar intake linked to low dopamine release in insulin resistant patients. Stony Brook University

6. Sugar and Sweeteners Yearbook Tables. USDA.

7. Consumption of Sugars in Canada. Canadian Sugar Institute.

8. Roberto A. Ferdman. Where people around the world eat the most sugar and fat. The Washinton Post

9. Shah SGS. A Commentary on "Ensuring safe surgical care across resource settings via surgical outcomes data & quality improvement initiatives" (Int J Surg 2019 Aug 5. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ijsu.2019.07.036). Int J Surg. 2019;72:14-15.

10. Moynihan PJ, Kelly SA. Effect on caries of restricting sugars intake: systematic review to inform WHO guidelines. J Dent Res. 2014;93(1):8-18.

The Science of Why Hydrolyzed Whey Protein is BEST

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated May 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

After finishing a workout, the standard recommendation is consume some protein to help build lean body mass. The faster the post-workout protein is absorbed the better, and as long as you have a healthy digestive system, this is true.

One of the latest advancements in the protein supplement industry is whey hydrolysate. Whey hydrolysate is absorbed by the body very rapidly because its whey protein peptides have been broken down into smaller chunks via hydrolysis.

Whey hydrolysate is rapidly absorbed by the body and it has been shown to improve the growth of muscle after a training stimulus as compared to other types of protein drinks.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey is a type of protein found in dairy milk, found to be highly bioavailable (1), and with cows milk 22% of the protein is whey. Casein protein makes up the remaining 78% of protein found in cows milk. It is almost exclusively cows milk that whey protein supplements are derived from.

Depending on the level of the extraction process, manufacturers make three different types of whey protein: whey concentrate, whey isolate, and whey hydrolysate.

Whey concentrate supplements are the least processed, still containing some fat, cholesterol, and lactose, with most modern whey concentrate supplements being 80-89% whey protein by weight. Whey isolate supplements are more processed, containing 90-99+% whey protein, being effectively lactose, carbohydrate, fat, and cholesterol free.

Whey hydrolysate is whey isolate that has been further processed to improve absorption by breaking down the whey protein chains into smaller pieces via enzymatic reactions. Whey isolate and whey hydrolysate are the same except whey hydrolysate has been predigested so it absorbs faster by the body.

For those looking to improve their health, have more energy, build muscle, and burn fat, what are the advantages to using hydrolyzed whey protein compared to a whey isolate or whey concentrate? Is hydrolyzed whey more anabolic than non-hydrolyzed whey protein?

To properly answer these questions, let’s examine more closely what whey hydrolysate is.

How is Whey Protein Hydrolyzed?

Whey hydrolysate is whey protein isolate which has been subjected to hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is a reaction involving the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water. In regards to protein, hydrolysis is the process of breaking down a protein into smaller peptides*. Protein hydrolysis typically occurs in the gastrointestinal tract after protein consumption (i.e. stomach and small intestine) through the use of acid and enzymes, but enzymatic protein hydrolysis can also be performed in the lab. Enzymatic protein hydrolysis, where food-grade enzymes are introduced to whey protein, is how whey protein hydrolysates are produced for the supplement industry.

In order to be absorbed by the body, all dietary protein is hydrolyzed during digestive enzymes to either free form amino acids or di- and tripeptides*.

*Note - Peptides are short chains of amino acid monomers (small molecules) linked by peptide bonds. A dipeptide is composed of two amino acids linked by peptide bonds, and likewise a tripeptide is composed of three amino acids linked together. A free form amino acid is a single amino acid molecule.

Any protein can be hydrolyzed, but typically only whey isolate is hydrolyzed to make whey hydrolysate supplements for economic reasons. There are three objective measures which can be used to determine the quality of a whey hydrolysate: percentage of hydrolysis, degree of hydrolysis, and average molecular weight.

Percentage of Hydrolysis

The percentage of hydrolysis is simply the amount of the protein which has been subjected to the hydrolysis process. A protein powder which is 50% hydrolyzed means that 50% of the protein has undergone some degree of hydrolysis, and the other 50% of the protein hasn't been hydrolyzed at all. Most whey hydrolysates which are sold are 100% whey hydrolysate, as they hydrolyze the whole batch of whey isolate at once.

Degree of Hydrolysis (DH)

Considering most whey hydrolysate supplements are 100% whey hydrolysate, the main determining factor in whether a whey hydrolysate is good or not is the degree of hydrolysis (DH). The degree of hydrolysis is the amount of hydrolysis that the protein has undergone, and this can range from no hydrolysis (DH0) to complete hydrolysis (DH100). A whey protein isolate which has a degree of hydrolysis of 10 (DH10), means that 10% of the whey protein has been successfully hydrolyzed (i.e. peptide bonds broken) to smaller di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids, and the other 90% of the whey protein isolate peptides are still tetrapeptides or larger. The higher the DH value of a hydrolyzed protein, the faster the whey protein is absorbed by the body.

Average Molecular Weight (AMW)

Related to the DH is the average molecular weight (AMW) of hydrolyzed whey. Molecular weights are measure in daltons (Da) and kilodaltons (kDa). Just as a whey hydrolysate with a high DH will have more di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids than a whey hydrolysate with a low DH, a more completely hydrolyzed protein will how a lower average molecular weight for the protein chains. This is important, because even if all the protein chains haven’t been completely hydrolyzed, any amount they have broken down is an improvement and will allow them to absorb faster.

Free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides have lower molecular weights than intact proteins, so the lower the average molecular weight of a whey hydrolysate, the faster it can be digested and absorbed into the blood stream. It is necessary to analyze the AMW of hydrolyzed protein supplements (if possible) because free form amino acids which have the lowest molecular weights are not as anabolic as di- and tri-peptides as they are directly absorbed by the gut at a greater rate and regulated by the liver to a much greater degree (2). Di- and tripeptides have a much easier time passing directly into the bloodstream than free form amino acids due to how they are transported (3). A low average molecular weight and a low free form amino acid percentage ensures that a hydrolyzed protein product is high in di- and tripeptides and not cheaper free-form amino acids.

To sum up, a DH30 whey hydrolysate will have a lower average MW than a DH10 whey hydrolysate.

As the DH increases, the protein which is being hydrolyzed becomes more and more bitter, and the broken protein molecules are reduced in molecular weight. A DH100 whey hydrolysate would be nearly impossible to manufacture. A typical 100% whey hydrolysate has a DH value ranging from 1-9%. A DH10 or greater is considered a high DH value, and the best protein hydrolysate supplements max out at ~DH30. If you are curious as to the degree of hydrolysis of a specific whey hydrolysate supplement, request a product specification sheet from the producer, as this information is usually not advertised.

Whey Hydrolysate Digestion

When it comes to the muscle building effects of any protein, four specific qualities must be analyzed to determine the protein’s impact on anabolism. These qualities are:

• Rate of gastric Emptying

• Gastrointestinal Absorption

• Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

• Insulin Response

The faster protein is able to exit the stomach into the small intestine for absorption, the better it is in acutely increasing circulating free form amino acids and di- and tripeptides in the bloodstream. More efficient gastrointestinal absorption also allows more protein fractions to enter into the bloodstream, creating a more anabolic environment. The level of muscle protein synthesis which is stimulated by a protein is important, and the ability of a protein to increase insulin secretion upon consumption also is important in creating an anabolic muscle building environment.

Hydrolyzed Whey has a Faster Rate of Gastric Emptying

Whey hydrolysate solutions empty with a half-time rate of 17 ± 6 minutes (4). The half-time rate is the time required by the stomach to empty 50% of the ingested meal. For reference, a standard glucose solution, which has a very fast rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 9.5 ± 1 minute and milk protein, which has a slow rate of gastric emptying, has a half-time rate of 26.5 ± 10.0 minutes (4). When it comes to quickly creating an anabolic state by delivering whey protein peptides into the blood stream, the faster the rate of gastric emptying, the better.

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Hydrolyzed Whey is More Efficiently Absorbed

Whey hydrolysate is able to be absorbed by the body more rapidly than intact proteins, such as whey protein concentrate and isolate, thus quickening nutrient delivery to muscle tissues. Dipeptides and tripeptides, and less-so free form amino acids, are absorbed extremely rapidly since they are already broken down and can pass through the intestinal wall passively or via transporters. Peptides larger than tripeptides, such as tetrapeptides, cannot be directly absorbed by the body unless they undergo further digestion into smaller peptides or free form amino acids.

Studies (5, 6, 7) strongly suggest that ingestion of a protein hydrolysate results in a less efficient uptake by the splanchnic bed. The splanchnic bed is comprised of the tissues of the liver, stomach, intestines, pancreas, and spleen, and they have their own nutrient requirements. For the purpose of building muscle, the more proteins can avoid being absorbed by the splanchnic bed and flow into the blood stream, the better. With whey hydrolysate the acute increase of amino acids entering into the blood stream is greater than with protein isolate or concentrate, which should help with triggering muscle protein synthesis higher and build more muscle.

Amino Acid Profile - Muscle Protein Synthesis

Increasing muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the main reason protein powder supplements are popular, as it leads to greater muscular gains, and compared to other protein sources such as casein and soy, whey protein is the best at acutely increasing MPS (8). The amino acid profile of whey protein compared to other proteins such as soy and casein is responsible for its greater ability to increase MPS, and the 2:1:1 ratio of branched chained amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine found in whey protein is responsible for this (9).

Whey Hydrolysate has a Stronger Insulin Response

Whey protein has been shown to greatly stimulate insulin release once the various di- and tripeptides and free form amino acids enter the bloodstream (10), and insulin is a major contributor to muscle anabolism* under certain conditions. The one-two punch of increased muscle protein synthesis from whey protein and increased insulin levels makes whey protein a very anabolic supplement, and considering whey hydrolysate is the quickest and most efficiently absorbed whey protein available, whey hydrolysate will stimulate insulin release to a greater degree than whey isolate or concentrate.

Compared to other versions of whey protein and casein hydrolysate, whey hydrolysate increases skeletal muscle glycogen levels to a greater degree over a similar time period (11, 12). Higher muscle glycogen stores and fast absorption make whey hydrolysate a great ingredient to use in a intra-workout drink.

*Note - Insulin allows nutrients in the bloodstream, such as whey protein fractions and glucose, to enter into a muscle cell. Insulin also stimulates muscle protein synthesis and increases blood flow to muscles.

Should you Buy Whey Hydrolysate?

Whey protein hydrolysate is more effective than whey protein isolate and concentrate, but since whey protein concentrate and isolate are already highly bio-available, the increased ability of whey protein hydrolysate to be absorbed into the blood stream, increase muscle protein synthesis, and build muscle might be overplayed.

A whey hydrolysate supplement with a degree of hydrolysis of 3, which is typical for the industry, only offers a small competitive advantage over regular whey protein isolate, but the current science shows that a DH10+ whey hydrolysate definitely confers significant anabolic advantages over regular whey protein isolate or concentrate.

Whether the increased price of whey protein hydrolysate is worth the extra premium is up to you the buyer. I personally like to afford myself every advantage I can, and whey hydrolysates are not that much more expensive than standard whey isolate.

To answer the question of whether consumption of a hydrolyzed whey protein produces a more anabolic environment compared to a non-hydrolyzed whey protein, the answer is yes (13). Consumption of a high DH, low AMW whey hydrolysate supplement has significant benefits over traditional whey isolate and concentrate supplements.

Is Whey Hydrolysate Right for You?

If you are already buying a whey protein supplement for pre, peri, or post workout nutrition, I would recommend you buy whey hydrolysate instead of whey isolate or concentrate as long as the degree or hydrolysis value of the hydrolysate is 10+.

When buying a protein powder for general health reasons, such as getting sufficient protein in the diet or to have an easy meal replacement on hand, I would stick with a less allergenic plant based protein, which also adds fiber to your diet.

Lower DH (<10) whey hydrolysates still offer unique advantages over typical whey protein supplements, but the higher price per pound doesn't make low DH whey hydrolysates worth the extra cost compared to whey isolate in my opinion.

If you are mildly lactose intolerant but whey isolate consumption causes no health issues, whey hydrolysate is a great choice. Whey hydrolysate is virtually free of lactose, fat, and cholesterol, and it shouldn't cause any adverse effects. Caution is always recommended though, and if you are unsure if you can consume whey protein safely with no gastrointestinal issues please consult with your doctor or wellness practitioner.

Whey Hydrolysate Buying Recommendations

Overall, I would give whey hydrolysate a big BUY recommendation considering you buy the right type (aka DH10+, AMW & ~10,000 Da). Below I have two brands I recommend and have tried, and there are other supplement companies which sell comparable products. Armed with the knowledge provided in this article, it should now be easy to determine whether any whey hydrolysate supplement you run across is high quality and legit or a marketing gimmick.

The high DH whey hydrolysate I recommend can be purchased from True Nutrition. True Nutrition sells dozens of different types of supplement powders and pills, rigorously third party tests them, and then retails them at competitive prices. You can even create your own custom protein blend, which is basically a combination of whichever bulk powders you want in your desired ratios. They charge extra for flavors, the bags used to hold the protein, and shipping, but even after all of that you still come out ahead.

The Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Ultra Grade sold by True Nutrition is approximately the same price as Optimum Nutrition’s Platinum HydroWhey, but it’s degree of hydrolysis is clearly listed at 13%, which is exceptional, and True Nutrition’s Hydrolyzed Whey isn’t spiked with lower quality BCAA’s like Optimum Nutrition’s HydroWhey. Optimum’s brand also uses artificial sugars which disrupt gut health.

True Nutrition powders can also be blended in the factory with other protein, carbohydrate, or fat powders for a customized shake blend, and you can customize the flavoring too, which is pretty great. Create your own peri-workout drink, meal replacement, protein shake, or more!

If you don’t care about hydrolysis, then Isopure’s Unflavored Whey Isolate is a great whey protein. I give it my highest recommendation because it is easy to digest, isn’t loaded up with any junk artificial sugars or chemicals, and comes at a reasonable price. Hydrolyzed protein can give you an extra edge, but for 99% of the populace, a whey isolate is a better choice of protein and will be just as effective in building muscle and increasing strength.

Boost Testosterone and Build Muscle with Cistanche

Whey protein confers quite an advantage in maintaining and building lean body mass compared to other proteins, and if you want to make sure every gram of protein goes to proper use and to really give yourself an extra edge with strength training, I recommend trying a Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol.

Combining the testosterone boosting herb cistanche with high cholesterol sources of food like eggs primes the body for muscular growth by providing it everything it needs to increase steroidogenesis. Combining cistanche and eggs together caused me to increase my free testosterone levels by 53% in just 30 days. You can purchase cistanche from Nootropics Depot.

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References

1. Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein - Which is Best?. J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-30.

2. Matthews, David M. et al. Peptide Absorption. Gastroenterology, Volume 71, Issue 1, 151 - 161

3. Frenhani PB, Burini RC. [Mechanisms of absorption of amino acids and oligopeptides. Control and implications in human diet therapy]. Arq Gastroenterol. 1999;36(4):227-37.

4. Calbet JA, Holst JJ. Gastric emptying, gastric secretion and enterogastrone response after administration of milk proteins or their peptide hydrolysates in humans. Eur J Nutr. 2004;43(3):127-39.

5. Manninen AH. Protein hydrolysates in sports nutrition. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2009;6:38.

6. Kim W, Egan JM. The role of incretins in glucose homeostasis and diabetes treatment. Pharmacol Rev. 2008;60(4):470-512.

7. Paddon-jones D, Sheffield-moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. Exogenous amino acids stimulate human muscle anabolism without interfering with the response to mixed meal ingestion. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2005;288(4):E761-7.

8. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol. 2009;107(3):987-92.

9. Hulmi JJ, Lockwood CM, Stout JR. Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010;7:51.

10. Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Björck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(1):69-75.

11. Morifuji M, Kanda A, Koga J, Kawanaka K, Higuchi M. Post-exercise carbohydrate plus whey protein hydrolysates supplementation increases skeletal muscle glycogen level in rats. Amino Acids. 2010;38(4):1109-15.

12. Kanda A, Morifuji M, Fukasawa T, et al. Dietary whey protein hydrolysates increase skeletal muscle glycogen levels via activation of glycogen synthase in mice. J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60(45):11403-8.

13. Manninen AH. Hyperinsulinaemia, hyperaminoacidaemia and post-exercise muscle anabolism: the search for the optimal recovery drink. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40(11):900-5.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Pasture Raised Eggs

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

The humble egg is a nutritional powerhouse eaten by millions of people around the world, and you will have a tough time finding a healthier food as easily accessible.

In 1945, the average American consumed 1.15 eggs a day, but in 2013 the average American consumed only 0.68 eggs a day. This downturn of egg consumption is the result of the war on fat, which has taken place over the past 40 years, and being high in fat, the humble egg was placed directly into the cross-hairs. Now eggs are beginning to be reappreciated for their abundant nutrition, and new studies on eggs are changing public perception of eggs once again.

How did eggs fall out of the spotlight? In the 1950’s, a series of bad studies with cherry picked data were released. In these studies, high levels of saturated fat and cholesterol consumption in the diet were incorrectly linked to heart disease and other health concerns. Now, after decades of low fat nutritional guidance, most dietary experts recommend the inclusion of fat from whole unprocessed food sources into the diet.

Unless practicing a vegan diet, eggs are an amazing food to eat, abundant in healthy fats, protein, and many micronutrients. In this article, the nutritional differences between pasture raised eggs and conventional “inhumane” eggs will be examined. At the end there is a buyers guide which will explain all the different types of eggs that can be purchased and which eggs you should and shouldn’t buy for best health and wellness outcomes. I provide my recommendations on which egg brands to buy which I determined by buying a variety of egg brands and subsequently looking into the practices of each individual egg producer.

Conventional versus Pasture Raised Eggs

Before the advent of the industrial revolution, chickens were simply raised on the farm. Chickens ran and flapped about, established their own social structure, and foraged on a variety of plants, vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains, and insects. These chickens were happy and healthy, and as a result laid eggs with thick hard shells, which when cracked open, revealed rich flavorful orange yolks.

Now if you purchase an average priced dozen eggs, you’ll find that their shells are weak and the yolks are a pale yellow. Why the difference?

In the process of trying to feed a growing urban population, the quantity of eggs produced from local farms was no longer sufficient, so large egg producers stepped in and started to produce eggs at large capacities. In the 1930’s, a large egg farm had 500 hens per house. Now a typical hen house contains 80,000 or more hens inside. What was sacrificed in the process of industrializing egg production is the health of the hens, the amount of space afforded to each hen, the nutritional content of the chicken feed, and therefore as a cumulative result, nutritional quality of eggs laid by hens raised in those conditions plummeted.

Most egg laying hens are either confined to small cages or are cramped together in cage-free barns. A few lucky hens, those belonging to pasture raised farms or backyard gardens, are raised as they traditionally have been for thousands of years, and the eggs they lay are packed with nutrition.

As the result of decisions made nearly 100 years ago, we are now left with two methods of egg production (farm-style or industrial), two types of hens (healthy or sickly), and two types of eggs, pasture raised or inhumane.

Egg Nutritional Facts

To see the difference in nutrition between pasture raised eggs and inhumane battery raised eggs, look at the tables below. I complied the nutritional data below from a variety of sources to try to present the most accurate nutritional data currently available. All of these values are for a single large, hard boiled egg (50 grams). Bolded values have a superior amount of the vitamin/mineral/fat of interest between the two types of eggs.

Macronutrient Differences (percentages)

Inhumane Egg

Conventional Eggs:

• Calories per Egg - 77.5

• Fats (g) Per Egg - 5.3

  • Saturated Fat (1) - 1.55

  • Monounsaturated Fat - 2.0

  • Polyunsaturated Fat - 0.7

• Carbohydrates per Egg - 0.6

  • Fiber per Egg - 0

• Protein per Egg - 6.3

Pasture Raised Egg

Pasture Raised Eggs:

• Calories per Egg - 77.5

• Fats (g) Per Egg - 5.32

  • Saturated Fat (1) - 1.2

  • Monounsaturated Fat - 2.04

  • Polyunsaturated Fat - 0.73

• Carbohydrates per Egg - 0.56

  • Fiber per Egg - 0

• Protein per Egg - 6.29

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Omega-3 Fatty Acid, Omega-6 Fatty Acid, and Cholesterol Differences

Omega-6 values for pasture raised eggs are nearly equivalent to inhumane eggs, the amount of Omega-3’s (1) is 300% higher, resulting in a much more favorable Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio (1:2 pasture-raised vs 1:5.4 inhumane). A 1:2 Omega-3’s/Omega-6’s ratio is a much more favorable ratio for a variety of health parameters, such as obesity risk (2), and is inline with ancestral health observations and recommendations (3).

Cholesterol levels in the pasture raised eggs are likewise 34.5% lower than in their inhumane egg counterparts.

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Vitamin Differences between Pasture Raised and Conventional Eggs

Vitamins	Pasture Raised Eggs	Inhumane Eggs	Percent Differences	Significant Dietary Source (Y/N)?
Vitamin A (IU)	395.93	243.5	62.5%	Y
Vitamin C (mg)	0	0	--	N
Vitamin D (IU)	43.5	17.5	148.5%	Y
Vitamin E (mg)	1.87	0.49	281.6%	N
Vitamin K (mcg)	0.15	0.1	50%	N
Thiamin (mg)	0.03	0	--	N
Riboflavin (mg)	0.26	0.3	15.4%	Y
Niacin (mg)	1.31	0	--	N
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.06	0.1	66.6%	Y
Folate (mcg)	22	22	--	Y
Vitamin B12 (mcg)	0.55	0.6	9.1%	Y
Pantothenic Acid (mg)	0.7	0.7	--	Y
Choline (mg)	146.9	113	30%	Y
Betaine (mg)	--	0.3	--	N
Beta Carotene (mcg)	39.515	5	690%	N

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Mineral Differences between Pasture Raised and Conventional Eggs

Minerals	Pasture Raised Eggs	Inhumane Eggs	Percent Difference	Significant Dietary Source (Y/N)?
Calcium (mg)	25.0	25.0	--	N
Iron (mg)	0.59	0.6	1.7%	Y
Magnesium (mg)	5.0	5.0	--	N
Phosphorus (mg)	86.0	86.0	--	Y
Potassium (mg)	63.0	63.0	--	N
Sodium (mg)	62.0	62.0	--	N
Zinc (mg)	0.52	0.5	4%	Y
Copper (mg)	0.01	0	--	N
Manganese (mg)	0.01	0	--	N
Selenium (mcg)	15.4	15.4	--	Y
Fluoride (mcg)	0	2.4	--	N

Note - "--" indicates missing or incomplete data

Most nutritional taken from the USDA Food Composition Data Base.

Out of 26 vitamins and minerals, there are 16 that have different values between pasture raised and inhumane eggs. The inhumane egg wins on 6 counts, and the pasture raised egg wins on 12 counts. Additionally, when the inhumane eggs have higher levels of micronutrients as a result of being fed iron and B-vitamin fortified feed, it is by 23.2% on average over the pasture raised egg. For the pasture raised eggs, that average is 180.9%, a remarkable increase demonstrating the superiority of pasture raised eggs.

Nutritional data currently is limited for pasture raised eggs, and I would speculate that once better nutritional data is collected, it will be shown that pasture raised eggs have higher daily percentages of vitamins and minerals across the board than inhumane eggs. And for those who pass on the yolks and just eat the egg whites, you’re missing out! When someone avoid the delicious egg yolks, they also miss out on the majority of the Iron, Potassium, Folate, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Biotin, and Choline present in each egg. Never skip the egg yolks!

Not All Eggs Are Created Equal

I believe in the humane treatment of all animals. Humans are omnivores, and animal products, while not completely required by our diet, contains a wealth of bioavailable vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and of course, ample protein. If someone chooses to eat animals products, they should do so as humanely as possible.

The current state of animal welfare in the American food industry is abysmal, with new humane standards desperately being needed. With the huge size of the corporations running the food industry, the easiest way to enact meaningful change is to vote with your dollar.

Currently, the average space available to a typical caged battery hen is ~67 sq inches, which has often been described as less than the size of a piece of A4 paper. Ceiling height varies, but the most caged hens can do is stand up and turn around. Some hens can’t even stand up. They definitely cannot run, climb, peck, and just live.

Cage free hens aren’t too much better off either. In California, a state praised for its progressive humane policies, each cage free hen is afforded 116 sq inches, about double that of caged hens.

Typically, hens are fed an all vegetarian diet, and as a result, they often are deficient of important vitamins and minerals which they typically acquire through an omnivorous lifestyle. Methionine in particular, is an essential protein based amino acid typically acquired through animal products (chickens are omnivores themselves), and when chickens aren’t supplemented or given access to this amino acid, among other key nutrients, they turn to pecking each other, and even cannibalism, to get a sufficiently nutritious diet. Additionally, hen houses both for caged or cage free hens have poor ventilation, and in the cage free hen houses, the hens collectively kick up clouds of dust, making respiratory conditions extremely common.

Other humane concerns for both cage free and caged hens, taken from the Humane Society are:

• Both systems typically buy their hens from hatcheries that kill the male chicks upon hatching—more than 200 million each year in the United States alone.

• Both cage and cage-free hens have part of their beaks burned off, a painful mutilation in an effort to reduce pecking behaviors.

• Both cage and cage-free hens are typically slaughtered at less than two years old, far less than half their normal lifespan. They are often transported long distances to slaughter plants with no food or water, starving along the way.

• While the vast majority of the battery and cage-free egg industry no longer uses starvation to force molt hens, some producers still use this practice.

Pasture raised hens live completely different lives from their friends in industrial hen houses. To be certified pasture raised, a minimum of 15,552 sq inches per bird is required, a 13,400% increase over cage free hens and a whopping 23,200% increase over caged hens. Additionally, hens are kept outside year round (except in very inclement weather), and fields are rotated.

Within this fluid 10x10’ area each hen is given, hens are free to forage as omnivores, run, climb, flap, roost, nest, and simply live. Not being overly crowded together hens are much less likely to peck each other and they are free of unsanitary and dusty conditions which cause immune and respiratory issues. When you buy pasture raised eggs, you’re not only buying nutritionally superior eggs, you’re also supporting farmers who raise their hens humanely and with integrity.

Egg Grocery Store Marketing Tactics

When you pick up a carton of eggs at the supermarket nowadays, you are assaulted with a variety of marketing terms and gimmicks. Below are explanations of the marketing terms you are likely to encounter.

Hormone Free Eggs

In the United States, no egg laying hens are given hormones, so even egg cartons that do not have the marketing term “Hormone Free” are in fact hormone free. You should never buy eggs which are more expensive solely because of this true, yet misleading marketing term.

“All Natural” Eggs

In some countries, the term “All Natural” is defined and enforced, but in the United States, it has no virtually no meaning. As regulated by the USDA, foods labeled “Natural” must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, which does not ensure the animals aren't fed artificial ingredients. “All Natural” is a marketing gimmick and you should not base your purchases off of this marketing term.

Antibiotic Free Eggs

Antibiotic-free claims on egg cartons can be only be made by egg producers who choose not to use any antibiotics in feed or water during the growing period of pullets or while hens are laying eggs. It is not common for any egg laying hen to receive antibiotics because of the effectiveness of current vaccines and other illness treating measures. Still, antibiotic free eggs are much better to buy than eggs which don’t have this label.

Cage Free Eggs

This term indicates that the hens were able to freely roam a building, room, or enclosed area during their production cycle, with access to unlimited water and feed. Compared to the average battery hen, which is afforded approximately 67 square inches of cage space (less than an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper), the average cage free hen is afforded approximately double that. Cage free eggs have their own unique drawbacks though.

Free Range Eggs

Similar to cage free eggs in that the hens are not confined to cages and are free to move around, except the hens are also given access to the outdoors. HFAC Humane Certified® standards for free range requires a minimum of 288 sq inches of outdoor space per bird. As egg producers have upgraded from cage free to free range, many converted their existing hen houses to include a small, fenced off patch of concrete outside the barn built to meet minimum requirements.

On most free range egg cartons, scenes of chickens pecking around on sunny hillsides can be seen, but don’t be fooled, those cheery images could not be farther from the truth. Some egg producers exceed the free range minimums, but often it is unclear by how much.

The Happy Egg Co. is one such company. They used to proudly label that each hen receives 2016 sq inches per bird, but now after serious business growth in the past 2-3 years, they instead list that each farm provides 8 acres of outdoor access. No metrics are provided on the number of hens per barn, but I would guess that to keep up with demand they decided to increase their number of hens per barn rather than increase the number of barns needed to maintain 2016 sq inches.

The free range marketing term allows egg producers to mark up the prices on their eggs like crazy to uneducated consumers, so stay away from this label and only buy pasture raised eggs.

Pasture Raised Eggs 🌟

Eggs laid from hens which have access to pasture. Pasture is defined as open grassland. The HFAC’s Certified Humane® “Pasture Raised” requirement is 1000 birds per 2.5 acres (108 sq. ft. per bird) and the fields must be rotated. The hens must be outdoors year-round, with mobile or fixed housing where the hens can go inside at night to protect themselves from predators, or for up to two weeks out of the year, due only to very inclement weather. For all intents and purposes, this definition of pasture raised is more than sufficient, and more than required by the USDA to label your eggs as pasture raised. The “Pasture Raised” marketing term backed by the HFAC label is the only egg carton label which really guarantees that egg laying hens are treated humanely and given sufficient access to the outdoors, ample space to run, fly, peck, forage for food, and perform other natural behaviors.

All Vegetarian Feed Eggs

This label simply designates that the chicken feed is simply all vegetarian feed, with no animal products. “All Vegetarian Feed” is a strong indicator that the eggs you are buying do not come from pasture raised hens, as hens with access to pasture are free to forage for grubs and insects, invalidating the AVF label.

Organic Eggs

From the USDA:

“Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.”

Hens that are fed organic feed are exposed to less herbicides and pesticides. Buying organic eggs is better than non-organic eggs, but ultimately unless these eggs also come from pasture raised hens, organic eggs are produced in almost the same way as inhumane eggs. Inhumane conditions, poor nutrition, and lesser quality eggs can still be expected when you buy organic (unless they are also certified pasture raised).

Omega-3 Fortified Eggs

Omega-3 fortified eggs are produced from hens fed flaxseed. Flaxseed is high in ALA Omega-3’s. Humans are poor at converting ALA into DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids, but chickens are fairly good at converting ALA omega-3’s into the more bioavailable versions. Omega-3 fortified eggs are much higher in omega-3 fatty acids than regular conventional eggs, and are definitely a better choice.

Pasteurized Eggs

Eggs which are pasteurized, either as a liquid separated from the shell, or as a whole egg. Eggs which are pasteurized in their shells are pasteurized by being immersed in a water bath at specific temperatures for specific amounts of times, killing any foodborne pathogens. Unless you have a specific medical reason that requires pasteurization of your eggs, you’re better off buying regular unpasteurized eggs.

Brown Eggs

Brown eggs are very popular, with many perceiving brown eggs as healthier and having coming from more natural farms, but this is false. The color of the egg shell, be it brown, white, blue, or green, is dependent on the breed of the chicken and is in no way correlated to the nutritional content of the egg. Brown eggs are often marked up in price compared to identical white eggs.

Additional Questions about Eggs

So the yolks can vary in color based off of the nutrition and health of the chicken, does the egg shell color behave the same way?

• No, the color of a egg shell is determined by the type of breed of the chicken, but a healthy chicken will produce an egg with a thicker shell.

What's the largest egg ever laid by a chicken?

• 9.1" round, nearly twice the circumference of a normal large chicken’s egg (5.3” round) and 5 times the volume (3150 in^3 vs 620 in^3)!

Egg Buying Recommendations

So what’s the healthiest, most humane carton of eggs that you can buy? If you can find hormone & antibiotic free, organic, omega-3 fortified, pasture raised eggs then you hit bullseye and achieved the impossible. And it is impossible unless you personally ensure those requirements are achieved on your own farm. I researched all the different egg manufacturers in the United States and couldn’t find a single manufacturer who achieved that benchmark. All that said, the next best thing, pasture raised organic eggs, is increasing available in stores.

So, the easiest way to ensure the eggs you buy are healthy and delicious is to find a local egg producer near you which raises their hens on pasture. Eat Wild is a great resource to use to help you find a local pasture raised egg producer.

It’s pretty easy to find local manufacturers, and I’ve gone to several for my eggs before. When it’s more convenient to my eggs instead at the grocery store, I buy mostly Vital Farms Pasture Raised Eggs. Pasture raised organic eggs cost more, but you pay for what you get. Overall pasture raised eggs are still a very economical source of calories, protein, and micronutrients.

If you have never had pasture raised eggs before, buy a carton next time you’re at the store, and compare them to inhumane eggs. Take note of the differences between the two. The pasture raised eggs should have thicker shells (indicative of more available calcium) and dark yellow-orange yolks (indicative of more beta-carotene). The pasture raised eggs should also taste significantly better, with a rich deep flavor highlighted by subtle nutty flavors.

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References:

1. Mother Earth News - Free Range Egg Study. Data Table.

2. Simopoulos AP. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients. 2016;8(3):128.

3. Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002;56(8):365-79.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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