Egg Nutrition
The public is always concerned with the amount of cholesterol in
eggs. People often lose sight of the fact that eggs are full of
nutrients and are an important part of a healthy diet.
The egg contains the highest source of protein available and
almost every essential vitamin and mineral that the body needs.
Eggs are not something you want to cut out of a diet
completely.
Here is the nutritional value of the egg:
Eggs have such a high level of protein that they are the standard
by which other proteins are measured. Eggs have a biological value
of 93.7%, other comparable values of protein are milk at 84.5%,
fish at 76%, and beef at 74.3%. Eggs really are the best source of
protein money can buy.
On the other hand egg yolks are rich in dietary cholesterol, and
an elevated cholesterol level is a major risk factor for coronary
heart disease. One method in getting the protein you need with out
taking in the cholesterol and fat is separating the egg white from
the yoke. Egg whites are fat free and have no cholesterol. But we
do get a lot of the vitamins and protein from the yoke.
The best recommendation on eggs is to use them in moderation. You
don't always need to eat the whole egg. You can make an omelet by
using three egg whites and only one yoke. Don't cut eggs out of
you diet, the recommendation is to try to limit your egg yoke
consumption to approximately three a week
The American Heart Association recommends that healthy American
adults limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams (mg)
per day. One large whole egg contains 213-220 mg of cholesterol.
This is 71 percent of the daily-recommended allowance. Exercise
can help lower your
LDL
cholesterol and help
with weight control. Exercising can also help increase your HDL
cholesterol and help
reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
|
Nutrient Content of one Large Egg |
| Nutrient (unit) |
Whole Egg |
Egg White |
Egg Yolk |
| Calories (kcal) |
75 |
17 |
59 |
| Protein (g) |
6.25 |
3.52 |
2.78 |
| Total lipid (g) |
5.01 |
0 |
5.12 |
| Total carbohydrate (g) |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
| Fatty acids (g) |
4.33 |
0 |
4.33 |
| Saturated fat (g) |
1.55 |
0 |
1.55 |
| Monounsaturated fat (g) |
1.91 |
0 |
1.91 |
| Polyunsaturated fat (g) |
0.68 |
0 |
0.68 |
| Cholesterol (mg) |
213 |
0 |
213 |
| Thiamin (mg) |
0.031 |
0.002 |
0.028 |
| Riboflavin (mg) |
0.254 |
0.151 |
0.103 |
| Niacin (mg) |
0.036 |
0.031 |
0.005 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) |
0.070 |
0.001 |
0.0069 |
| Folate (mcg) |
23.5 |
1.0 |
22.5 |
| Vitamin B12 (mcg) |
0.50 |
0.07 |
0.43 |
| Vitamin A (IU) |
317.5 |
0 |
317 |
| Vitamin E (mg) |
0.70 |
0 |
0.70 |
| Vitamin D (IU) |
24.5 |
0 |
24.5 |
| Choline (mg) |
215.1 |
0.42 |
214.6 |
| Biotin (mcg) |
9.98 |
2.34 |
7.58 |
| Calcium, Ca (mg) |
25 |
2 |
23 |
| Iron, Fe (mg) |
0.72 |
0.01 |
0.59 |
| Magnesium, Mg (mg) |
5 |
4 |
1 |
| Copper, Cu (mg) |
0.007 |
0.002 |
0.004 |
| Iodine, I (mg) |
0.024 |
0.001 |
0.022 |
| Zinc, Zn (mg) |
0.55 |
0 |
0.52 |
| Sodium, Na (mg) |
63 |
55 |
7 |
| Manganese, Mn (mg) |
0.012 |
0.001 |
0.012 |
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I Drink enough Water?
"Everyone
has limits on the time they can devote to exercise, and
cross-training simply gives you the best return on your
investment balanced fitness with minimum injury risk and maximum
fun."
-Paula Newby-Fraser
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