Confused about egg nutrition??

[Icon1985]

I have previously been told that the vast majority of the quality protein is found within the egg WHITE. However there seems to be some people saying on here that all the nutrition is in the yolk.

I am sure there is nutrition in the yolk but eating 30 yolks a week just isn't healthy. I eat ONE yolk with each egg meal and the rest is WHITE.

What is the definitive answer on this?

 

[*The_West*]

the answer is...the white is where all the good shit is, its the most bio-available protein, more so than any meat or even supp shake you can uy-even the best are still only around 80-85% bio-available, meaning that 100% of the prtoein in egg white is used by your body. the yolk is where all the cholesterol and fat is at. i eat 8-12 egg whites a day in omelettes/scrambled, remove the yolk and just bin them. the odd one wont do you any harm, but 8-12 a day is NOT GOOD FOR YOU lol. if you want to figure any of it out use www.calorieking.com, it has pretty much any food you can think of on there

 

[Icon1985]

TOP ANSWER!

that's what I thought! makes me feel better knowing I'm getting the right protein. Yeah,, i eat about 20 eggs a week, i would eat more but they are so expensive now!! (Free Range eggs ) I dont like idea of battery farmed eggs, it's not right !

 

[Tatyana]

TOP ANSWER!

that's what I thought! makes me feel better knowing I'm getting the right protein. Yeah,, i eat about 20 eggs a week, i would eat more but they are so expensive now!! (Free Range eggs ) I dont like idea of battery farmed eggs, it's not right !

Check your local butcher if you have one.

Mine sells 20 eggs for about 2 quid, and they are from a local farm where the chickens run around and eat grubs.

It can't be classed as 'free range' as the farm is not big enough (land per chicken) by EU regulations.

 

[dagar]

Long but everything you need to know.


Egg yolks? But they're full of cholesterol!



I'm sure you've heard it before. When you think of a "health freak," you don't think of someone eating egg yolks and discarding the white.

Think again.


Egg Nutrition: Yolk vs. White

Egg yolks are indeed full of cholesterol. Like most cholesterol-rich foods, they are jam-packed full of important nutrients, especially the fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids.

In fact, the slew of nutrients in an egg yolk is so comprehensive that a few a day would offer better insurance than a multi-vitamin. Most importantly, the yolk contains most of the nutrients in an egg.

Egg whites, on the other hand, contain far fewer nutrients. The only thing that could justify their consumption is their attachment to their companion yolk.

Don't believe it? Below is a table that compares the nutritional value of egg whites and yolks, with data provided by the USDA. I've included additional analysis in the last two columns that provides the percentage of the total nutrition found in the yolk and the percentage of total nutrition found in the white.


Table 1: Egg Yolks Versus Egg Whites





Nutrient
White
Yolk
% Total in White
% Total in Yolk

Protein
3.6 g
2.7g
57%
43%

Fat
0.05g
4.5g
1%
99%

Calcium
2.3 mg
21.9 mg
9.5%
90.5%

Magnesium
3.6 mg
0.85 mg
80.8%
19.2%

Iron
0.03 mg
0.4 mg
6.2%
93.8%

Phosphorus
5 mg
66.3 mg
7%
93%

Potassium
53.8 mg
18.5 mg
74.4%
25.6%

Sodium
54.8 mg
8.2 mg
87%
13%

Zinc
0.01 mg
0.4 mg
0.2%
99.8%

Copper
0.008 mg
0.013 mg
38%
62%

Manganese
0.004 mg
0.009 mg
30.8%
69.2%

Selenium
6.6 mcg
9.5 mcg
41%
59%

Thiamin
0.01 mg
0.03 mg
3.2%
96.8%

Riboflavin
0.145 mg
0.09 mg
61.7%
48.3%

Niacin
0.035 mg
0.004 mg
89.7%
9.3%

Pantothenic acid.
0.63 mg
0.51 mg
11%
89%

B6
0.002 mg
0.059 mg
3.3%
96.7%

Folate
1.3 mcg
24.8 mcg
5%
95%

B12
0.03 mcg
0.331 mcg
8.3%
91.7%

Vitamin A
0 IU
245 IU
0%
100%

Vitamin E
0 mg
0.684 mg
0%
100%

Vitamin D
0 IU
18.3 IU
0%
100%

Vitamin K
0 IU
0.119 IU
0%
100%

Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs
* see note below

0%
100%

Carotenes
0 mcg
21 mcg
0%
100%

Tryptophan
0.04 g
0.03g
57%
43%

Threonine
0.15 g
0.12 g
55.5%
44.5%

Isoleucine
0.22 g
0.15 g
59.5%
40.5%

Leucine
0.34 g
0.24 g
58.6%
41.4%

Lysine
0.27 g
0.2 g
57.4%
42.6%

Methionine
0.13 g
0.064 g
67%
33%

Phenylalanine
0.23 g
0.12 g
66%
34%

Valine
0.27 g
0.16 g
62.4%
43.6%




Data taken from the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 15. Since the article was written, the USDA has published revisions. The latest, Release 17, can be found here.

(* The USDA data for essential fatty acids was not used here, because it shows a negligible amount, while eggs from chickens raised on pasture are very high in these essential nutrients. Regardless of the conditions of raising, all are contained in the yolk.)

As you can see from the table, the yolk contains 100% of the carotenes, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, E, D, and K (6 items). The white does not contain 100% of any nutrient.

The yolk contains more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and 89% of the panthothenic acid (9 items). The white does not contain more than 90% of any nutrient, but contains over 80% of the magnesium, sodium, and niacin (3 items).

The yolk contains between 50% and 80% of the copper, manganese, and selenium, while the white contains between 50% and 80% of the potassium, riboflavin, and essential amino acids.

It should also be kept in mind that the yolk of an egg is smaller than the white. Where the white contains a slim majority of nutrients, such as the essential amino acids, this is not due to a greater concentration in the white, but simply the fact that there is more white in the egg than yolk.

According to the Executive Summary of the Third Report on Nutrition Monitoring in the United States by the Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology's Life Sciences Research Office:


Most groups have a deficient median intake of magnesium.


Several groups have a deficient median intake of calcium.


Children aged 1-2 and most females have a deficient intake of iron.


Blacks over the age of 16 and Mexican-Americans over the age of 60 have a deficient median intake of folate.


All age groups and races have a deficient median intake of vitamins A, E, B6, and copper.

Considering this information, the importance of the egg yolk and relative unimportance of the egg white becomes even more clear. The yolk contains the majority of the copper, nearly all of the calcium, iron, folate, and B6, and 100% of the vitamins A and E.

The white, on the other hand, is only useful as an added source of magnesium, or if the diet is on the whole deficient in protein. The simple addition of an adequate amount of meat in the diet would provide for both.

One important set of nutrients that should not be overlooked is the long-chain essential fatty acids. Egg yolks contain the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is necessary for the brain and proper retinal function in the eye, and the long-chain omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, which is required for the healthy skin, hair, libido, reproduction, growth and response to injury. These fatty acids are primarily needed by young children, pregnant and lactating women, and people with degenerative diseases involving oxidative stress, especially those of the nervous system such as Alzheimer's. While fatty fish and cod liver oil supply DHA in larger amounts, egg yolks have an advantage over these foods because they also contain arachidonic acid and because they do not contain EPA, which interferes with arachidonic acid metabolism. See here for more information on the essential fatty acid requirements.

Animal foods from animals raised on pasture are especially rich in DHA, and in eggs both the DHA and arachidonic acid are contained in the yolk.


To Cook, or Not to Cook?

Many people believe that the health benefits of egg yolks are greater when the yolks are consumed raw. Heat destroys enzymes and reduces the amount of certain nutrients. Those who eat raw egg yolks report easier digestion, increased stamina, and resistance to illness-- not to mention a quicker snack if you're on-the-go.

Believe it or not, raw egg yolks taste somewhat like vanilla!

Please see Dr. Mercola's article on the safety of eating raw egg yolks if this is a concern.

While egg whites are not particularly important to consume, they are relatively harmless when cooked. However, raw egg whites should NOT be consumed.

Egg whites contain anti-nutrients. Avidin is a glycoprotein in egg whites that binds to the B vitamin biotin, and can lead to a deficiency of this vitamin.

Additionally, egg whites contain trypsin inhibitors, which could possibly inhibit proper digestion of protein, and growth. Heat destroys both of these compounds.

Please read Dr. Mercola's article on this particular point here. Again, egg whites are safe to eat cooked, but contain anti-nutrients that could hurt your nurtritional status if consumed raw.


Finding The Right Kind of Eggs

Pastured eggs, meaning eggs from chickens that are free to forage for grass and insects, are of much higher nutritional quality than eggs from confinement chickens. The marginal increase in value, of course, is found mostly in the yolk.

Insects provide a higher DHA content, found exclusive in the yolk, and grass provides a higher vitamin E and carotene content, also found exclusively in the yolk. Egg yolks from pastured chickens are thus a powerful supplement to a healthy diet -- a super-food -- providing necessary nutrients in which the Standard American Diet is deficient.

To find a source of eggs from chickens raised on pasture, you can visit LocalHarvest.org and do a search for "eggs pastured" or "eggs grass fed" with your zip code. You can also visit EatWild.com and click on your state for a list of farms that pasture their animals.

Additionally, you may be able to find roadside stands in your area that sell eggs from pastured chickens. Be sure to inquire about the farming practices, to make sure that the chickens are able to forage for both grass and insects.


Back to the Basics: Taste!

The truth is that most satisfying meals one could make with eggs just don't taste right without both the yolk and the white. Most baked goods come out with a richer taste and a better texture when the yolks are included. Food should provide good nutrition-- for which inclusion of the yolks is necessary! -- but it should also taste good.

Food should be fun. It should be rewarding to cook, delicious to eat, and relaxing to indulge in.

The anti-cholesterol establishment upholds its poor theory and unjustified conclusions only to condemn us to a bland and unsatisfying diet, the cornerstone of which is "light cooking" with bland and taste-challenged "foods" like the notorious, emasculated, yolkless egg white.

Fear not.

You are now armed with the raw facts from the USDA's nutrition database that shows that missing out on the egg yolks means missing out on the nutrition in your breakfast. Take heart in this the next time you enjoy the incredible, edible egg yolk.

 

[flex229]

fantastic post. thanks.

 

[*The_West*]

that was a very good copy and paste answer dagar.

 

[dagar]

A little ? more about eggs. This was posted by someone from another site who knows her nutrician.


The Egg Epic
In today’s society of supplements and meal replacements, eggs have taken back seat to the revolutionary concentrated, isolated and hydrolysed whey, which everyone seems to take religiously. The labels and adverts that come with these supplements have given a false belief to those without better knowledge that by simply training and taking these supplements they too will get the size of cover models. Lets face it, the models are usually frequent steroid users and have at least at one point in their life eaten the right foods to get where they are now, despite how clueless a lot of them are. Those with any sense, which comes quite rare these days, will without a doubt, just like their predecessors of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s have used eggs as one of their first choices for protein.
I’m not saying that supplements are useless, but most are overrated and the general public never seem to realise that they are exactly what they are – supplements. They supplement a good diet. A good diet includes eggs. Wanna know more?

(Coincidentally, out of general interest, you may want to know that I’m eating an omelette as I write this…)

Well, since this is an epic I suppose I best begin with some history. Nobody really knows when the first fowl was domesticated because birds preceded man in the evolutionary chain. Indian history places the date as early as 3200 B.C. and Egyptian and Chinese records show that fowl were laying eggs for man in 1400 B.C. Allegedly Columbus' ships carried the first of the chickens related to those now in egg production to America from Asia.

Before I move onto the bodybuilding and health benefits of eggs, I’d just like to clarify a few things. Eggs are graded in a process called classification. This is determined by interior and exterior quality. It is designated by the letters AA [the “best”], A and B. An old wives tale is that to get the best protein you must go for the better quality eggs. I’d like to be the one to inform you all that there is no difference in nutritive value between the different grades. In fact, because of production and marketing methods being very efficient, eggs are moved so quickly from the coop to the market that there is very little difference in quality between grades AA and A. The only real difference is the price. Grade B’s are perfectly fine, but rarely find their way into retail supermarkets. They usually go to bakeries or other foodservice operations.

The egg itself has two distinct parts: the white and the yolk. It is common practice for bodybuilders to throw away the yolk. This can be for several reasons, the most notable being calorie control. Whites are the chosen protein source for their zero fat content and trace carbohydrate content. The nutrient breakdown of a large egg white (33.40g) as according to the USDA nutrient database is:

- 16.7 kcals
- 3.514g protein
- 0.0g fat
- 0.344g carbohydrates


The egg white also contains several vitamins and minerals, which will be discussed later.

Other than calorie control, people remove the yolks because of it’s fat content. The yolk is a very misunderstood part of the egg. People believe that fat is ‘evil’ and shouldn’t be consumed, or at least that fat consumption should be kept to a minimum. This misconception stems from the fact that very few people can actually distinguish between ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats. Good fats are essential for any human, not just bodybuilders, hence their name ‘essential fatty acids’.

How about a quick lesson in fats? -->>


How about a quick lesson in fats?

There are three main types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. There are also hydrogenated and trans fatty acids, but these will not be covered in this article.

Saturated fat is the predominant fat in animal foods. Some vegetable oils are highly saturated, too. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter, often used in processed foods, contain large amounts of saturated fat. These fats have no double bonds and have all the hydrogen that they can hold onto, making these fats very stable. Saturated fats are also associated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and obesity. These aspects will be covered later in this article.

Monounsaturated fat sources include olive oil, canola oil, nuts and nut butters. They are missing a hydrogen pair giving them one double bond in their chemical structure. Monounsaturated fats are also called Omega-9 fatty acids. The body does not synthesise this type of fat, but can produce omega-9 fatty acids from carbohydrates. Therefore, monounsaturated fat consumption, although not 'essential', is still beneficial.

High levels of polyunsaturated fat are found in most cooking oils, and also in seafood. Polyunsaturated fats are missing two or more hydrogen pairs, or have two or more double bonds in their chemical structure. They are also called Omega-3 fatty acids and again the body does not synthesise this type of fat, making polyunsaturated fat an essential fatty acid.

Why does your body need these essential fats?

In a nutshell, they’re needed to live. They are required for hormone production; they bolster immune function, regulate blood pressure, and are even good for your hair and nails! Their effect upon cholesterol will be covered later.

The body can live quite happily without any saturated fat consumption, but eating no saturated fat at all is very difficult and impractical, especially for bodybuilders whose protein choices seem to have at least some fat content.

Now, why have I told you all this?

The nutrient breakdown of a whole egg [50g] according to the USDA nutrient database is:

- 77.5 kcals
- 6.29g protein
- 5.305g fat
- 0.56g carbohydrate

There is about 5.3g of fat in a whole egg, of which, only 1.6g is saturated fat. The remainder of the fat in the yolk is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. So for a bodybuilder who wishes to increase their daily intake of good fats, keeping the yolks when they eat their eggs is an easy, practical and cost-efficient method of doing so.

The fat found in the yolk is not the only reason a bodybuilder should eat the whole egg. Let’s talk about the benefits of the whole egg, especially relating to bodybuilders.
Lets face it, bodybuilders have been obsessed with protein ever since they discovered it was crucial for tissue growth, and more specifically, muscle growth.

Until the break through of the current whey craze, it was believed that the egg contained the highest quality food protein known. It was thought so near to perfect, that it was used as the standard by which all other proteins are judged. Based on the essential amino acids it provides, egg protein was second only to mother's milk for human nutrition. The Biological Value (BV) index was proposed. It is a measurement of protein quality expressing the rate of efficiency with which protein is used for growth. The scale was out of 100, where 100 represents top efficiency:

Whole egg 93.7
Milk 84.5
Fish 76.0
Beef 74.3
Soybeans 72.8
Rice, polished 64.0
Wheat, whole 64.0
Corn 60.0
Beans, dry 58.0

[This scale was gotten from “Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Amino Acid Content of Foods and Biological Data on Proteins. Nutritional Study #24. Rome (1970). UNIPUB, Inc., 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706”]

When it was realized that some whey’s score up to 150+ using this scale a new one was produced using whey as the most efficient.

Just as a side note, supplement companies exploit the BV for their advertisements, some stating that their ‘special blend’ of proteins scores a 180+ on the BV. These kinds of claims are exaggerated and use the BV with the egg value as most efficient. The scale with whey as 100:

Whey protein 100
Casein 77
Egg 83
Beef 80
Soy Isolate 74
Wheat gluten 54

Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in a pattern quite similar to the amino acid profile our bodies require. The amino acids are called essential because the human body needs them but can't synthesize them, just like with the essential fats. Because of their amino acid profile, eggs are classified with meat in the food pyramid and egg protein is called a complete protein.

Not only the bodybuilding diet, but also the human diet must regularly supply protein which contains all of the essential amino acids. The egg contains all of the essential amino acids - histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. As well as containing the essential amino acids, the whole egg houses the remaining nine other amino acids.

Are you sold yet? -->>

 

[Beachboy6294]

Wow I never knew all of that and wouldn't mind a few more yokes in my eggs!

 

[dagar]

I always eat full eggs. If you train properly and watch the fat in the other foods you consume, you'll be fine. Nature's perfect food.