For only 70 calories each, eggs are rich in nutrients. Eggs have a significant protein, vitamin and mineral content and are relatively low in saturated fat content. These are the reasons that eggs are a valuable component in a healthy diet.
Protein
Egg protein is the standard by which other protein sources are measured. A large egg contains over six grams of protein. On the evaluation scale most commonly used for assessing protein, egg protein is at the highest point, 100, and is used as the reference standard against which all other foods are assessed. This is because of the essential amino acid profile and the high digestibility of egg protein.
In comparison with other high protein foods, eggs are a relatively inexpensive source of protein.
Vitamins
Eggs are a source of all the B vitamins. They are a particularly rich source of vitamins B12 and riboflavin (vitamin B2). The egg is also a good source of vitamins A and D and provides some vitamin E.
Minerals
Eggs contain many of the minerals that the human body requires for health. In particular eggs are an excellent source of iodine, required to make the thyroid hormone, and selenium, an important antioxidant. The egg is a significant source of phosphorus, required for bone health.
Fat
9.0% of the egg content is fat. The fat of an egg is found almost entirely in the yolk; there is less than 0.5% in the albumen (egg white). Most of an egg’s total fatty acid composition is monounsaturated (approximately 38%). About a further 16% is polyunsaturated and 28% is saturated fat.
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