The Truth About Egg Whites and Egg Yolks

Bodybuilders are infamous for their love affair with protein. The way these massive beast see it, muscle is protein, so they associate eating more dietary protein with gaining more muscle. Devouring egg whites by the dozen is not uncommon for your tipical bodybuilder; so lets get the truth behind the best source of protien, EGG WHITES!!.

What is the “Protein Benefit” of Egg Whites?

Egg White protein is the purest form of protein known to man in the entire world. Each 8-ounce cup gives you 26 grams of pure protein, only 2 grams of carbohydrates, NO fat and NO cholesterol. The protein found in eggs is of a higher quality than the protein found in meat and fish. They are 100% bio-available, which means NONE of it’s amino acids are wasted. No artificial protein powder can make that claim. Other high protein sourced foods and supplements need to be broken down before the body absorbs the protein. All natural products have always been the recommended way to get the nutrients your body needs.

Cholesterol

The average large chicken egg has about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, which is all contained within the yolk. There has been concern that excess cholesterol in the diet can raise the level or cholesterol in the blood, causing major health problems including heart disease. Since the body produces all of the cholesterol it needs for normal functions, eating large quantities of cholesterol rich foods may be unhealthy. It is recommended that the intake of cholesterol per day should not exceed 300 milligrams. With one egg yolk containing 213 milligrams, it is clear that the recommended daily maximum is easy to exceed.

There are alternatives that can be used in order to stay within dietary guidelines for cholesterol intake.

  • When multiple eggs are desired for an omelet or scrambled eggs, use no more then 2 yolk.
  • Eliminate all of the yolks.
  • Use egg substitutes.
  • Instead of trying to stay within 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day, try to stay within a weekly total of 2100 milligrams, so that if you exceed the daily total on 1 or 2 days, you can cut down on other days.
  • Even if you average one egg per day, you can still eat very well and come within the 300 milligram maximum simply by eating more fruits and vegetables, and cutting back on fatty meats, butter and oils, and some processed foods.

Nutrients in Chicken Eggs

Based on One Large Egg (50 g)

Component Whole Egg Egg White Egg Yolk
Quantity % DV Quantity % DV Quantity % DV
Calories 75 4% 17 1% 58 3%
Total Fat 5.0 g 8% 0.0 g 0% 5.0 g 8%
Saturated 1.6 g 8% 0.0 g 0% 1.6 g 8%
Monounsaturated 2.0 g 0.0 g 2.0 g
Polyunsaturated 0.7 g 0.0 g 0.7 g
Cholesterol 213 mg 70% 0.0 g 0% 213 mg 70%
Carbohydrate 0.65 g <1 % 0.34 g <1 % 0.31 0 %
Protein 6.7 g 13% 4.0 g 7% 2.7 5%
Vitamins
Vitamin A 244 IU 5% 0.0 IU 0 % 244 IU 5%
Vitamin C 0.0 mg 0% 0.0 mg 0% 0.0 mg 0%
Vitamin D 18.3 IU 4% 0.0 mg 0% 18.3 IU 4%
Vitamin E 0.5 mg 2% 0.0 mg 0% 0.5 mg 2%
Choline 216 mg 0.45 mg 215.5 mg
Thiamin 0.031 mg 2% 0.002 mg <1% 0.029 mg 2%
Riboflavin 0.254 mg 14% 0.151 mg 9% 0.106 mg 5%
Niacin 0.037 mg <1% 0.035 mg <1% 0.002 mg <1%
Vitamin B6 0.1 mg 3% 0.0 mg 0% 0.1 mg 3%
Folate 23.5 mcg 6% 1.0 mcg <1% 22.5 mcg 6%
Vitamin B12 0.6 mcg 11% 0.07 mcg <1% 0.53 mcg 10%
Pantothenic Acid 0.627 mg 7% 0.040 mg <1% 0.587 mg 7%
Vitamin K 0.1 mcg 0.0 mcg 0.1 mcg
Minerals
Calcium 26.5 mg 3% 2.0 mg <1% 23.5 mg 3%
Iron 0.6 mg 3% 0.01 mg <1% 0.59 mg 3%
Magnesium 5.0 mg 2% 4.0 mg 2% 1.0 mg <1%
Phosphorus 89.0 mg 9% 4.0 mg <1% 85.0 mg 9%
Potassium 67.0 mg 2% 54.0 mg 2% 13.0 mg <1%
Sodium 63.0 mg 3% 55.0 mg 2% 8.0 mg <1%
Zinc 0.6 mg 4% 0.0 mg 0% 0.6 mg 4%
Copper 0.007 mg 3 % 0.002 mg <1% 0.005 mg 2%
Manganese 0.012 mg 0.001 mg 0.011 mg
Selenium 15.8 mcg 7.0 mcg 8.8 mcg

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