Egg whites are especially renowned for their high levels of protein, however yolk contains more on a gram for gram basis. Egg whites have 10.8g per 100g but are trumped by egg yolk which contains 16.4g per 100g. However, as there is more egg white volume than yolk in each egg, white grabs the protein spotlight.
Nutrients in egg yolk
Yolk is nutritionally richer than whites. It contains essential nutrients like Vitamin B6, B12, A, D, E and K. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, iron and selenium.
Compared to egg whites, the yolk contains most of an egg's good stuff, including the bulk of its iron, folate and vitamins. The yolks also contain two nutrients—lutein and zeaxanthin—that support eye and brain health.
However, not everything about the yolk is golden when compared to egg whites. Compared to the whites, egg yolks contain: Less protein: 2.7 grams vs. 3.6 grams.
Two eggs give you 12 grams of hunger-satisfying protein. Half of that is in the yolk, so be sure to eat the whole egg for all the protein goodness. Recent research found that we build more lean muscle and boost muscle strength more when we eat whole eggs, not just the egg whites.
To get the maximum protein from your eggs without consuming added saturated fat, boil or poach them, or cook them in a small amount of healthy unsaturated fat, such as olive oil, rather than butter.
If you ate that for dinner and had even just one egg at some point in the day — maybe boiled as a snack, or fried on toast for breakfast — you'd be at 50 grams, as one egg had six grams of protein in it.
Egg yolks are high in cholesterol and nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Eating only egg whites to avoid the cholesterol from the yolk may only be necessary for people at an elevated risk of heart disease.
Although egg yolk intake seems to promote additional acute increases on myofibrillar protein synthesis, it does not seem to further enhance muscle mass when compared to egg whites when consumed as part of a high-protein dietary patterns, at least in young men.
A study conducted at the University of Connecticut found that the fat present in egg yolks actually helps to reduce the bad cholesterol from the body. Even if you want to lose weight, do not dump the yolk unless your nutritionist has specifically advised you do so.
The heat coming from your stove denatures the protein by disrupting some of its bonds that held the molecule into shape. In the case of hard-boiled eggs, the proteins clump together and solidify, causing the egg white and yolk to harden.
Cooking most foods will result in a reduction of some nutrients, particularly if they're cooked at high temperatures for a long period of time. Studies have examined this phenomenon in eggs. One study found that cooking eggs reduced their vitamin A content by around 17-20% ( 6 ).
Egg whites are a high-protein, low-calorie food. Yet for most people, there are not many benefits to choosing egg whites over whole eggs, as whole eggs provide you with many more beneficial nutrients.
Egg whites are an excellent way to add protein to your diet without adding calories. Protein helps your body build strong muscles and maintain muscle mass as you age.
How much protein do you need? Anywhere from 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein. So if your needs are 2,000 calories, that's 200–700 calories from protein, or 50–175 grams. The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
The American Heart Association recommends up to one egg a day for most people, fewer for people with high blood cholesterol, especially those with diabetes or who are at risk for heart failure, and up to two eggs a day for older people with normal cholesterol levels and who eat a healthy diet.
After chicken breasts and protein shakes, few protein options are more prevalent in a bodybuilding diet than egg whites. That's because egg whites are a nearly pure source of protein, containing almost 100% of their calories from this macro with virtually no fats or carbs.
“To increase muscle mass, you need about 1.6 or 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That's about 155 grams of protein per day for a 200-pound man. If eating 4 meals per day, that would amount to about 39 grams of protein per meal, or about 11 egg whites.”
Eggs: the perfect post-workout snack
A serving of two large eggs contains 13 grams of high-quality protein. Eggs provide all of the nine essential amino acids (also known as the building blocks of protein), making them an effective food for maintaining, building and repairing muscle.
Bottom Line. If you simply prefer the taste of egg whites, there's no harm in enjoying them. But while egg whites are healthy, you're much better off eating the whole egg, as the yolks are where the nutrition benefits come into play.
Myth 1: Eating egg yolks makes people fat.
But if you remove the yolk of the egg, you lose out on all its fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Egg yolks do not have an excellent reputation but are full of proteins and other nutrients for healthy weight management.