Egg white is the liquid part surrounding the yellow, semi-solid yolk within an egg. In biological terms, its primary purpose is to protect the egg yolk and provide additional nutrients for the proper growth of the embryo. It's also known as the albumin and contains mostly water and protein. Cooking is needed to turn the liquid egg white solid for consumption in the diet.
Macronutrients
Though the yolk is removed, the egg white is actually protein rich inside. One large egg white contains about 3.5 g of protein. The whole egg, with the white and the yolk, has 5 to 6 g of protein. Unlike the yolk, there is no fat inside of the egg white, and there is also a negligible amount of carbohydrates as well.
Cholesterol
The egg white contains no cholesterol. By contrast, the egg yolk contains about 200 mg of cholesterol. The recommended daily allowance of cholesterol is 300 mg. Blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, so its consumption is usually limited. However, dietary cholesterol does not translate directly into blood cholesterol. The yolk should be healthy for most individuals, but people who are at a heightened risk of heart disease should eschew the yolk entirely and stick to the egg white.
Calories
One large egg white only contains about 16.7 calories, whereas a whole egg contains nearly 75 calories, most of which are from the fat. Fat has 9 calories per gram, and there are 4.5 g of fat in a complete egg. Ultimately, the egg white has none of the fat and is missing some of the protein, so it contains fewer total calories.
Micronutrients
The egg white does not contain significant amounts of micronutrients, which are nutrients we need in small quantities to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances that facilitate proper growth and development. Vitamin C is completely absent, and once you remove the yolk from the egg, there is very little remaining content of vitamins A, D, E and K and minerals such as iron and calcium. However, egg white does contain vitamin B, which is often associated with protein-rich foods.
Considerations
A small number of people may have an allergic reaction to egg whites and thus cannot eat them. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, this reaction is more common in children than adults, usually disappearing by the age of 5 years, and more common than allergies to egg yolks. Food intolerance of egg whites is also possible.
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