Chicken drumsticks are an excellent source of protein and some B vitamins. One drumstick provides over 20 percent of the dietary reference intake, or DRI, for protein. While removing the skin reduces the calories and fat in a roasted chicken drumstick, it has very little effect on the vitamin mineral content. Percentages are listed for adults over age 50.
Calories
One roasted chicken drumstick with skin contains 112 calories, all of which come from protein and fat. One drumstick contains no carbohydrates, sugar or fiber. One drumstick without skin contains only 76 calories.
Protein
Over half of the calories in one chicken drumstick come from protein. One roasted drumstick with skin contains 14 g of protein, which is 30 percent of the DRI for women and 25 percent for men. Without the skin, one drumstick contains slightly less protein, at 12.5 g. This is 27 percent of the DRI for women and 22 percent for men.
Fat
The most drastic difference between a chicken drumstick with skin and one without is the fat content. One roasted drumstick with skin contains 5.8 g of fat. Removing the skin cuts the fat grams by more than half. One drumstick without skin contains only 2.5 g of fat. One drumstick with skin contains 47 mg of cholesterol. Without skin, one drumstick contains 41 mg of cholesterol.
Minerals
While removing the skin affects the fat and calorie content of a chicken drumstick, it has very little impact on the mineral content. The values for mineral content are very similar for a drumstick with skin and one without. One roasted drumstick provides 13 percent of the DRI for phosphorus, which helps to retain a proper pH balance in the body. One drumstick also supplies 11 percent of the DRI for zinc for women and 8 percent for men, as well as 18 percent of the DRI for selenium. One drumstick contains less than 10 percent of the DRI for all other minerals.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
The vitamin content also changes very little when the skin is removed from a chicken drumstick. One roasted drumstick supplies 22 percent of the DRI for niacin for women and 19 percent for men. Niacin, also know as B-3, is essential for digestive and nervous system health. One chicken drumstick also provides more than 10 percent of the DRI for both pantothenic acid and B-6.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Roasted chicken drumsticks are low in fat-soluble vitamins. One drumstick, with or without skin, provides less than 3 percent of the DRI for vitamins A, D, E and K.
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