Duck Egg Nutrition

Although duck eggs are a significant source of vitamins, minerals and protein, their fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content may convince you to eat them only in moderation. To lower fat, saturated fat and cholesterol intake, consider using hens' eggs, egg substitutes or egg whites instead of whole duck eggs.

Macronutrients

The average fresh, raw duck egg contains approximately 130 calories, 9.6 g of fat, 9 g of protein, 2.6 g of saturated fat, 1 g of carbohydrate, 619 mg of cholesterol and 102 mg of sodium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database. Roughly 67 percent of the calories derive from fat, 28 percent from protein and 5 percent from carbohydrate.

Vitamins

One raw duck egg offers 158 percent of the vitamin B12, 26 percent of the pantothenic acid, 22 percent of the riboflavin, 15 percent of the vitamin A, 14 percent of the folate and 10 percent of the vitamin B6 that the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine advises adults to consume per day. Vitamins B6 and B12, pantothenic acid, riboflavin and folate are water-soluble, B-complex vitamins essential to vision, skin health, the prevention of birth defects, metabolism, central nervous system function and red blood cell, hormone and DNA formation. Vitamin A, an antioxidant fat-soluble vitamin, is integral to night vision, bone and tooth formation and skin and mucus membrane health. Duck eggs also contain smaller amounts of other vitamins.

Minerals

A raw duck egg also provides 46 percent of the recommended daily adult intake of selenium, 22 percent of the phosphorus and 15 percent of the iron. As essential dietary minerals, these three elements aid in thyroid and immune function, bone and cell membrane health, energy production and storage, DNA storage and transmission and red blood cell oxygenation. Trace amounts of other minerals exist in duck eggs.

Considerations

A single duck egg contains more than twice the amount of cholesterol that MayoClinic.com recommends adults limit themselves to daily. It also contains 17 percent of the saturated fat and 12 percent of the total fat that adults should restrict themselves to per day.

Warning

If you are allergic to hens' eggs, it might seem reasonable to consider duck eggs as an alternative, but it should be noted that because of protein similarities, most people who are allergic to hens' eggs are also allergic to duck eggs, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Food Allergy Research and Resource Program.