Nutritional Value Of Chicken Eggs

Chicken eggs are a staple of the American diet. On average, Americans eat approximately 170 eggs yearly, according to 2008 figures from the USDA Economic Research Service. Including eggs in your nutrition plan provides you with several essential nutrients to support good health. The versatility of eggs enables you to include them in many flavorful dishes.

Complete Protein Source

Chicken eggs provide you with a concentrated source of high-quality and affordable dietary protein. One large egg contains 6.3 g of protein. Medium and small eggs contain 5.5 g and 4.8 g of protein, respectively. The protein from eggs is concentrated in the egg white, also called the albumin. Egg white is a source of complete protein; it is designated as such because it contains all of the building blocks, or amino acids, your body requires to assemble new proteins.

Concentrated Vitamin A

Including eggs in your diet provides you with a good source of vitamin A. Large, medium and small chicken eggs contain approximately 70 micrograms, 60 micrograms and 53 micrograms of vitamin A, respectively. A large egg provides you with 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A if you are a woman and approximately 8 percent if you are a man. Your body requires vitamin A to maintain healthy skin and bones and to support normal immune system function.

Natural Source of Vitamin D

Chicken eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D, which is contained exclusively in the yolk. One large egg provides you with 0.6 micrograms of vitamin D; medium and small eggs contain 0.5 micrograms. The recommended daily intake for vitamin D is 15 micrograms through age 70 and 20 micrograms if you are age 71 or older. Vitamin D is essential for the growth and ongoing strength of your bones.

Meat-free Source of Vitamin B-12

Red blood cell production in your bone marrow depends on a steady supply of vitamin B-12. The assembly and maintenance of the insulating material that enables signal transmission between your brain and nerves also requires vitamin B-12. Eggs contain high levels of vitamin B-12, with approximately 0.6 micrograms in a large or medium egg. This amount represents 25 percent of the RDA for vitamin B-12 for adults. A small egg contains 0.5 micrograms of B-12. Because vitamin B-12 occurs only in animal-based foods, a deficiency can develop if you do not eat meat. If you include chicken eggs in your diet however, you can usually prevent the development of a B-12 deficiency while maintaining a meat-free diet.