What Vitamins, Minerals And Other Nutrients Are In Eggs?

Eggs are nutritious and full of high-quality protein, as well as varying amounts of vitamins and minerals. The concern with eating too many eggs stems from the fact they are high in cholesterol, having 215 mg per egg. However, according to a study conducted in 2007 by the Medical Science Monitor, eggs do not increase the risk of heart disease or stroke, and, in fact, eggs may even decrease blood pressure.

Vitamins and Minerals

One large egg has approximately 6 or 7 g of protein. According to John Kirschmann, author of the "Nutrition Almanac," eggs also contain vitamins A, B-2, D and E; biotin, niacin; the minerals copper, iron, sulfur and phosphorus; and unsaturated fatty acids. The egg yolk contains the richest known source of choline, which keeps the cholesterol emulsified within the egg, which also keeps the cholesterol moving in the bloodstream instead of being deposited throughout your vascular system.

Nutrition Facts

If an egg had a Nutrition Facts label, it would read that a 50-g egg has 70 calories and 4.5 g of total fat. Saturated fat content is 1.5 g, polyunsaturated fat content is 0.5 g, and 2.0 g is monounsaturated fat. One egg has 215 mg of cholesterol, 65 mg of sodium, 1 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of protein, according to the American Egg Board. The egg white alone has 17 of the 70 calories and 3.6 g of the 6 g of protein.

Raw Eggs

You should avoid eating raw eggs, because the whites contain a protein called avidin, which may be harmful if consumed over a long period of time. Avidin interferes with the use of biotin, but it is also inactivated by heat. Salmonella bacteria have been found inside eggs, and thorough cooking is recommended to avoid getting sick.

Cooking

Eggs are full of protein and should not be cooked at high temperatures and for long periods. The basic principle of cooking eggs is to use medium to low heat and use a timer. The yolk is high in both fat and protein, while the egg white is mostly protein. This is why egg whites coagulate or cook before the yolk does. If you have ever seen a green tint to your boiled egg after cooking, it is because you have cooked it too long, causing the iron in the yolk to bind to the sulfur found within the egg white.