An egg contains two very distinct components: the egg white and the egg yolk. Each separate component has a distinctly different nutritional profile. You often hear that when dieting you should consume only the egg white. While this removes the fat and cholesterol, it removes valuable vitamins and minerals as well.
Calories and Macronutrients
One large egg yolk contains 55 calories. If you consume only the egg white, you get only 17 calories. A large yolk also contains 5 g of total fat, 2 of which are saturated. The egg white of a large egg contains 0 g of fat. The protein value of egg whites and egg yolks are almost equal, with an egg yolks containing 3 g of protein per yolk and an egg white containing 4 g of protein. Eggs contain very small amounts of carbohydrates. The yolk from a large egg contains only 1 carbohydrate, whereas the egg white does not contain any carbohydrates.
Vitamins
Because an egg yolk contains a significant amount of fat, most of its vitamin content is fat-soluble vitamins. A large egg yolk contains 37 IU of vitamin D and 245 IU of vitamin A. It also contains 25 mcg of folate, a water-soluble vitamin and negligible amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and vitamin E. If you remove the yolk from the egg, you also remove the fat-soluble vitamins. An egg white does not contain any vitamin A, D, K or E. The folate content also drops down to 1 microgram. An egg white does contain some of the B vitamins, but the amounts are extremely small.
Minerals
An egg yolk contains 22 mg of calcium, 66 mg of phosphorus, 19 mg of potassium, 9.5 micrograms of selenium and 8 mg of sodium. The yolk also contains negligible amounts of iron, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. An egg white contains 2 mg of calcium, 5 mg of phosphorus, 54 mg of potassium, 55 mg of sodium, 6.6 micrograms of selenium and 4 mg of magnesium. The white also contains small amounts of iron, zinc, copper and manganese.
Considerations
If you have high cholesterol or high triglycerides, it may be beneficial for you to eat only the whites. Because the egg yolks actually provide most of the nutrient of the egg, it may be more beneficial for healthy individuals to consume both the egg yolk and the white.
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