Protein of an Egg

Chicken eggs are generally seen as bad for your health because they contain high levels of cholesterol. All of that cholesterol is in the egg yolk; the average amount of cholesterol in egg yolk is about 213 mg. However, eggs are also a source of protein. One whole chicken egg contains about 6.3 g of protein. Eggs also contain other nutrients that are essential to health such as vitamin A and zinc.

Egg Protein

Both the egg white and yolk contain protein. An egg white contains 3.6 g of protein, while the yolk contains about 2.7 g. So even if you only have the egg white, you are still getting a large percentage of an egg's total protein content.

Benefits of Egg Protein

Getting your protein from eggs is beneficial because eggs contain almost all the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain good health. Moreover, one whole egg only has about 70 calories and contains less than 5 g of fat. This is only about 7 percent of your recommended daily fat intake. One egg also contains about 24 micrograms of folate, 0.45 micrograms of vitamin B-12, 0.2 mg of riboflavin, 69 mg of potassium and 0.5 mg of vitamin E. One egg has about 126 mg of choline. Choline is a substance that helps preserve memory and protects from vision loss.

Daily Egg Allowance

Eating one whole egg a day should allow you to benefit from its nutritional value without having a detrimental effect on your health, Harvard Health Publications notes. If you are concerned about the cholesterol content, eat only egg whites. You will still get all the essential nutrients and protein you require, but without the cholesterol. Even if you choose to eat a whole egg, you would still be within the recommended 300 mg per day cholesterol limit, MayoClinic.com notes.

Egg Safety

Over 1,600 cases of egg-related Salmonella enteritidis were reported between May and September 2010, notes FoodSafety.gov. To protect yourself from the risk of infection and food poisoning, you must cook your eggs thoroughly. Cook scrambled eggs until firm instead. If you are keeping the egg and yolk unscrambled, make sure to cook the eggs until both the whites and yolks are firm. Bake dishes that contain eggs until they reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Always restrict your egg consumption to pasteurized eggs, and wash them carefully before storing them.