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Nutrition Value of Egg White

The "white" is the part of the egg that surrounds the yolk. It only turns white when cooked, which results in a chemical change that entails the untangling of its long amino acid chains into a much more stable, rigid structure. Though the yolk is the primary source of nutrition in an egg, there is some nutrient content to the egg white. The technical name for the egg white is the albumen.

  1. Identification

    • According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one large egg white is about 33 grams in weight. Of this, about 29 grams is water. There are only about 16 calories (kcal) in a single large egg white. With about 0.1 grams of fat and 0.2 grams of carbohydrate, egg white is not a significant source of these nutrients.

    Protein

    • Of the 33 grams in a large egg white, about 10 percent, roughly 3.6 grams, is protein. This accounts for approximately half of the total protein content of the egg, including the yolk. All the amino acids essential to human beings are contained in egg whites. Because the egg white contains none of the cholesterol in the total egg, but roughly half the protein, egg whites are often separated from the yolk as a low-fat source of amino acids.

    Minerals

    • Egg whites are negligible sources of minerals. A single large egg white contains 6.6 micrograms (mcg) of selenium, roughly 9 percent of the recommended daily intake. There's roughly 55 milligrams each of sodium and potassium, accounting for about 2 percent of the recommended daily intake of these nutrients. A large egg white contains less than 1 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium and about 1 percent for magnesium.

    Vitamins

    • Egg white is not a significant source of vitamins since most of the egg's vitamin content is in the yolk. Nevertheless, a large egg white contains about 9 percent of the daily recommended intake of riboflavin (vitamin B2). It contains about 1 percent of the recommended intake of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). The egg white contains about 0.4 milligrams of choline and 0.1 milligrams of betaine, for which a recommended daily intake has not been established.

    Salmonella and Allergy

    • According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about one in every 30,000 eggs in the United States has some detectable salmonella infection. Though infection is relatively rare, egg whites can be a carrier of such salmonella infection. Thus, eating raw egg whites is not recommended. Cooked egg whites are also easier to digest. Much more common than salmonella infection, however, is allergic reaction to eggs, which is more frequently associated with whites than yolks. Those with acute egg white allergy are unable to digest the albumen.

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