Egg white: composition, proteins and amino acids, calories, useful properties

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Chicken eggs have long been considered one of the most nutritious and delicious foods known to mankind since ancient times. As you know, they consist of two components - protein and yolk. What is the composition of egg white? What proteins and amino acids are present in it? The answers to these questions can be found in this article.

A little about egg white

Before talking about the chemical composition of egg white, you should understand what kind of product it is and why it has become so popular. First of all, it is worth understanding that it is an incredibly powerful immunostimulant with pronounced bactericidal properties. When fresh, the protein is rather unsightly - a viscous liquid, colorless and odorless, with a slight gluing effect. Therefore, almost no one ever uses it in this form. During heat treatment, the protein becomes more dense and white in color, and while whipping this product, a persistent foam is obtained.

However, the composition of egg white is the most remarkable: the proteins, fats and carbohydrates contained in it can easilyreplace a whole glass of milk or about 50 grams of meat. In addition, this product is easily absorbed by the body, so it receives all the useful substances that are only available in it.

Chemical composition of egg white

If you look at the composition of an ordinary egg, especially protein, you can pay attention to the presence of a number of balanced biologically active components that are very useful for the human body. In total, the percentage of protein contains about 86.5% moisture. Everything else falls on proteins - 12.5% of the composition. There are no fats in it at all, and carbohydrates are less than 1%.

If you look closely at the chemical composition of egg white, then special attention should be paid to water-soluble vitamins. The egg contains a high rate of B vitamins, especially B4 and B9. Unfortunately, there are no fat-soluble vitamins in this product. However, this does not prevent them from stimulating the production of sex hormones, preventing the possibility of defects during pregnancy in a developing fetus and normalizing blood clotting.

Besides this, the mineral composition of this product is also interesting. Selenium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese and copper come to the fore here. They perfectly help to maintain the desired level of strength in nails and teeth. In addition, frequent consumption of protein can lead to accelerated regeneration, healing of wounds and abrasions on the skin and mucous membranes.

Amino acid composition of egg white

As alreadyAs mentioned earlier, protein is almost entirely composed of moisture. However, the protein present in it is represented by amino acids that are so necessary for a person - ovoalbumin, conalbumin, ovoglobulin, vovmucoid, lysozyme, avidin and ovomucin. Particular attention here should be paid specifically to ovoalbuin and conalbumin, which are flavoproteins.

The presence of them in the composition of the egg makes it possible for the nascent organism to develop, since it is a source of plastic materials. And if you are interested in their action in cooking, then these amino acids allow you to achieve a stable foam when whipping. However, it is worth noting that the amino acid composition of the egg white is quite small compared to the yolk, so you cannot see much diversity.

Among the amino acids, valine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine, tryptophan, cystine, threonine and many others can be distinguished. They help to activate the work of the brain, and also help to renew the cells of the body and cleanse the blood vessels by reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. All this leads to an improvement in the functioning of the cardiac system.

Calories

Now that the chemical and amino acid composition of egg white has been considered, it is worth talking about the nutritional value of this product. By the way, the calorie content of protein is quite low, and therefore it belongs to the category of dietary products that can be safely consumed during weight loss without much fear for the figure. Only 100 grams of egg white contains no more than 48 kcal.

However, before using this product, you need to carefullymake sure the eggs are fresh. To do this, you need to pour water into a bowl, and then put it in it. If the egg is fresh, then it will simply lie horizontally at the very bottom. But if the product has been lying for more than a week, then the egg simply turns up and begins to slowly float up. An egg frozen in water in a vertical position indicates that it was laid about 3 weeks ago, but the product that has surfaced has been "experienced" for more than a month. This is due to the fact that an air chamber begins to form between the protein and the shell, which affects buoyancy. Doctors and nutritionists do not recommend eating eggs that were laid more than two weeks ago.

Composition of the yolk

If you compare the composition of egg white and yolk, you can see a strong difference. The first step is to pay attention to the quantity and quality of the protein. In the yolk, the main one is vitellin, the content of which in this product is almost 80%. In addition to all this, it contains about 50 percent moisture, about 17.3% protein, but quite a lot of fat - as much as 31.2% of the total chemical composition. Among them, only one third are phospholipids, but all the rest are neutral fats, which are better known as triglycerides.

Egg yolk and protein also contain a number of vitamins. Group B is common to them, although retinol can also be found in the yolk. Minerals include potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and iron.

Because inthe yolk contains more fat, then the calorie content of such a product is much higher. There are about 363 kcal per 100 grams, which is why losing weight people try so hard to avoid it.

Dehydrated egg white

Now let's talk about albumin, which is also known as dried egg white. The composition of this powder is practically no different from the raw product, since the processing is carried out in such a way as to preserve all the useful properties and nutrients in it. By itself, albumin is a simple cream-colored powder without a pronounced taste or smell. In Russia, it is usually used only by athletes who are actively engaged in "drying" the body. This is because the processed composition of dry egg white cannot infect a person with salmonellosis or other diseases, as if a fresh egg were drunk.

Albumin also has a much longer shelf life and is easy to store and transport. It is worth noting that now the food industry is increasingly using this product in bakery production, as well as during the manufacture of cocktails and desserts that require raw proteins in the recipe.

Egg powder

In egg powder, the composition of proteins and yolks is quite difficult to separate because of the way it is made. This product is made by mixing eggs until smooth, which is then carefully filtered and dried on very hightemperatures. High-quality egg powder has a light yellow pleasant color and a pronounced aroma.

In terms of its chemical composition, the product is practically in no way inferior to ordinary fresh eggs, and in cooking it plays their role well. Now it is actively used in the manufacture of meat semi-finished products and confectionery.

In total, egg powder contains 542 kcal per 100 grams of dry product. Vitamins of groups A, B and D play a significant role in the composition. Protein remains easily digestible and provides the body with the amount of useful substances it needs to build new cells. In general, one hundred grams of egg powder may well replace 8 large eggs. However, there is a downside here - it contains a large amount of cholesterol, which provokes the formation of cholesterol plaques in the blood vessels. So you should be careful about the consumption of this product.

Protein benefits

Now that we have found out about the composition of egg white (proteins and amino acids contained in it), we should also mention the beneficial properties of this product. First of all, it is worth noting the fact of the complete absence of fats in this product. This makes it an excellent dietary ingredient that can be safely consumed on a diet.

Besides this, protein is an excellent source of protein that a person needs for the normal functioning of the body. Once in the body, it moves through the blood and performs several functions at once: protective, transport (helpsdeliver oxygen to all tissues and organs), catalytic (performs metabolic reactions) and regulatory (normalizes hormonal levels).

It is also recommended to consume egg white periodically and to improve the immune system. The protein enters directly into the composition of the cells, and therefore significantly increases their barrier properties. This helps prevent the development and further spread of infectious diseases. And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the main role of proteins in the body - they provide it with the necessary amount of building material for bones, skin and muscle fibers.

So the consumption of egg white is very important for normal he alth. Doctors often recommend eating it in the presence of diseases affecting the liver, gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder.

It is worth mentioning that the protein can be used in home cosmetics. Housewives often use it to create masks for oily skin or in cases where there is strong pigmentation or large pores. Egg white masks also work great. If you have problems with split ends or baldness, you should definitely try applying an egg white product to your hair.

Harm

The proteins contained in the egg white can be not only useful, but also dangerous for the body. First of all, due to the fact that this product is the strongest allergen. In no case should you use it in cases where there is an individual intolerance or hypersensitivity to this ingredient. Also notyou need to use raw eggs without heat treatment - there is always a chance of catching a dangerous disease like salmonellosis.

But as for cholesterol, the protein really has a high level of this substance. However, as scientists have found out, the cholesterol contained in it is useful, not harmful, and therefore does not pose a danger. Boiled yolk is much more dangerous here.

Egg white in cooking

The most actively used egg whites in cooking. There is a huge amount of confectionery baking that requires them in the composition. For example, delicious meringues and meringues are made from them, which are popular all over the world. True, during baking, you should carefully monitor the process so that you do not accidentally burn it, since eggs do not forgive such mistakes. There is also a very tasty protein cream, which is actively used in the confectionery industry to decorate cakes and pastries.

In addition to sweet pastries, fresh protein is also put into minced meat during the preparation of meatballs and meatballs, as it has sticky properties. Acting as a binder, it ensures that the dish does not fall apart during cooking.

The effect of egg white on muscle mass

Before the advent of special sports nutrition, bodybuilders actively ate raw eggs. At that time, it was a great way to saturate the body with the protein that it needed to build muscle. In addition, eggs contain a large amountamino acids that are needed when protein fibers are damaged, which often occurs during intensive strength training.

In general, egg protein helps to dramatically increase testosterone and hemoglobin levels, and also provides the body with the right amount of leucine. All this in combination provides satisfaction of hunger, helps to restore damage and increase strength.

Conclusion

Although the egg white is almost entirely composed of moisture, this does not prevent it from having a very extensive chemical and amino acid composition. In addition, this product belongs to the diet, so it can be safely consumed in the right quantities without fear for the figure. Now it is actively used in various areas of cooking - without it it is very difficult to imagine at least one baked product or delicious cream. In general, egg white is a great way to saturate the body with the proteins it needs in large quantities, since it is almost completely absorbed by the body. In addition, this product does not create a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.