Nutrient Value

Considering the fact that an egg contains all of the nutrients needed to transform an embryo into a chick, it should come as no surprise that it is richly endowed with nutrients beneficial to humans as well. A large egg—approximately 2 oz (55 g)—contains approximately 0.2 oz (6.6 g) of protein, 0.1 oz (3 g) of unsaturated fats, nine essential amino acids (essential, that is, for building protein in the human body), and a whole host of vitamins and minerals. In addition, eggs also contain two vegetable-based antioxidants, lutein and zea-xanthin, both of which are considered by some scientists to be effective in cancer prevention.