Eggs are certainly not an insider tip as a source of protein. Nevertheless, egg protein has faded into the background alongside all the other protein shakes and many possible protein-containing foods in recent years. In the protein powder segment, in particular, it has been pushed into a niche by whey protein and co.
In my opinion, however, this should not be the case, since the egg itself, but also protein powder made from egg, have some advantages. In this article I therefore want to deal with the egg as a source of protein, as well as protein concentrate made from egg, the so-called egg protein powder.
Time to roll the good old egg out of its shadowy existence.
Why egg protein?
It is certainly no coincidence that the macronutrient protein is named after the white or transparent part of the egg. Historically, egg was one of the few really good sources of protein, for most people it was much easier and cheaper to get in larger quantities than meat.
But even today the egg still has many advantages over known alternatives as a source of protein. So it is very well tolerated, extremely high quality, still available very cheaply and very versatile. Due to its fairly neutral taste, it can be used for almost all sweet and savory dishes.
How much protein does an egg have?
A medium-sized, whole egg (about 55 grams) has about 6.5 grams of protein. It has about 5 grams of fat.
The egg white of such an egg (about 33 grams) has about 3.7 grams of protein and no fat.
Thus, the egg yolk actually contains a little more protein. However, the protein has significantly fewer calories. The egg yolk, on the other hand, also contains more valuable micronutrients such as Calcium, selenium, iron and vitamins B, D and K.
If you want to lose weight with the help of a calorie deficit and define your muscles , then pure protein can be a better choice. Personally, however, I would never just throw away the yolks. I either use the whole egg or I buy pure egg white directly.
How high quality is the protein in the egg?
Egg protein is a very high quality protein. It is very similar to the human protein spectrum and can therefore be absorbed and used very well by the body.
How high quality a protein is is also indicated by its biological value. The egg protein is assigned a value of 100 for good reason. For a long time it was the protein with the greatest known value for the human body. Only the whey protein is now slightly above the egg with a value of 104.
The composition of the protein from amino acids and above all the composition of the contained essential amino acids play a decisive role for this biological value.
Egg protein as protein powder
For the ambitious strength athlete, the protein requirement must be covered as conveniently as possible. The protein shake is simply part of it. Why not benefit from the advantages of egg protein here too? Incidentally, it is often referred to here as egg protein or egg albumin.
How is the egg made into egg protein powder?
Egg protein powder is made from egg white, which is spray-dried, pulverized and pasteurized in a dried form. As a result, the protein is retained in its natural form and also retains its high bioavailability. At the same time it is made durable for a long time.
As a rule, the egg protein is then filtered to remove the sulfur and sodium it contains, and the fat and carbohydrate content is further reduced.
Benefits of egg protein as a protein powder
Egg protein has numerous benefits in the form of protein powder. These include:
- Very high protein content (over 80%)
- (almost) no fat and carbohydrates
- very long shelf life
- easy to transport
- can be used flexibly
Which is better whey protein or egg protein?
Among the protein shakes, the undisputed winner on the market is currently the whey protein. The whey concentrate in particular is unmatched by other protein powders in terms of market share. For this reason, I want to make a comparison of the two types of protein here and show you the advantages and disadvantages of egg protein compared to whey.
Advantages of egg protein over whey:
- Carbohydrate and fat free
- delayed recording
- longer feeling of satiety
- Free from lactose and milk protein (allergens)
- Does not store water in the body
The last point in particular is an important argument why egg protein is very popular with professional bodybuilders.
Disadvantages of egg protein compared to whey:
- Minimally lower biological value
- Slightly slow recording
- slightly higher price
Incidentally, the recording is a little slower, but it is still fast enough for a post-workout shake right after a workout.
Anyone who was expecting something on the topic of cholesterol: The persistent rumor that eggs are bad for the cholesterol level is not true. There is no evidence that consuming eggs would increase it. In fact, there is even some evidence that the lecithin it contains can even lower cholesterol levels.
My egg protein product recommendations
After reading this far, you might be wondering where and in what form you should buy egg protein. Unless I get my eggs fresh from the market or the supermarket and use them whole, I order my egg protein on the Internet.
In the following I would like to give you a product recommendation for egg protein powder, egg white in bottles and ready-to-drink egg protein shakes.
Egg protein powder
With my protein powders, I always try to get the purest possible products that contain few (unnecessary) additives. The egg protein powder from XXL-Nutrition is pure egg albumin. The tasteless variant does not contain any additives. In this variant it also has no fat or carbohydrates.
That’s why I’ve already ordered it a few times. With my Royal Flavor * I can conjure up the taste that I want the most every time. You can also use the powder much more flexibly without your own taste.
Egg white from the bottle
I find pasteurized egg white in the bottle extremely practical for calorie-conscious cooking and baking in a diet. This also has a significantly longer shelf life than fresh eggs and is somewhat better suited for many uses in the kitchen. Personally, I often don’t feel like always touching something with the powder.
My tip: Almost fat-free omelette with ham, tomatoes and basil! 🙂
NovoX ready-made shake drinks
Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of ready-to-drink shakes from the bottle or the carton. However, as a busy professional person, I understand that it can be a very attractive option for many. If the shakes still have good nutritional values (60g protein per drink!) And still taste as delicious as those from novo-X, then they are definitely worth trying out.
Before I tried it for the first time, I was really very skeptical about the fruit taste. In fact, the fruity tastes are especially delicious.
Your conclusion on egg protein
As you can see, the egg as a source of protein should not be underestimated. Egg protein also has a right to exist as a basis for protein powder, as it has some advantages over other common protein variants such as whey and casein . It’s best to just try it out to see how and where it fits your diet well.
After all, there are different ways in which you can benefit from the advantages of egg protein.
If you are still thinking about consuming too much protein or how much you need exactly, then I recommend my article on the subject of protein deficiency .
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