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PROTEIN
A combination of amino acids, some of which are called essential because the human body needs them but can't synthesize them. Your diet must regularly supply protein which contains all of the essential amino acids. The egg boasts them all: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. These amino acids are present in a pattern that matches very closely the pattern the human body needs, so the egg is often the measuring stick by which other protein foods are measured. In addition to the nine essential amino acids, there are nine other amino acids in an egg.
Many different ways to measure protein quality have been developed. According to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), whole egg, whey protein, casein and soy-protein concentrate all score 1 on a scale of 0 to 1. Whole egg exceeds all other protein foods tested with a score of 1.21 (above human needs) in the Amino Acid Score (AAS) rating system. At 3.8, the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) of eggs also outscores other proteins. When Nitrogen Protein Utilization (NPU) is evaluated, whole egg at 98% falls just below whey protein and casein (both at 99%). On a scale with 100 representing top efficiency, the Biological Value (BV) of eggs is rated between 88 and 100, with only whey protein rated higher (100).
Altogether each Large egg provides a total of 6.29 grams of high-quality, complete protein. For this reason, eggs are classified with meat in the food groups. One egg of any size equals one ounce of lean meat, poultry, fish or seafood. In addition to about 12.6% of the Daily Reference Value (DRV) for protein, a Large egg provides varying amounts of many other nutrients, too.
- See Biological Value, Buying, Daily Reference Values (DRVs), Food Guide Pyramid, Meat Replacement, Nutrient, Nutrient Density
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