Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Egg Yolk

The yolk makes up about 33% of the liquid weight of the egg; it contains approximately 60 calories, three times the caloric content of the egg white.

The yolk of one large egg (50 g total, 17 g yolk) contains approximately: 2.7 g protein, 210 mg cholesterol, 0.61 g carbohydrates, and 4.51 g total fat. (USDA National Nutrient Database)

All of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) are found in the egg yolk. Egg yolk is one of the few foods naturally containing vitamin D.

The composition (by weight) of the most prevalent fatty acids in egg yolk is typically as follows:[1]

Unsaturated fatty acids:
Oleic acid, 47%
Linoleic acid, 16%
Palmitoleic acid, 5%
Linolenic acid, 2%
Saturated fatty acids:
Palmitic acid, 23%
Stearic acid, 4%
Myristic acid, 1%
Egg yolk is a source of lecithin.

The yellow color is due to lutein and zeaxanthin, which are yellow or orange carotenoids known as xanthophylls.

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