Eggs: Nutrient Profile
Eggs are richest in the vitamins, minerals and amino acids below, ranked by the amount in 100 g of hard-boiled egg. A large egg weighs about 50 g, so it holds about half of each amount. Each one links to that nutrient’s own page listing the best foods to get it from.
| Eggs: Richest Nutrients (per 100 g) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Nutrient | Per 100 g | %DV / 100g | Purpose |
| Vitamins | ||||
| 1 | Choline | 294 mg | 🟢 53% | Brain & liver |
| 2 | Vitamin B12 | 1.1 mcg | 🟡 46% | Nerves & red blood cells |
| 3 | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.5 mg | 🟡 39% | Energy & cell health |
| 4 | Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | 1.4 mg | 🟡 28% | Energy metabolism |
| 5 | Vitamin A | 149 mcg | 🟡 17% | Vision, skin & immunity |
| 6 | Vitamin D3 | 2.2 mcg | 🟡 11% | Bone strength & immunity |
| 7 | Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 44 mcg DFE | 🟡 11% | Cell division; pregnancy |
| Minerals | ||||
| 1 | Selenium | 31 mcg | 🟢 56% | Antioxidant & thyroid |
| 2 | Phosphorus | 172 mg | 🟡 14% | Bones & cellular energy |
| Amino Acids — ranked by amount (no Daily Value) | ||||
| 1 | Glutamic acid | 1.6 g | 🟢 | Brain signaling (glutamate) |
| 2 | Aspartic acid | 1.3 g | 🟢 | Cellular energy & detox |
| 3 | Leucine | 1.1 g | 🟢 | Builds muscle (branched-chain amino acid, BCAA) |
| 4 | Serine | 0.9 g | 🟢 | Cell membranes & brain |
| 5 | Lysine | 0.9 g | 🟢 | Collagen & immunity |
| 6 | Valine | 0.8 g | 🟡 | Muscle & energy (branched-chain amino acid) |
| 7 | Arginine | 0.8 g | 🟡 | Blood flow (nitric oxide) |
| 8 | Alanine | 0.7 g | 🟡 | Energy (glucose cycle) |
| 9 | Isoleucine | 0.7 g | 🟡 | Muscle & energy (branched-chain amino acid) |
| 10 | Phenylalanine | 0.7 g | 🟡 | Dopamine & focus |
| 11 | Threonine | 0.6 g | 🟡 | Collagen & gut lining |
| 12 | Tyrosine | 0.5 g | 🟡 | Dopamine & thyroid |
| 13 | Proline | 0.5 g | 🟡 | Collagen & joints |
| 14 | Glycine | 0.4 g | 🟡 | Collagen, calm & sleep |
Values are per 100 g of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central record FDC 173424, “Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled” (SR Legacy). %DV is the amount per 100 g divided by the adult Daily Value in 21 CFR 101.9.
Other Compounds in a Large Egg
The same U.S. Department of Agriculture record (FDC 173424, 50 g for one large egg) also lists these amounts, which the table above leaves out.
- Lutein + zeaxanthin: 353 mcg per 100 g, about 176 mcg in a large egg
- Vitamin E: 1.03 mg per 100 g, about 0.52 mg in a large egg
- Vitamin K: 0.3 mcg per 100 g, about 0.15 mcg in a large egg
- Cholesterol: 373 mg per 100 g, about 187 mg in a large egg
The amino acid list above stops at 0.4 g. These amino acids fall below that line:
- Methionine: 0.392 g per 100 g, about 0.196 g in a large egg
- Histidine: 0.298 g per 100 g, about 0.149 g in a large egg
- Cystine: 0.292 g per 100 g, about 0.146 g in a large egg
- Tryptophan: 0.153 g per 100 g, about 0.077 g in a large egg