Eggs

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

A genuinely complete protein — and a choline source most people overlook.

Stage by stage

Intake (Cooking denatures protein): Cooking changes the protein structure, actually making it easier to digest than raw egg.
Stomach (Protein breakdown begins): Stomach acid and enzymes begin breaking the protein into smaller pieces.
Small intestine (Amino acids & choline absorbed): Amino acids and choline (concentrated in the yolk) are absorbed here.
Muscle & brain (Protein synthesis & cell membranes): Amino acids support muscle repair; choline is used to build cell membranes and the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Timing

Any meal; cooking method doesn’t meaningfully change nutrient content.

Time to effect

Hours: Amino acids and choline are absorbed within hours of eating.

Allergens

Contains: Eggs. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Gluten-free.

Satiety

150 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Measured by Holt et al. (1995).

Environmental footprint

4.7 kg CO2e and 578 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Eggs" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £4.5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 127.4
Protein: 12.6g
Carbohydrate: 0.3g
of which sugars: 0.3g
Fat: 8.5g
of which saturated: 2.3g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 150mg

Food vs. supplement

One egg provides about 147mg of choline — roughly a third of typical adult recommendations — alongside complete protein other choline sources don’t include. Reaching full choline needs from eggs alone would mean eating several a day, which is where a supplement can fill the remaining gap.

Kitchen tip

Cook the yolk soft rather than hard to preserve more choline, and skip discarding it - most of the nutrition lives there.

Common myth

“Eating eggs regularly significantly raises blood cholesterol for most people.” In reality: For most healthy people, dietary cholesterol from eggs has a much smaller effect on blood cholesterol than once believed — the body compensates by making less of its own.