Egg Albumin

What is egg albumin? Albumin refers to a class of proteins found in body fluids and tissues of animals, and constitutes the 'egg white' found in eggs. It is found in our blood and in the milk of animals as well as other tissues, and is also found in many plant tissues. Albumin is water soluble and when eaten can be easily broken down in your digestive system into its constituent amino acids, so is a valuable nutrient that helps your body repair and replace tissues.

Egg albumin is thought to more closely resemble human tissue than any other animal tissue, so egg albumin products (such as protein powder and amino acid capsules) is very quickly and efficiently assimilated into our systems when eaten. The albumin in an egg is the clearish or misty substance that surrounds the yellow yolk, and helps to provide nutrition for the growing embryo in the egg.

While the yolk is comprised mainly of fats, the albumin is comprised of about ten percent proteins that are dissolved in about ninety percent water, making it a very pure source of protein and making it very easy to digest for humans. This is why egg albumin products are the supplement of choice for athletes and weightlifters who need to replenish body tissues fast and in large quantities.

Whole eggs have been a valuable protein source for athletes for generations and we used to see them chugging whole eggs by the dozen or two each day; but in present times with our improved knowledge of the values of the different parts of the egg, we now know that the yolk is mostly fat and the albumin is protein and water, so now you will more often see athletes buying separated egg whites and eating or drinking those, and adding them to recipes, without any yolk.

Egg albumin, because of its protein concentration, is a powerful 'binding agent' in food; proteins are slightly elastic in nature, as well as tending to bind together, so whenever we cook a food that tends to crumble a little or fall apart, such as meatloaf, hamburgers, bread, cake, etc., we include eggs as a binding agent that dissolves easily in the mixture and adheres to all the parts and holds them together. It is the protein in the egg albumin that does this, making it one of our most valuable aides as a physical binder in cooking, as well as a most valuable nutrient in helping our bodies repair and grow tissue.