What Are the Pros and Cons of Egg White Protein Powder?

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What are the pros and cons of egg white protein powder? Discover if egg white protein powder is the right choice for you.

Pros and Cons of Egg White Protein Powder

What Are the Pros of Egg White Protein Powder?

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Pro: Egg Whites Contain a Complete Protein 

The protein in egg whites is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body needs but cannot produce on its own.

Many protein sources, including most plant-based ones, are not complete. 

Pro: Egg Whites are Highly Digestible 

Egg whites have the highest protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of any protein source, meaning they are easily absorbed and used by the body. 

Pro: Egg Whites are Gut-Friendly  

Egg whites cause fewer digestive issues than any other protein source.

They are low in fiber and low FODMAP.

They are also alkaline, meaning they help maintain healthy pH levels in your gut, and bioactive, meaning they promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

Pro: Egg Whites Taste Good

Unlike most protein powders, Egg White Protein Powders do not have a chalky aftertaste.

This is primarily because egg whites, unlike protein concentrates and isolates, have not been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

What Are the Cons of Egg White Protein Powder?

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Con: Egg Whites are Expensive

Egg white protein powder is one of the most expensive types of protein powder.

Depending on your budget, it might not be a good choice for this reason.

Con: Eggs Are an Allergen

Eggs are one of the eight major allergenic foods that account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.

That said, egg allergies are most common in children, and the vast majority of children outgrow their egg allergy by the age of 6. 

Con? Egg Production Is Bad for Chickens

Cage-free and free-range chickens are happier and healthier than chickens raised in cages, so depending on where the eggs come from, your egg white protein powder may raise concerns about animal welfare.

That said, the difference between conventional, cage-free, and free-range eggs are probably not as significant as you think.

• Cage-free eggs come from chickens that are given 1.2 square feet of indoor space and almost never see the outdoors.
• Free-range eggs come from chickens that are given 2 square feet of space and have “access” to the outdoors, which could just be a chicken-sized hole in a wall – and many free-range chickens never see the outdoors because they are not bred for mobility.
• Some experts even argue that raising cage-free chickens is actually worse for food safety and quality, animal welfare, and worker health and safety than raising conventional chickens. 

With this in mind, you can decide for yourself how much these labels matter.

Con? Egg Production is Not Sustainable

Compared to growing plant-based protein sources, egg production has a large environmental impact. 

The environmental impact of egg production is considerably lower than that of beef, dairy, and pork production, however. 

While we are on the subject, it is worth adding that raising free-range chicken is less sustainable than raising conventional chicken. 

• Chickens raised in conventional cage systems are the most efficient layers. It takes 2 kilograms of feed to produce 1 kilogram of eggs.
• Chickens raised in cage-free systems – in which the birds are free to roam the barn but cannot access the outdoors – require 14 percent more feed because they burn more calories.
• Free-range chickens – with access to the outdoors – require about 18 percent more.

Organic, free-range chickens, whose feed is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, need 20 percent more feed than birds kept in cages. 

The amount of feed it takes to raise a chicken matters because almost half of global greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production are related to feed production and processing, and almost half of global agricultural land is used for feeding animals.

And in many countries, this land use is accelerating deforestation and biodiversity loss, as well as water scarcity.

This is all to say that although cage-free/free-range might be better for the animals, it is not necessarily better for the environment. 

Tradeoffs like these are inherent in many of the foods we eat, however, so do not let this information discourage you from eating eggs.

Summary

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In summary, egg whites are an excellent source of dietary protein, on par with whey in terms of biological value.

They are also one of the best tasting protein sources, and an ideal choice for people with digestive issues.

Egg production does raise concerns about animal welfare and environmental impact, however, so if these matter to you, I encourage you to do more research on the matter.