Egg vs. Tofu — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Tofu is high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, and vitamins B1, B3, and C. Eggs have more selenium, copper, choline, vitamins A, B2, B5, B6, B12, and folate. Both are good sources of protein, although tofu is higher. Moreover, tofu has more polyunsaturated fats and dietary fiber. Tofu has significantly lower cholesterol and sodium levels.
Eggs, on the other hand, contain more calories and monounsaturated and saturated fats.
Table of contents
Introduction
In this article, we will discuss the differences between whole, hard-boiled eggs and tofu and their health impacts.
Tofu, often known as "bean curd" or "soybean curd," is prepared by boiling soy milk with a coagulant, which changes its hardness. Magnesium chloride or calcium sulfate are the two coagulants. Soy-based foods such as tofu are considered a meat alternative.
Taste
Tofu doesn't have a strong taste. Tofu is mild and gentle in flavor. Tofu's taste can change depending on the ingredients and sauces used because it soaks up their flavors. For instance, when you cook it with different sauces, it can taste savory and full of flavor. Alternatively, when you put it in soups or salads, it can have a gentle and mild taste.
Eggs have different flavors depending on the type of egg. Ways of cooking, like frying, boiling, or poaching, can change how eggs taste and feel in the mouth. Egg white has a subtle, mild, and slightly salty flavor. The yolk of an egg tastes buttery and slightly sweet, and the texture is creamy.
Nutrition
In this part of the article, we will compare the nutritional values of eggs, whole, cooked, hard-boiled, and tofu, raw, firm, and prepared with calcium sulfate, concentrating on differences.
Macronutrients and Calories
Overall, eggs and tofu have similar nutritional densities, tofu being only a little denser. Eggs contain 75% water, whereas tofu contains 70% water.
Macronutrient Comparison
Contains
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FatsFats
+21.7%
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ProteinProtein
+37.3%
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CarbsCarbs
+148.2%
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OtherOther
+30.8%
Calories
Eggs are slightly higher in calories than tofu. A 100g serving of egg contains 155 calories, while the same serving size of tofu provides 144 calories.
Protein
Tofu is high in protein content compared to eggs. A hundred grams of egg contains 12.58g of protein, whereas tofu has 17.27g.
Eggs and tofu are both high in all essential amino acids. However, tofu is richer in almost all essential amino acids except lysine and methionine.
Fats
Compared to tofu, eggs contain more fats. A hundred grams of eggs contain 10.61g of fat, whereas tofu provides 8.72g. Tofu provides over 3.5 times more polyunsaturated and 2.5 times less saturated fats. Conversely, egg has two times more monounsaturated fats.
Fat Type Comparison
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Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat
+111.8%
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Sat. FatSaturated Fat
-61.4%
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Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat
+248%
Carbohydrates
Although the carb content is not very high in eggs and tofu, tofu has a higher level of carbohydrates. A hundred grams of eggs contain 1.12g of net carbs and are fiber-free. Tofu has 0.48g of net carb and 2.3g of dietary fiber per hundred grams.
Cholesterol
Eggs are significantly higher in cholesterol. A 100g of eggs contains 373mg of cholesterol, whereas tofu is cholesterol-free.
Vitamins
An egg has more vitamins B2, B5, B6, B12, and folate. Eggs also contain three times more vitamin A and provide vitamins D, E, and K in small quantities. Conversely, tofu is high in vitamins B1, B3, and C.
Vitamin Comparison
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Vitamin AVitamin A
+213.3%
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Vitamin EVitamin E
+∞%
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Vitamin DVitamin D
+∞%
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Vitamin B2Vitamin B2
+402.9%
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Vitamin B5Vitamin B5
+951.1%
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Vitamin B6Vitamin B6
+31.5%
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Vitamin B12Vitamin B12
+∞%
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Vitamin KVitamin K
+∞%
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FolateFolate
+51.7%
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CholineCholine
+∞%
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Vitamin CVitamin C
+∞%
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Vitamin B1Vitamin B1
+139.4%
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Vitamin B3Vitamin B3
+495.3%
Minerals
The egg contains over two times more selenium and five times more copper. Egg covers your daily copper needs 180% more than tofu. Moreover, the egg provides 293.8g of choline. In contrast, tofu has more phosphorus, iron, manganese, potassium, and magnesium. Compared to eggs, tofu has over 13 times more calcium.
Egg provides 50mg of calcium per hundred grams, whereas tofu has 638mg. Moreover, tofu has over nine times less sodium. A hundred grams of egg contains 124g of sodium, whereas tofu has 14mg.
Mineral Comparison
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CopperCopper
+429.1%
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SeleniumSelenium
+77%
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MagnesiumMagnesium
+480%
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CalciumCalcium
+1266%
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PotassiumPotassium
+88.1%
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IronIron
+123.5%
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ZincZinc
+49.5%
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PhosphorusPhosphorus
+10.5%
Contains
less
SodiumSodium
-88.7%
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ManganeseManganese
+4442.3%
Oxalate content
Eggs are oxalate-free. The oxalate level of tofu is 6mg per hundred grams.
Glycemic Index
The glycemic index of eggs is equal to 0. Tofu has a glycemic index of 15.
As we can see, tofu tends to have a higher glycemic index than eggs. However, the glycemic index of both eggs and tofu falls in the low category.
Insulin Index
The insulin index of eggs is 23, whereas tofu has an insulin index of 21.
Acidity
The pH values of eggs usually fall between 7.75 to 8 (1). Tofu has a pH level of 7.2 (2).
Another way to measure the acidity of a food is the potential renal acid load(PRAL). The PRAL value demonstrates the ability of the food to break down into acids or bases inside the body. Eggs have a PRAL level of 9. The PRAL level of tofu is 0.1. That shows that eggs are more acid-producing than tofu.
Weight Loss & Diets
Consuming tofu lowers plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, fat mass, and body weight in several nutritional intervention trials conducted on humans and animals. Consuming soy protein decreases the accumulation of body fat and enhances insulin resistance in animal models. Dietary soy protein lowers plasma lipid levels, body weight, and body fat mass in obese people (3).
When combined with an energy-deficit diet, egg breakfast promotes weight loss; however, if you're not following any specific diet, eating eggs for breakfast won't make you lose weight (4).
Vegan: Eggs, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and other items produced from animals are all excluded from this diet. Unlike eggs, tofu is considered vegan.
Vegetarian: Vegetarians avoid all animal flesh products, including red meat, fish, and poultry. People who follow the Lacto-vegetarian diet should avoid eggs, whereas the Ovo-vegetarian diet allows egg consumption. Tofu can be part of the vegetarian diet.
Keto: The keto diet includes low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein foods. Eggs and tofu are keto-friendly.
Paleo: This diet focuses on eating natural, unprocessed foods and avoiding processed foods. Eggs are allowed in the paleo diet, whereas tofu is not paleo-friendly.
Health Benefits
Cardiovascular Health
Egg consumption may lower the risk of hypertension (5).
The results from the three cohorts demonstrate that moderate egg consumption—up to one egg per day—is linked to a potentially lower risk of cardiovascular disease in Asian populations but is not generally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (6).
High consumption of isoflavones and tofu is associated with a moderately lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (7).
A daily consumption of 26.7 g of tofu may lower the incidence of CVDs by 18% (8).
Cancer
According to the research, eating more tofu reduces the risk of breast cancer (9).
Tofu consumption may also decrease the risk of prostate cancer (10).
Egg proteins and peptides have immunomodulatory properties. In several cell lines, these proteins and peptides can activate or repress pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as alter the synthesis of inflammatory mediators (11).
Downsides and Risks
Neurodegenerative diseases
According to the study, high tofu intake may increase the incidence of cognitive impairment symptomatic of dementia in older people. Eating more tofu each week leads to lower memory performance (12).
Another study found that high tofu consumption is associated with brain atrophy in older people (13).
Cancer
The study found that egg consumption may enhance the risk of pharynx, oral cavity, colorectal, lung, breast, prostate, and bladder cancer (14).
One comprehensive study, for example, revealed a positive dose-response relationship between egg intake and gastrointestinal (GI) neoplasms (15).
Allergy
Egg and soy are the most common allergens in young children (16, 17).
If you are allergic to soy, you should avoid tofu. For many people, consuming soy is risk-free. If you have a soy allergy, your immune system perceives the protein in soy as a dangerous "invader," similar to a bacteria or virus. There are 16 putative soy protein allergens identified, although their clinical relevance is uncertain (18).
According to the study, the primary allergen in tofu is beta-conglycinin (19).
Proteins in the soy attach to particular IgE antibodies produced by the person's immune system.
Egg allergy occurs when the body's immune system gets sensitive to proteins in egg whites and yolks and overreacts (20).
Allergic responses are unpredictable and can range from mild to severe.
Soy and egg allergy symptoms may include stomach cramps, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tightness in your throat, cough, itching, eczema, anaphylaxis, etc (20, 21).
Sources
- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/pH
- https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1838825/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18679412/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29725070/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32132002/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32200662/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36986086/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31910211/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29300347/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8913999/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25114086/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10763906/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20104980/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7723562/
- https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergies/
- https://www.foodallergy.org/living-food-allergies/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15113974/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19128355/
- https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11320-soy-allergy
Infographic
Comparison summary table
Lower in Cholesterol | |||
Lower in Sugar | |||
Lower in Sodium | |||
Lower in Saturated Fat | |||
Lower in price | |||
Rich in minerals | |||
Lower in Glycemic Index | |||
Rich in vitamins |
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
Nutrient | Opinion | ||
Calories | 155kcal | 144kcal | |
Protein | 12.58g | 17.27g | |
Fats | 10.61g | 8.72g | |
Vitamin C | 0mg | 0.2mg | |
Net carbs | 1.12g | 0.48g | |
Carbs | 1.12g | 2.78g | |
Cholesterol | 373mg | 0mg | |
Vitamin D | 87IU | 0IU | |
Magnesium | 10mg | 58mg | |
Calcium | 50mg | 683mg | |
Potassium | 126mg | 237mg | |
Iron | 1.19mg | 2.66mg | |
Sugar | 1.12g | ||
Fiber | 0g | 2.3g | |
Copper | 2mg | 0.378mg | |
Zinc | 1.05mg | 1.57mg | |
Phosphorus | 172mg | 190mg | |
Sodium | 124mg | 14mg | |
Vitamin A | 520IU | 166IU | |
Vitamin A | 149µg | ||
Vitamin E | 1.03mg | ||
Vitamin D | 2.2µg | 0µg | |
Manganese | 0.026mg | 1.181mg | |
Selenium | 30.8µg | 17.4µg | |
Vitamin B1 | 0.066mg | 0.158mg | |
Vitamin B2 | 0.513mg | 0.102mg | |
Vitamin B3 | 0.064mg | 0.381mg | |
Vitamin B5 | 1.398mg | 0.133mg | |
Vitamin B6 | 0.121mg | 0.092mg | |
Vitamin B12 | 1.11µg | 0µg | |
Vitamin K | 0.3µg | ||
Folate | 44µg | 29µg | |
Choline | 293.8mg | ||
Saturated Fat | 3.267g | 1.261g | |
Monounsaturated Fat | 4.077g | 1.925g | |
Polyunsaturated fat | 1.414g | 4.921g | |
Tryptophan | 0.153mg | 0.235mg | |
Threonine | 0.604mg | 0.785mg | |
Isoleucine | 0.686mg | 0.849mg | |
Leucine | 1.075mg | 1.392mg | |
Lysine | 0.904mg | 0.883mg | |
Methionine | 0.392mg | 0.211mg | |
Phenylalanine | 0.668mg | 0.835mg | |
Valine | 0.767mg | 0.87mg | |
Histidine | 0.298mg | 0.431mg | |
Omega-3 - EPA | 0.005g | ||
Omega-3 - DHA | 0.038g |
Which food is preferable for your diet?
Low Calories diet | ||
Low Fats diet | ||
Low Carbs diet | ||
Low Glycemic Index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Egg - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173424/nutrients
- Tofu - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172475/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.