The Missing Piece: Which Vitamin Is Missing in Eggs?

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

Though often hailed as a near-perfect food, containing 12 of the 13 essential vitamins, eggs are notably deficient in one crucial nutrient. This raises an important question for those aiming for a complete diet: Which vitamin is missing in eggs?

Quick Summary

Eggs, while rich in protein and a wide array of vitamins, completely lack vitamin C. The deficiency occurs because birds synthesize their own vitamin C. This nutritional gap highlights the importance of incorporating vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables into one's diet to ensure overall health.

Key Points

Vitamin C is Missing: Eggs contain nearly every essential vitamin except for vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
Avian Synthesis: The absence of vitamin C in eggs is because chickens can produce their own, so they do not need to obtain it from their diet or store it in their eggs.
Rich in Other Nutrients: Eggs are an excellent source of high-quality protein, choline, and several key fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, as well as many B-complex vitamins.
Importance of Vitamin C: For humans, vitamin C is essential for immune function, wound healing, and collagen synthesis, which must be obtained through diet.
Complementary Diet: A balanced diet should pair eggs with vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, berries, and various vegetables to ensure all nutritional needs are met.
Eye Health Benefits: Eggs are rich in antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for eye health, particularly in preventing age-related macular degeneration.

The Surprising Answer: Vitamin C

Despite being a staple of a nutritious diet, eggs completely lack vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. While they are packed with high-quality protein and a wealth of other essential vitamins and minerals, this single missing component means that eggs alone cannot provide a complete vitamin profile for human needs. Understanding this nutritional gap is key to building a balanced and health-promoting diet that effectively combines different food groups.

Why Chickens Don't Need to Provide Vitamin C in Eggs

The absence of vitamin C in eggs is not a flaw of the food itself, but rather a result of avian biology. Unlike humans, birds are able to synthesize their own vitamin C within their bodies. Since they can produce it endogenously, there is no biological need to deposit this water-soluble vitamin into their eggs to nourish the developing embryo. This is why the vitamin is absent in both the yolk and the egg white, and why we must obtain it from external dietary sources.

The Impressive Vitamin Profile of Eggs

While lacking in vitamin C, eggs are a remarkable source of many other vital nutrients. The yolk, in particular, is where most of these vitamins are concentrated. A single large egg provides a substantial portion of a person's daily requirements for several key vitamins and minerals.

Fat-soluble vitamins found in eggs include:

Vitamin A: Essential for vision, immune function, and reproductive health.
Vitamin D: Crucial for bone health, calcium absorption, and supporting the immune system. Eggs are one of the few natural food sources of this vitamin.
Vitamin E: A powerful antioxidant that protects cells from damage.
Vitamin K: Important for blood clotting and bone health.

Water-soluble vitamins found in eggs include:

B-Complex Vitamins: This group includes B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). These are vital for energy metabolism, brain function, and red blood cell formation.
Choline: A vital nutrient for brain health, metabolism, and cell maintenance, with egg yolks being one of the best dietary sources.

The Importance of Vitamin C for Human Health

For humans, getting sufficient dietary vitamin C is non-negotiable for several bodily functions. As a potent antioxidant, it helps protect against free radical damage and is essential for a strong immune system. Most notably, it is a critical cofactor in the synthesis of collagen, a protein vital for wound healing, strong bones, healthy skin, and blood vessel walls. A severe deficiency in vitamin C can lead to scurvy, though this is rare today due to better access to diverse foods.

Filling the Nutritional Gap: Pairing Eggs with Vitamin C Sources

To create a complete and well-rounded meal, incorporating vitamin C-rich foods alongside eggs is a simple and effective strategy. The best sources of vitamin C are fresh fruits and vegetables.

Excellent sources of Vitamin C include:

Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, and kiwi.
Berries, such as strawberries and cranberries.
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
Red and green peppers.
Leafy greens like spinach.
Tomatoes and tomato juice.

Pairing a scrambled egg breakfast with a side of sautéed bell peppers or a fruit salad can ensure you are covering all your vitamin bases. This not only balances the nutritional intake but also adds variety and flavor to your meals.

Comparison: Egg Vitamin Profile vs. Vitamin C-Rich Foods

To highlight the nutritional roles, here is a comparison of the vitamin content of eggs with that of a vitamin C-rich food like red bell peppers (per 100g serving):


Nutrient	Egg (100g)	Red Bell Pepper (raw, 100g)	Notes
Vitamin C	0 mg	127.7 mg	Eggs contain none; peppers are an excellent source.
Protein	12.6 g	1.0 g	Eggs are a high-quality, complete protein source.
Vitamin B12	1.11 μg	0 μg	Eggs provide a significant amount, absent in peppers.
Vitamin D	2.2 μg	0 μg	Eggs are one of the few natural food sources.
Vitamin A	149 μg	158 μg	Both are good sources of vitamin A, though eggs contain retinol.
Choline	294 mg	5.6 mg	Eggs are a top dietary source of this essential nutrient.
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	539 μg (average)	408 μg	Eggs provide readily absorbable amounts of these eye-protecting antioxidants.

Conclusion: The Final Word on Eggs and Vitamins

Eggs are a nutritious, affordable, and versatile food, providing a complete protein and a wide spectrum of fat-soluble and B-complex vitamins. However, they are not a one-stop-shop for all your vitamin needs, most notably lacking in vitamin C due to the biological functions of the chicken. For optimal health, the best approach is to include a variety of foods in your diet, ensuring you pair your eggs with fresh fruits and vegetables to get your daily intake of ascorbic acid. By complementing eggs with other food sources, you can easily bridge this nutritional gap and reap the full benefits of a balanced diet.

For more information on the importance and sources of vitamin C, visit the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary vitamin absent in eggs is vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid.

Eggs do not contain vitamin C because chickens can naturally synthesize it within their bodies, so they do not need to pass it to the egg.

Eggs are rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12), and choline.

Eating eggs will not cause a vitamin C deficiency. The risk comes from not consuming other foods rich in this nutrient. Pairing eggs with fruits and vegetables is recommended.

You can supplement your vitamin C intake by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as oranges, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, and spinach.

Some eggs can be nutritionally enriched with higher levels of certain nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and E, depending on the chicken's diet. However, these are still not a source of vitamin C.

Contrary to past concerns, moderate egg consumption has been shown to have a neutral or beneficial effect on cardiovascular health for most people, improving 'good' HDL cholesterol levels and containing healthy fats and choline.

No, there is no vitamin C present in either the egg yolk or the egg white.

Cooking methods can affect the overall nutritional profile, but it does not add or remove vitamin C, as it was never present in the first place.