You’re all set to make a high protein breakfast after gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or lap band surgery. You crack your eggs and there it is: a spot of blood in the egg. What do you do? Is it OK to eat? Read on to find out.
A hen can lay an egg once in 26 hours, but the process to create the egg is actually quite complex. Depending on what happens to the hen while her body is forming the egg, the egg may come out a little odd. It could have two yolks, or none, it can be misshapen, or have a blood spot.
Regular commercial grade eggs have been inspected and sorted to eliminate many of the odd eggs. But, you can still find eggs with blood spots. Some people think it means that the egg had been fertilized. But, that’s not true. A blood spot is just a ruptured blood vessel in the egg. Even unfertilized eggs have blood vessels. The blood vessel is there to anchor the yolk inside the egg.
Why did it rupture? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. It is estimated that between 2-4% of eggs many have a ruptured blood vessel. It could be that the hen was startled while she was laying. It could be genetic. Maybe the hen didn’t get enough time in the dark while she was laying. Only in very rare cases it could signal a problem with the hen or her feed.
Generally, a spot of blood in your egg is nothing to worry about. No need to throw the egg away. You can eat it just as it is or you can use a knife or the tine of a fork to pick the blood spot out before cooking it.
Don’t let a blood spot in your egg ruin an otherwise high protein breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eggs are generally well tolerated by post op bariatric patients when they are eating regularly textured meals and can handle eating foods that aren’t super moist. Plus, they are a great source of high quality protein, vitamins, and minerals. Pair the eggs with vegetables like peppers, kale, spinach, or asparagus to make them a perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner that is high in protein and fiber and low carbohydrate to promote weight loss.
This egg education is offered by Dr. Shillingford, MD, PA, a board certified surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopic and obesity surgery. Dr. Shillingford performs gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and gastric band surgeries for obese and overweight patients with comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, as well as other medical conditions that can be improved or reversed with weight loss and a controlled diet. Dr. Shillingford takes great pride in helping his patients improve not only their appearance, but also their health and well being. His weight loss surgery patients often come to his Boca Raton office from nearby Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Parkland, and West Palm Beach. Many patients are also happy to travel from far distances (like Michigan, Texas, and New York) to have their surgery with Dr. Shillingford, who is highly regarded as a leader in bariatric surgery in South Florida, but is also known for his compassionate care and bedside manner.
