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According to Dr. Peter DÁdamo, author of Eat Right For Your Type, a chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the foods you eat. This reaction is totally genetic and caused by a factor called Lectins. Lectins, abundant and diverse proteins found in foods, have certain properties that affect your blood. So when you eat a food containing protein lectins that are incompatible with your blood type antigen, the lectins target an organ or bodily system and begin to agglutinate blood cells in that area. The theory is that different lectins target different organs and body system.
The Blood Type Diet
According to this diet, most lectins found in the diet can cause a variety of other problems, especially if they are specific to a particular blood type. For the most part your immune systems protect you from lectins. Ninety-five percent of the lectins you absorb from your typical diets are sloughed off by the body. But at least five percent of the lectins you eat are filtered into the bloodstream and different reactions in different organs.
Your blood type diet is the "restoration" of natural genetic rhythm. Your blood type diet works because you are able to follow a clear, logical, scientifically researched plan based on your blood type profile.Food groups are divided into three categories: Highly beneficial (medicinal), Foods allowed (food that are no harm to the blood type) and Foods not allowed (food that acts like Poison)
There are a few ways to find out your blood type if you do not already have this information. These include:
Having a donor card from the Red Cross or having been typed by a hospital prior to a medical procedure.
Asking your doctor to blood type you. Purchasing a home blood typing kit and blood typing yourself.
We don't recommend relying on the recollections of a parent or relative, since experience shows that these are often incorrect. Military blood typing is often correct, but studies have shown that errors are not uncommon.
Dr D’Adamo believes that levels of stomach acidity and digestive enzymes are linked with your blood type. Consequently, he says, by following a diet designed specifically for your blood type, your body digests and absorbs food more efficiently, with the result that you lose weight.
Dr D’Adamo believes that because blood types evolved at different times throughout history, we should eat a diet based on the types of foods our ancestors typically ate at the time when our blood type was first recognised!
When did the blood types evolve?
Blood Group O was the first blood type to be identified, although how we know this is anyone’s guess – we’re talking about our hunter-gatherer ancestors who were around in 50,000 B.C! Nevertheless, Dr D’Adamo believes because our type O ancestors survived and thrived on a high-protein, meat-based diet, that’s the type of diet blood group Os should follow in the 21st century.
Blood type A apparently came about around 15,000 B.C. The creation of blood type A around this time meant our ancestors did well on a vegetarian-based diet. And again, Dr D’Adamo recommends that blood group A’s should today follow a vegetarian diet.
Blood type B supposedly evolved around 10,000 B.C. Consequently, Dr D'Adamo's theory goes, blood group B’s today can get away with eating a varied diet that consists of most foods including meat, dairy, grains and vegetables.
Finally, came blood type AB, which apparently evolved just 1,000 years ago! Dr D'Adamo thinks this blood type helped our ancestors make the transition to modern times. Meaning that people with blood group AB can eat a mixture of the foods suitable for both blood group A and blood group B.
Blood Group O
Type O's need to eat a typical hunter-gatherer type diet. In other words, type Os should follow a high-protein, low-carb diet with lots of meat and fish but no dairy products, wheat or grains.
Dr D’Adamo recommends lots of vigorous aerobic exercise such as aerobics and running – just like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did!
Blood type A’s should follow a vegetarian diet but still avoid dairy products. This means nuts, seeds, beans, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and veg are all on the ‘to eat’ list. Meanwhile, calming exercises are thought to be best for blood type A’s such as yoga or golf.
Blood Group B
Only one person in 10 has blood type B. The only foods that need to be avoided are processed foods, although nuts and seeds aren’t recommended and only small amounts of high carb foods should be eaten. When it comes to exercise, Dr D’Adamo recommends sports such as hiking, tennis and swimming.
Blood Group AB
People with this rare blood type should eat a combination of the foods recommended for blood groups A and B. Dr D’Adamo suggests that type ABs follow a veggie diet most of the time with some meat, fish and dairy products occasionally. Blood type ABs should combine calming exercises with moderately intense activities.
What do the experts say?
Medical experts universally agree that the theory is nonsense, and say there is absolutely no link between our blood group and the diet we eat. Consequently you won’t find qualified nutritionists or dietitians recommending this diet. But will the diet help me lose weight?
It should, but this is because each of the diets for the four blood types eliminates specific groups of food such as bread and cereals, dairy products or meat and fish.
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