I never knew about the existence of this topic until recently when I was on a 'troski' and I overheard a lady advising her friend on the need to eat according to her blood group. She spoke about how specific foods are recommended for people with a particular blood type and, how non-adherence to these diets leads to detrimental effects and retards one's growth. This blew an air of curiosity unto me and I started researching how true these claims are. If you are also new to this or have been practicing and wondering if you have been doing the right thing, join me as we uncover the mystery of blood diets together.
What is a Blood Diet?
Blood diet or dieting is a type of eating pattern that is centered on the belief that the blood group of a person determines the type of food that one must eat. This belief was centered around a book published in 1996 by Peter J. D'Adamo in one of his bestselling books called “Eat Right 4 Your Type”. In this book, he wrote about the link between the four major blood groups (A, B, AB, and O) and food choices. This, he linked to ancestral lineage and evolutionary changes in humans.
How does it work?
Every human belongs to one of the 4 major blood groups based on the ABO system. These blood groups are classified based on the type of antigen and antibody present in the blood group. An antigen is a biological (protein and sometimes polysaccharide) marker, that generates a specific immune response based on whether your body can recognize it or not. There are two main antibodies; A, and B, and the presence of either one, both, or the absence of both determine the blood group of an individual. Those with antibody A, are classified as blood group A, those with antibody B are classified as blood group B, those with both antibodies are classified as AB and those with none are classified as blood group O.
According to D’Adamo, these antigens can be present in other parts of the human body such as the digestive tract, and may react with foods that are introduced into the digestive tract. According to him, certain foods contain lectin, a protein structure that can trigger immune responses. The blood groups react differently to the different types of lectins and failure of the antigens to recognize these lectins triggers the production of antibodies which react with the lectins leading to agglutination which can result in several health disorders such as allergy reactions, nausea, abdominal pains, vomiting and diarrhea.
Peter J. D’Adamo associated the type of antigen present in the gut with the type of gut bacteria inherited from ancestors and the gut bacteria evolved based on the dieting of the ancestors. Based on these he classified the diets into four groups associated with the blood group.
Type A Diets (The Agrarian)
D’Adamo classified these groups as vegetarians. These people descend from an ancestorial lineage of farmers. According to him, this blood group developed around 25,000 BC when people started cultivating the land. People with this type of blood group must consume predominantly plant-based diets.
Foods to eat: soy milk, eggs, carrots, cabbage, kale, pumpkin, blueberries, grapefruit, pineapple, brown rice flour, oat flour, tofu, chicken, turkey, cod.
Foods not recommended: eggplants, tomatoes, certain types of beans (lima beans and garbanzo beans), milk, and cheese.
Type O Diets (The Hunter)
This blood group is believed to be the first type of blood group and developed around 45,000 BC. This was associated with the early humans who were predominately hunters and gatherers and so ate lots of fleshy diets (high animal proteins).
Foods to eat: beef, lamb, fish, poultry, onion, spinach, bananas, sweet potatoes, almonds, eggs, mangos, olive oil
Foods not recommended: wheat, soybean oil, peanuts, kidney beans.
Type B Diets (The Nomads)
This blood group was believed to have originated around 15,000 BC and in people who were animal herders. According to D’Adamo, this blood group has a robust immune system and a tolerant digestive system and is more adaptable than other blood types.
Foods to eat: milk, cheese, lamb, beef, poultry, yogurt, beets, broccoli, carrots, kidney beans, peppers, eggplant, venison, cod.
Foods not recommended: corn, soy, lentils, nuts, wheat, buckwheat
Type AB Diets (The Enigma)
This blood group is a combination of all the other blood groups. These people are believed to be a mix of farmers and nomads. People with type AB blood are more biologically complex than other types, according to D’Adamo. These people can consume foods meant for blood groups A and B, tho it is recommended to eat more plant-based diets.
Foods to eat: watermelon, garlic, eggs, goat milk, yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, lentils, walnuts, curry, turkey, cod, lamb
Foods not recommended: Caffeine, Smoked meats, corn, bananas, fava beans.
Are these claims true?
There is no scientific data to support these claims. Even though certain recent publications have shown the prevalence of certain diseases among people with a specific blood group, none of these diseases have been linked to diet. Blood dieting however removes junk foods from the plate leaving room for healthier alternatives which leads to overall growth. Type A dieting of vegetables and fruits has been attributed to better health but this is not specific to blood type A alone. Similar results were achieved when people with other blood groups practiced the same diet.
Also, the blood B type of dieting has received backlash since most of the foods in this category are highly concentrated with saturated fats, which are catalysts for certain diseases.
Conclusion
Individuals are at liberty to choose the type of dieting they prefer. It is recommended that whilst practicing the blood diet, one should not be too restrictive. Removal of junk foods from the plate coupled with exercise can help improve one's health. But also an all-round inclusive diet focusing on one's nutrient requirement is the best way to achieve optimum health.
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