What You Need To Know About The "Blood Type" Diet Plan

The Basics

Dr D’Adamo, creator of the Blood Type diet, believes our blood group determines how our bodies deal with different nutrients. His theory is based on the idea that each blood group has its own unique antigen marker (a substance that the body recognizes as being alien) and this marker reacts badly with certain foods, leading to all sorts of potential health problems.

Things to Eat

Each of the four blood types has a detailed list of foods that should be avoided and those that can be included.

Blood Group O

Type O's need to eat a typical hunter-gatherer type diet. In other words, type O's should follow a high-protein, low-carb diet with lots of meat and fish but no dairy products, wheat or grains.

Blood Group A

Blood type A’s should follow a vegetarian diet but still avoid dairy products. This means nuts, seeds, beans, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and vegatables are all on the ‘to eat’ list.

Blood Group B

Type B's are able to thrive on all sorts of foods. Very few foods need to be avoided. The only foods that need to be avoided are processed foods, although nuts and seeds aren’t recommended and only small amounts of carb-rich foods should be eaten.

Blood Group AB

People with this rare blood type should eat a combination of the foods recommended for blood groups A and B. Somewhat confusing when type B allows you to eat most foods, while type A suggests a vegetarian diet! Dr D’Adamo gets around this by suggesting that type ABs follow a veggie diet most of the time with some meat, fish and dairy products occasionally.

Why They Claim It Works?

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.

Some Opinions I Found

Medical experts universally agree that the theory in the Blood Type diet 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.

There are not many positive things to say about the Blood Type diet, which is clearly based on science fiction rather than science fact. However, as with any diet, it will get you thinking about what you are currently eating, with the result that you may start to make changes to your diet. Added to this, the blood type diet recommends eating fresh, natural foods and so can help you de-junk your diet by cutting out processed foods, takeaways, booze, chocolate and too many cups of coffee.

The Blood Type diet is filled with pseudo-science and has the potential to scare people into avoiding many nutritious foods in an effort to lose weight. It’s also worth bearing in mind that although the diet gives the impression that it’s based on sound scientific research this is, in fact, far from the case.

My Thoughts

What can I say that hasn't already been said. Any diet that leaves out certain food groups should be considered suspect. I give this on a "thumbs down".


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