The Blood Type Diet

Peter D'Adamo, a natural health practitioner who considers a person's blood type to be the most important factor in determining their ideal diet, developed the Blood Type Diet in his book Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type'.

How Does The Blood Type Diet Work?

Because the blood type diet considers that food lectins react differently with different types of blood - A, AB, B or O - some creating antigens which cause a reaction as if to an allergen or invader, you are advised to consume more of some foods and avoid others, according to your blood type and cellular profile, in order to lose weight.

Group 0 - The Hunter: A high protein diet of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables is recommended for what is claimed to be the oldest blood type.

Group A - The Cultivator: Suitable for a vegetarian diet as it consists of very little red meat and more vegetables, seafood, tofu, fruit, beans, and legumes.

Group B - The Nomad: Though dairy products are not recommended for the other blood groups, they are allowed for this group, along with most foods including meat, vegetables, beans, fruits, and grains.

Group AB - The Enigma: Intermediate between groups A and B, in moderation.

There are many foods that should not be eaten for each blood type because of the action of the lectins.

Does The Blood Type Diet Work?

Although Dr. D'Adamo claims to have around a 70% success rate in terms of improved health conditions and/or weight loss, these results are self-reported and do not come from independent research (people who respond to polls). There is no analysis of the results of the people who have read his books and tried the diet because there is no way of tracking all of them. There apparently have been no structured clinical trials of the diet.

In cases where people have had good results with the diet, losing weight and/or regaining health, it is possible that the diet happens to suit them, but it could also be the result of simply being more conscious of what they eat and avoiding certain foods.

Since a much larger percentage of the population have either group A, AB or O blood types (where dairy products are not recommended), just cutting out the dairy products can result in significant weight loss for the majority of people. It's surprising how many processed foods contain milk in some form, so avoiding dairy products will automatically cut out a lot of fat, fast food and junk food in the average person's diet, almost certainly resulting in weight loss.

Any Drawbacks With The Blood Type Diet?

Virtually all independent research suggests that there is no link between blood type and diet, and as a result Dr. D'Adamo has been heavily criticized for the lack of structured research to back up his ideas.

Also, many scientists consider that lectins in foods do not act in the way that extracted lectins might act. That is, when they are included in food they do not set off a hostile reaction with antigens or antibodies. Additionally, research has not found a link between blood type and food allergies.

You may be suited to the blood type diet if you like a diet with lots of rules that clearly lays out what you can and cannot eat, but it is a somewhat complex diet, and some people will not be suited to some versions of it. As always, of course, consult your doctor before going on this or any other weight loss programs.