Healthy Living
Diet - Blood Type
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
Eat Right For Your Type
by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo with Catherine Whitney
Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1996
ISBN 0-399-14255-X
These days, health food stores and book stores seem to be overwhelmed by an abundance of books attempting to popularize particular diet plans providing readers with the hope of restoring themselves to excellent health. Among the most popular diets are those which advocate a more vegetarian approach to eating. Still, there are others which advocate high protein with low carbohydrate consumption, and these have become in fact quite popular in that a certain segment of the population will notice an improvement in their sense of well-being while maintaining a diet which at first glance may seem unhealthful.
But rather than try to define a diet that is best for everyone, Dr. Peter D'Adamo in Eat Right For Your Type attempts to define very specific diets for individuals based on a very specific characteristic - blood type.
The first sections of the book review the evolution of blood types and correlates blood types O, A, B, and AB with the specific dietary habits of our ancestors when these blood types began to appear.
Next, Dr. D'Adamo explains that lectins, which are unique proteins found on specific foods, have the ability to agglutinate blood in individuals having specific sensitivities to them. These sensitivities, proposes Dr. D'Adamo, are determined by one’s blood type, thus allowing identification of those specific foods to which one may be sensitive.
What follows are specific dietary recommendations based upon blood type. Hence, those individuals with blood type O should eat a high protein, low carbohydrate diet and in fact should consume generous amounts of animal protein. They are instructed to eliminate wheat and various other grains, virtually eliminate dairy products, and engage in vigorous aerobic exercise. Dr. D'Adamo points out that these individuals are also at increased risk for inflammatory diseases, especially if they stray from the appropriate diet. Blood type A individuals should be essentially vegetarian and emphasize a high carbohydrate, low fat diet. When type A’s consume meat it is poorly digested and stored as fat. Dairy products should also be avoided by this group, but soy foods are emphasized. Vegetables make up an important part of their diet, and exercise should be gentle, such as yoga or golf. People with type B blood are best served by a varied diet including meat, low fat dairy products, eggs, and green vegetables. They should avoid corn, lentils, and wheat and engage in moderate exercise such as swimming or walking. Finally, those with AB blood are instructed to avoid red meat, seeds, corn, and wheat, while favoring tofu, seafood, dairy products, and green vegetables. These individuals are instructed to engage in calming exercises and relaxation techniques.
The diet proposed in Eat Right For Your Type is predicated on the contention that blood type directly relates to our ability to absorb nutrients and our reactions to various foods. While this contention has not received unanimous support in the scientific community, the author’s attempt to draw this correlation is certainly compelling and worth reading.