Eat Right For Your Type (Blood)
Overview
Dr. D'Adamo proposes that your blood type, O, A, B or AB, is the key to your body's chemistry. Your blood type determines how you absorb nutrients, what illnesses you are susceptible to and how you will react to specific foods. He has taken this theory and built diets specific to each blood type. By following these diets Dr. D'Adamo even suggests you can avoid certain illnesses your blood type is susceptible to.
Suggested Foods
It all depends on your blood type.
Type O's are the "hunter-gatherers." Type O's can eat meat (high protein and low carbohydrates) but should not eat wheat or most grains.
Type A's are the "agrarians." Type A's should be vegetarians (high carbohydrates and low fat).
Type B's are "balanced." Type B's have the most varied diet and it's the only one that does well with dairy products.
Type AB's are "modern." Type AB is vegetarian, but fish and some dairy are allowed.
Exercise is also encouraged, but the type of exercise Dr. D'Adamo believes would be most beneficial is also determined by blood type.
How it Works
According to Dr. D'Adamo it works like this. Each blood type contains specific chemical markers called antigens that tell the immune system what is good and bad. Antigens that enter your body that are unlike your blood type antigen are seen as bad, causing your immune system to create an antibody to that antigen. When the antibody attacks the bad antigens it's a process called agglutination. These agglutinated antigens attract one another and as they group together the immune system hunts down and destroys them.
Still with me? Proteins in your food (called lectins) that are not compatible with your blood type antigens agglutinate your red blood cells. These agglutinated cells can then go on to mess up body organs, digestion and even hormonal balance.
Pros and Cons
The only good thing about this diet is you don't have to worry about counting calories or fat grams. Eat as much as you'd like of the foods permitted for your blood type.
The bad thing? This diet does not have one published study proving it works. Only pages of references that Dr. D'Adamo say back up his belief.
Families or households that have mixed blood types may have great difficulty in coordinating meals.
Following this diet could be harmful. Type O's may load up on meat (and it's associated fats) and not get enough of other crucial foods. Type B's who are lactose intolerant may have significant difficulties on a diet that says they should eat plenty of dairy.
Dr. D'Adamo's claims to help prevent certain diseases is also troubling since there are no medical studies to back this claim up.
The Bottom Line
This diet is poor science, potentially dangerous and until proper studies are done we cannot recommend Eating 4 Your Blood Type.
As with any diet what this book suggests should NEVER be attempted without the supervision of a Medical Doctor or licensed Nutritionist.
General Reference Links
American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org
Center for Science in the Public Interest
http://www.cspinet.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/
National Institutes of Health
http://www.nih.gov/
United States Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov