Diet by blood type is based on the thesis that people tolerate certain foods better than others because of their blood type. By avoiding certain foods that are incompatible with the appropriate blood group, a person should lose weight and avoid or alleviate diseases. Read here if this really works and the advantages and disadvantages of diet by blood groups!
What is a blood type diet?
The concept of nutrition by blood type comes from the American naturopath Peter J. D’Adama. It is based on the assumption that, depending on their blood type, people either tolerate certain foods or do not tolerate them. The reason for the different digestibility is allegedly food proteins, so-called lectins, which react with the blood’s components.
D’Adamo believes that blood types evolved at different times when different food groups were available throughout human history. According to their character, those who eat according to the interpretation in the diet according to blood groups relieve their digestive system and lose weight. This form of diet should primarily protect against many diseases or even cure them.
Book 4 blood groups
In the United States, diet by blood type attracted a great deal of public attention in 1996. years. A book entitled “4 blood groups” was released a year later in German-speaking countries. Basic statement by author Peter J. D’Adam: “Everyone should base their food on their blood type.” He describes blood group 0 as the dominant type of cave dwellers, hunters who need meat. People in blood type A are gentle vegetarians, and blood group B members are omnivores who eat dairy products.
Nutritional categories by blood type
Kvna group A, farmer. The second oldest blood group originated in the Neolithic era when people began to engage in agriculture and animal husbandry. A-types have a tolerant immune system and a sensitive gastrointestinal tract. That is why a vegetarian diet, in which fruits and vegetables play an important role, is perfect for this group. A-types can eat small portions of fish several times a week. Except for small amounts of fermented dairy products such as yogurt and kefir, avoid cow’s milk products. The same applies to almost all wheat products. With a few exceptions, most legumes are digestible for this blood type.
0 – this blood type, according to the theory, was first developed among hunters about 40,000 years ago, when humans lived mainly on meat.
A – this blood group allegedly first appeared in inhabited people who lived primarily on plant foods.
B – It is said that this blood group developed only when people mostly ate dairy products and eggs together with vegetables.
AB – this blood group is the rarest. According to blood type advocates, people have become prone to mixed diets and have been able to digest and eat all foods ever since.
How does a blood type diet work?
To respond to each blood group’s specifics about the immune system and digestion, the diet of each blood group specifies the food that you should eat exclusively and that which is forbidden. For example, a person with blood group 0 should generally eat meat and fish: Plants, on the other hand, are the most compatible food for blood group A.
A brief overview of blood groups and food recommendations:
Blood type 0 diet (hunter): rich in protein, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, legumes
Blood type A diet (farmer): vegetarian, e.g., vegetables, fruits, tofu, seafood, cereals, beans, legumes
Blood group B diet (nomad): balanced, meat, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, fruits
Blood type AB diet (mysterious): mixed foods, meat, fish, dairy products, tofu, beans, legumes, cereals, vegetables, fruits
The benefits of eating by blood type
Blood type B-type: balanced. This blood type was formed about 15,000 years ago due to changing climatic conditions and the mixing of ethnic groups. The B-type is particularly adaptable and has a robust digestive tract and a strong immune system. He can choose from most foods and also consumes dairy products. Poultry, wheat, and rye products are difficult for him to digest. Blood group B tolerates most vegetables and fruits well, while legumes are only a few species.
With a blood type diet, weight loss is possible because food choice is limited, and you have to deal intensively with your diet. The fact that fruits and vegetables are on the menu for all four blood groups is also positive.
Risks of nutrition by blood groups
There is no scientific evidence that a blood type diet is effective. A study was conducted in 2014. published a team of researchers from the University of Toronto even rejects this type of diet theory. There is no evidence that blood type is associated with tolerance to certain foods.
Besides, science assumes that blood types developed much earlier. For example, monkeys also have different blood types. This means that the theoretical background with a blood type is based on incorrect assumptions.
The supply of nutrients in the blood group diet is one-sided. For example, a blood type 0 diet does not provide enough fiber and carbohydrates. Food selection tables based on the concept of blood group nutrition make it difficult to choose food, and a very delicate division of food is often incomprehensible (in blood group B, for example, grouper is allowed, while sea bass is prohibited).
Blood type O type: Hunter. These people have the oldest blood type in an evolutionary sense. 0 species eat meat, have a strong digestive tract, and are equipped with an adaptive immune system. In addition to meat, many vegetables and fruits are well tolerated, while you should avoid all whole wheat products because of the gluten it contains. You should also avoid all cow’s milk products except butter and cottage cheese. Legumes are not an important part of the diet and are more likely to cause problems due to their lectins.
Practice check
According to the concept of nutrition by blood groups, nutrition differs greatly within different blood groups. Two menu examples:
For people with zero blood type for breakfast, flatbread germinated wheat grains with butter or almond butter, banana, 170 milliliters of vegetable juice, and green or herbal tea. Organic roast beef (170 grams) and spinach salad are served on a lunch plate. There are also slices of apple or pineapple. Those who want to lose weight can treat themselves to a piece of quinoa apple pie as an afternoon snack. Lamb ragout with asparagus, steamed broccoli, and sweet potatoes is available for dinner. Dessert: fresh fruits such as blueberries, kiwis, and grapes.
People with blood group A start the day with oatmeal, soy milk, and maple syrup or molasses. When you get up, you should drink water with lemon, grapefruit juice, coffee, or herbal tea. During lunch, a Greek salad is served to consist of lettuce, celery, spring onions, and cucumber, covered with feta cheese, lemon, and fresh mint. There is also an apple and a slice of bread with wheat germ on the plate. D’Adamo suggests rice cakes with peanut butter and two plums as an afternoon snack. In the evening, A-types eat lasagna with tofu pesto and broccoli. Yogurt ice cream is eaten for dessert. Coffee or herbal tea can be drunk throughout the day.
Diet by blood groups does not win in practice either. Its disadvantage: The proposed recipes are often difficult to cook because they are often very exotic. Also, the preparation is time-consuming. Cooking for others can be difficult when different blood types have to be considered. Going to a restaurant falls into the water, and only a few dishes are suitable for consumption directly at the workplace.
The “modern” type AB originated from a mixture of blood groups A and B. In the last 1000 years. He has a sensitive digestive tract and an overly tolerant immune system. The only blood type that AB species can tolerate is wheat products. In legumes, the digestible and indigestible varieties are approximately in balance with other groups. Almost all vegetables and fruits that tolerate typing A or B are also recommended for the AB group. Sour milk products and most types of cheese and fish are also well-tolerated, while you should eat meat only in small quantities.
Don’t be afraid of legumes
Lectins, also called hemagglutinins, are found in many plant foods. Potatoes, wheat, and especially legumes such as beans, soy, or lentils contain these special proteins. Some of them are toxic and can irritate the intestinal mucosa and cause blood clotting. Cooking in boiling water will destroy the lectins after only 15 minutes. In sprouted legumes, the concentration of lectins is reduced by more than 90 percent, depending on the type of legumes and germination time. Therefore, food toxicologists assume that legumes’ consumption in the usual form is harmless. Legumes have the highest protein content of plant-based foods. Most varieties contain almost no fat, but they contain a lot of fiber, making them the optimal food for a healthy diet.
An evolutionary fairy tale
D’Adamo invented an evolutionary fairy tale that leaves many questions unanswered. What exactly does he think happened to the hunters and gatherers of group 0 when the people from group A started planting wheat, barley, and other crops? Did people in group 0 immediately fall, incapable of work and reproduction, if they ate a little barley? Did that make them fight and beat the peasants to death because the lectins strained their intestines? Did people in group A show up after growing crops because people with blood group 0 died out due to blood clotting in the brain??
Since most people in the world (over 40 percent) belong to blood group 0, many of us should no longer eat wheat.? D’Adamo recommends that this group have a sufficient protein intake and eat portions of meat up to 120 grams per meal. Regardless of how someone evaluates D’Adam’s recommendations from a nutritional and physiological point of view: From an ecological point of view, you cannot achieve a meat-based diet at the level of the world’s population, and it is not sustainable for a large minority of the population. Land, water, and forests on land would be reduced to producing a meat-rich diet. We are already destroying too many natural resources on our planet. Promoting a meat-focused diet increases the risk of environmental disasters and endangers the future of us all. We owe ourselves, our children, and all our descendants a healthier environment with forms of nutrition that are truly sustainable – for the individual, for society, and the entire planet.
