How The Blood Type Diet Works

Recently, the blood type diet has not lost its popularity . It is mentioned in the media, and many Hollywood stars adhere to it. Let's find out the nutritionist's opinion on how to distinguish myths from the truth, and scientific data from another fashionable trend.

Also, we will learn the answers to the main questions about this food system. Does the blood type diet have a scientific basis? How and why should you change your diet according to your blood type ? And why is it useful to know who our ancestors were?

What started it all

There are many references to the blood type diet in the media, but do we know anything significant about it? At first glance, all this looks like an advertising trick, can blood type affect our weight and well-being? You should always be wary of diets that want to reduce people to a few types. This seems like a rather simplistic approach to health and its many facets.

In the end, to find out what it's all about, you can read the book "Eat Right 4 Your Type", which started it all. The author of the book, first published in 1996, is a naturopathic doctor, Peter D'Adamo.

D'Adamo's theory is based on the fact that all people have so-called genetic markers (antigens), which play a vital role in the work of the immune system . Antigens are attached to the surface of red blood cells - erythrocytes. That is, if your blood type is A (II), then antigen A is present in your cells. Group AB (IV) contains both antigens in the blood . The most common blood type O (I) has no antigens.

The function of antigens is to cause an immune response to foreign bodies. Different antigens react differently to certain substances. That is, depending on the blood group , the human immune system is activated in response to various pathogens.

A diet to maintain a healthy balance

The author of the book explains that all the food we eat contains lectins - these are molecules that affect the immune system of plants and animals. For humans, these lectins are anti-nutrients, i.e. substances that are harmful and even slightly toxic to the body. Foods containing a large amount of lectins often cause allergies - for example, peanuts, soy, cow's milk, shellfish, etc.

Under the action of lectins, blood cells stick together to attack them together. For example, if your blood group is A (II), and the lectins you consume with food correspond to group B (IV) antigens, then your red blood cells will combine to destroy the lectins that are foreign to the body. This process is called agglutination. It is important to know that agglutination should be avoided, because it causes disturbances in the work of the digestive tract, slows down digestion, and can also contribute to the development of irritable bowel syndrome, kidney problems and cirrhosis of the liver.

The solution, D'Adamo says, is to eat foods whose lectins are compatible with your blood type . Blood type is the genetic code that determines the ideal status quo of your body. If you eat foods that help maintain it, the body will be healthier than if you eat something that upsets the balance.

Blood group O (I)

According to D'Adamo, knowing your blood type can tell you what your ancestors did. For example, blood group O is genetically the oldest blood group , which was formed during the period when people were hunter-gatherers, that is, about 30 thousand years ago. People with this blood group should form their menu, focusing on products that were available to hunters in ancient times.

A diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts and grains will be ideal for them . Animal products are the most effective in speeding up the metabolism of type O. Probably, many people have successfully lost weight with the help of the paleo diet precisely because type O is the most common blood type. According to scientists, more than 30% of the inhabitants of the planet Earth are descendants of ancient hunters.

Since the blood cells of people of group O do not have any antigens, those foods that were not consumed as food during the time of hunter-gatherers will not be successfully absorbed by their body and will be attacked by the immune system . The blood type diet suggests that people with type O will not consume foods high in gluten (wheat, oats, rye), dairy products (especially full-fat), corn, beans and lentils, and any cabbage and cauliflower. These products slow down the metabolism of group O and can cause excess weight.

Also, hunters should avoid salty food and foods that cause fermentation (apples, cabbage), and their juices. The most suitable drinks are mint tea and rosehip decoction. It is believed that the owners of this blood group have a generally very healthy digestive tract. Historically, they have led an active lifestyle and must combine proper nutrition with regular exercise.

Blood group A (II)

Blood type A , according to the author of the book, means that you are descended from farmers, who became a separate blood type about 10,000 years later than hunters. These were people who began to lead a sedentary lifestyle, less hunting and farming. Farmers ate what they could grow. Accordingly, their immune system will poorly perceive products of animal origin, in particular red meat and dairy products .

In the owners of group A, meat turns into fat especially quickly. A plant-based diet, on the contrary, has a positive effect on the body of group A. This blood group is also quite common among the global population, although a little less than group O. It provides all the reasons for giving up meat and switching to vegetarianism.

The diet of group A should include vegetables, vegetable oils, cereals, fruits (pineapple, apricot, grapefruit, figs, lemon, plum), fish and seafood (in particular, cod, perch, sardines, trout). In order to avoid health problems and lose weight, group A, in addition to meat and dairy products , should exclude from the diet (or limit their consumption) eggplants, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, orange juice and black tea. It is believed that representatives of blood group A have a low content of stomach acid, and as a result - poor digestion.

Blood group B (III)

Blood type B in the D'Adamo system means balance. This is the most flexible and adaptable blood group of all . About 20% of the world's inhabitants have it. Group B evolved in the Himalayas, where people ate wild plants and seeds but also cultivated and domesticated animals. Thanks to Mongol warriors, this blood type eventually spread to the west of Eurasia, but most people with blood type B are still from central Asia.

If you have this type of blood , then you are lucky. You can eat a wide variety of foods . And even the consumption of dairy products is approved, as it helps to accelerate metabolic processes. The diet of group B is considered the most diverse and balanced, the diet includes meat and fish, eggs, milk, cereals, vegetables, fruits.

However, D'Adamo recommends that type B owners avoid peanuts, corn, buckwheat, sesame seeds, lentils, and tomatoes because they contain lectins that irritate the immune system of this blood type . Also, you should limit the consumption of chicken. Representatives of this group are rarely overweight, because for them, eating according to their blood group is a faster way to maintain a proper metabolism and maintain good health.