The blood type diet was created by naturopath Peter J D’Adamo, the author of ‘Eat Right 4 Your Type’ which was created in 1996, although he has published a number of books about dieting around blood type genetics.
The idea around the blood type diet is that eating foods specific to your blood type whether it be O, A, B or AB will help you to lose weight and become healthier. In the book Peter J D’Adamo claims that the foods we ingest can react with our blood types making them harder to digest, stopping us from losing weight, and decreasing our energy levels.
Certain foods are recommended for each blood type whether they be negative (-) or positive (+) as long as they are in the same group. For example, A+ and A- will be in the same group.
The foods that D’Adamo says are right for each blood type are as follows:
Type A Blood Type
The diet for people with type A blood consists of a predominantly plant-based and meat-free diet. Organic fruits and vegetables are recommended as it is claimed that people with type A blood have weaker and more sensitive immune systems than other blood types. A balanced variety of legumes, soy products and whole grains should also be added to this diet.
Type B Blood Type
People with type B blood are encouraged to avoid a list of certain foods which can be problematic for them. These foods include chicken, tomatoes, corn, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat and lentils. Apart from the foods listed they are considered to be omnivores who can eat a wide variety of foods. A variety of meats including mutton, lamb, goat, rabbit as well as green vegetables, eggs, and dairy products are great for this blood type.
Type AB Blood Type
D’Adamo says that people with AB blood type are more prone to having low levels of stomach acid therefore they should avoid alcohol, caffeine and cured and/or smoked meats. Instead, they should focus their diet on healthier options such as seafood, dairy, green vegetables and tofu. This blood type should also stick to smaller more frequent meals during the day rather than larger meals 3-4 times a day.
Type O Blood Type
People with type O blood tend to have troubles with stomach issues among other things so D’Adamo suggests taking various supplements to help with these problems. In this blood type diet, you are encouraged to have high protein foods including lean meats, poultry and fish. A good mix of fresh vegetables, beans, dairy and a few whole grains are also great to throw into the diet to help balance your meals and aid in weight loss with low carbohydrate options.
The limitations and allowances of this diet rely solely on which blood type that you are. If you don’t already know which type you are all it takes is a simple blood test at your local pathology or healthcare center.
Exercise for the Different Blood Types
Exercise is also a vital part of these individual diets as each blood type has certain activities that work best for them.
- Type A should stick to more calming exercises like yoga, tai chi, and pilates as they do best at less intense activities.
- Type B should participate in group activities with medium intensity workouts including low impact sports, cycling, and resistance training.
- Type AB, being a hybrid of both type A and B, should participate in a mixture of both types of blood type exercises.
- Type O blood types should stick to high-intensity workouts including running and interval training as they seem to use their physical activity as emotional outlets.
This diet is considered to be controversial as it is not backed by science and some studies claim that there is no evidence to show that the diets benefit each blood type.
If you have any concerns or have any previously diagnosed health conditions it is important to seek advice from a nutritionist or healthcare professional before commencing any dieting plans.
