Have you ever wondered why your friend can eat dairy with no side effects while you suffer from bloating? How can one person trust the keto diet while another sees no difference? According to boston medical centerit is estimated that 45 million Americans will try a diet plan each year. Perhaps you are among the millions who have dabbled in the ketogenic, vegan, Atkins, Mediterranean diet, or one of the many other diets out there. You have spent time trying different combinations of foods or rearranging your meal schedule. You have told yourself that it would all be worth it because this diet will be the one that works. However, he is now six months down the road and not seeing the results he hoped for.
There’s a reason diet culture is overwhelming and underwhelming. The truth is that our bodies are all different. While a diet may make your friend, sister, or co-worker feel amazing, it may not be the right one for you. We all try to ditch diets and eat whatever makes your body feel good, but there may be an explanation why different ways of eating work for different bodies.
Enter: the blood type diet. Founded by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, the blood type diet provides individualized solutions for each person’s blood type. Instead of looking at one diet as a one-size-fits-all, the blood type diet breaks down each person’s blood type and uses that information as the basis for nutrition. Usually anything that says “diet” in the title turns me off, but this one seems different. It shows that diets are not a one-size-fits-all approach. Read on for a deeper dive into what the blood type diet really is and whether or not it’s worth a try.
What is the blood type diet?
As Dr. D’Adamo explains in his book Eat right for your typeThere are four universal blood types: type O, type A, type B, and type AB. Each type has a different antigen with its own chemical structure. Your blood type plays a huge role in how well you absorb nutrients. This means that your blood not only affects how you respond to infections, stress, and bacteria, it also affects how your body responds, whether you’re having a croissant or eggs for breakfast.
In his research, Dr. D’Adamo found that different foods have different lectins, and those lectins produce a chemical reaction between your blood and the food you eat. Sometimes the reaction leaves us satisfied and full of energy, while other times the reaction leaves us feeling symptoms like indigestion, bloating, or fatigue. The Blood Type Diet looks at how different lectins in food are absorbed by different blood types. According to Dr. D’Adamo, eating according to your blood type can increase nutrient intake, improve gut health and digestion, and support overall immune function.
Of course, nutrition is only one piece of the puzzle. Any wellness method is incomplete without considering the role of stress and exercise. (We can eat all the healthy foods we want, but unless we also factor in high stress levels and a sedentary lifestyle, we won’t feel our best.) Dr. D’Adamo agrees. Therefore, he has included research on how different blood types need different forms of exercise to cope with stress, as well as a stress and exercise plan for each blood type.
Recommendations for each blood type
If you are type O
Dr. D’Adamo found that people with type O blood respond best to a diet based on animal protein and avoid dairy products and grains. “Type O’s can efficiently digest and metabolize meat and shellfish because they tend to be high in stomach acid,” he explained. But it is important to balance meat products with vegetables and fruits to avoid excessive acidification. As for exercise, he recommended intense physical exercise like HIIT or weight training because it “makes muscle tissue more acidic and produces a higher rate of fat-burning activity.”
If you are type A
For type A, Dr. D’Adamo recommends limiting meat and dairy products as they are poorly digested, but moderate amounts of shellfish (3-4 times per week) can have beneficial effects. Focus more on plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, etc. Type A’s can tolerate wheat products and gluten more than other blood types. But they must not overeat, or else their muscle tissue will become too acidic. For exercise, Type A people thrive on engaging in gentle, meditative movements to help manage stress, such as yoga, Tai Chi, stretching, walking, or Pilates.
If you are type B
Type Bs can benefit from a balanced diet of all kinds of foods, including meat, dairy, seafood, and grains. However, Dr. D’Adamo suggests limiting corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts, and sesame seeds, as they contain a certain lectin that affects efficiency of your metabolic process. This results in fatigue, fluid retention, and hypoglycemia. When it comes to exercise and stress, Type Bs can handle stress well. They do best with moderate activities such as tennis, walking, cycling, hiking, yoga, jogging, or light weight training.
If you are type AB
For those with the rarest of all blood types, Type AB, your plan calls for a mix of Type A and Type B plans. Unlike Type A, meat in small portions can be beneficial. A balanced diet of all foods works for your system, including dairy, grain products, fruits, and vegetables. The key with Type AB is portion size and frequency, so eat smaller meals more often. When it comes to exercise, Type ABs have inherited a Type A stress pattern. Therefore, Dr. D’Adamo recommends following the gentle-movement Type A exercise plan to help reduce stress.
The verdict
We like that the blood type diet is a personalized wellness plan that looks at a person’s genetics and bio-individuality. However, use it as a starting point or a way to experiment to find what works best for your body. Don’t follow the plan to a T.AAs with every diet, some experts swear by it while others disagree. For example, dr josh axDNM, CNS, DC—leading physician and founder of ancient nutrition—believes that the blood type diet may help some people, but it’s not necessarily best for everyone. There are other factors that determine how we digest nutrients besides blood type, such as hormones.
Bottom line: The best way to determine what foods to eat and what exercise to do is to listen to your body. Period. Looking at your blood type for nutrition and movement information can feel amazing, but the same effects can be achieved in other ways as well. The Blood Type Diet isn’t necessarily for everyone, but it does show that diets need to be more personalized and tailored to an individual’s body type, food preferences, and biological history. All of our bodies are different, and the way we eat needs to accommodate that uniqueness. If you’re thinking of experimenting with the Blood Type Diet, talk to your doctor and know that your body is always the number 1 expert on what foods and exercise are best for you.
