The blood type diet is based on the thesis that people tolerate certain foods better than others because of their blood type. By avoiding certain foods that are not compatible with the respective blood type, one can lose weight and avoid diseases. Learn all about the principle as well as the pros and cons of the blood type diet.
What is the blood type diet?
The concept of the blood type diet comes from the American naturopath Peter J. D ‘Adamo. It allocates certain foods to the different blood types that tolerate them particularly well or badly. The reason for the different digestibility should be food proteins, so-called lectins, which react with components in the blood.
D ‘Adamos believes the blood types evolved at different times, when other food groups were available each. Those who feed on their coinage, according to the credo of the blood group diet, relieve their digestive system and decrease. First and foremost, this form of nutrition is intended to protect against, or even cure, numerous diseases.
The categories of blood types diet
- 0 – this blood type developed, according to the theory, first among hunters about 40,000 years ago, when humans mainly fed on meat.
- A – this blood type reportedly appeared for the first time in the settled people who fed mainly on plants.
- B – this blood group is said to have developed only at times when humans mainly ate dairy products and eggs together with vegetables.
- AB – this blood type is the rarest. It emerged, according to blood type diet advocates, after humans became a mixed dinger who tolerates all foods well.
How the Blood Type Diet Works
To address the specifics of each blood type in terms of immune system and digestion, the blood type diet specifies foods to be consumed in the main term and those that are banned. For example, a person with blood group 0 should eat mainly meat and fish, whereas plants are the most tolerable food for blood group A.
A quick overview of the different types and recommendations:
- Blood group diet 0, the hunter: High protein, i.e. meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, restricted cereals, beans (except kidneybeans), legumes
- Blood group diet A, the farmer: Vegetarian, e.g. vegetables, fruit, tofu, seafood, cereals, beans, legumes
- Blood group diet B, the nomad: Balanced, meat, dairy products, cereals, vegetables, fruit
- Blood group diet AB, the mixed: Mixed food, meat, fish, dairy, tofu, beans, legumes, cereal vegetables, fruit
Benefits of blood type diet
Losing weight is possible with this form of nutrition, as food selection is limited and you have to deal intensively with your diet. Also, that in all four blood types fruits and vegetables are on the plan is positive.
Risks of the Blood Type Diet
There is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of the blood group diet. A 2014 study by a team of researchers from the University of Toronto even dismisses the theory of this form of nutrition. There was no evidence that the blood type was related to how to contract certain foods, he said.
In addition, the science assumes that the blood types evolved much longer ago. For example, there are also different blood types in monkeys. This means that the theoretical background of the blood group diet is based on false assumptions.
The nutrient supply in the blood group diet is one-sided, for example, in blood group 0 there is too little fibre and carbohydrates. The tables make food choices more difficult and the very delicate classification of foods is often incomprehensible (in blood group B, for example, red and grouper are allowed, while sea bass is not).
Blood type diet: Conclusion
If you stick closely to the specifications, you quickly feed yourself too unilaterally. The theory of dangerous lectins and the link between blood and food groups is not scientifically substantiated. Healthy perceptions should eat better balanced and varied, rather than following the strict instructions of the blood type diet.
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