The Blood Type Diet splits all people into four categories, each with its own specific nutritional needs: type A, type B, type AB and type O. According to proponents of the diet, individuals with each blood type can thrive physically only if they eat foods compatible with the metabolic needs they have inherited from their ancestors through their specific blood type. Blood type O individuals are encouraged to eat certain foods while avoiding other foods which, supporters believe, can cause weight gain and the development of a variety of health conditions.
History
The type O diet is one of the four diet programs developed by the alternative medicine practitioner Peter J. D'Adamo in his 1996 book "Eat Right 4 Your Type." D'Adamo contends that each of the four blood types represents the type of food and lifestyle of your particular ancestors. For instance, D'Adamo believes people with type A blood are descended from farmers, while type O people are thought to be the descendants of hunter-gatherers who spent most of their time consuming meat. D'Adamo bases his nutritional suggestions for people in the type O blood group off of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle: high-energy, high-performance and a diet low in grains and dairy products.
Aspects
The key to following the Blood Type Diet if you are in the O blood group is to identify which foods are considered beneficial, neutral and detrimental for type O individuals and to eat only foods that fall within the beneficial or neutral categories. D'Adamo determined which foods are appropriate for each blood type by determining which foods contained certain substances called lectins. According to D'Adamo, certain foods contain certain lectins that only people with particular blood types can tolerate well. For type O people, the beneficial foods include nearly all types of meat, poultry and seafood; beans such as pintos and black-eyed peas; and most vegetables. The only fruits allowed are figs, plums and prunes, and the only grains considered beneficial are Essene and Ezekiel bread. The foods type O people should avoid on the diet include all eggs and dairy products; all oat or wheat cereals and grains; all types of pasta; and certain types of beans, nuts, seeds and vegetables.
Sample Menu
The diet review site Every Diet reports that a typical blood type O daily menu plan would include breakfast, lunch and dinner with a mid-afternoon snack. Both lunch and dinner would include a meat-dominated main dish paired with sanctioned vegetables and fruit. Breakfast may consist of fruit, vegetable juice and toast prepared from either Essene or Ezekiel bread. A sweet snack and beverage, such as herbal tea, are a good choice for the afternoon snack.
Advantages
Supporters of the type O diet say type O individuals who follow the program will lose weight effortlessly, gain muscle and reduce their allergic reactions to foods. Type O individuals are also said to experience low levels of thyroid hormones and that the diet is set up to accommodate for this shortage by forbidding foods thought to inhibit thyroid function, such as cabbage, cauliflower and mustard greens.
Disadvantages
The Diet Channel website calls the science D'Adamo uses to back up his entire Blood Type Diet premise "highly questionable." According to the website, few scientific research studies exist that show any link between a person's blood type, his ability to digest certain foods and any health conditions he may have. Additionally, nutritionists question the type O diet restriction on wheat and other grains, claiming such restrictions are nutritionally unsound. Health.com quotes registered dietitian Jane Kirby condemning the Blood Type Diet as "ridiculous." The type O diet also can be difficult to follow. The beneficial and detrimental food lists are long, detailed and can be hard to maintain as a permanent lifestyle change.
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