The B-Blood Type diet comes from the Blood Type diet, the brainchild of Peter J. D'Adamo, a naturopathic doctor and author of "Eat Right For Your Type." According to D'Adamo, your blood type helps determine your energy levels, your susceptibility to disease, which foods you should eat for optimum health and which ones cause weight gain. Like the other blood types, O, A and AB, people with type B blood have certain foods that are beneficial and others that are not.
Blood Type Diet Theory
Peter D'Adamo actually continued the work that his father, James D'Adamo, also a naturopathic physician. The theory behind the blood type diet is that chemical reactions occur between your blood and the foods you eat, and the reactions happen because of your particular genetic inheritance. Lectins, diverse proteins in food, have agglutinating characteristics that affect your blood. If you eat a food containing lectins that are incompatible with your blood type, the lectins begin to agglutinate blood cells in particular areas where you are sensitive to them. For example, gluten, a common wheat lectin, binds to the small intestine lining and causes inflammation is some blood types. Most lectins are not harmful, but a small percentage of them manage to outsmart your immune system and cause problems. The purpose of the Blood Type diet is to restore your natural genetic rhythm.
Beneficial Foods for Type B
The type B diet is more balanced than any blood type diet, allowing a wide variety of foods. Type B's are classed as sturdy and alert and able to resist severe diseases such as heart disease and cancer. If they follow the diet, they can live a long and healthy life, according to D'Adamo. Type B is the only type that can tolerate a variety of dairy foods. They also do very well with deep-ocean fish. Meat, grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits are all beneficial for B's. Greens, eggs, venison, liver, licorice and tea are helpful to B's who are trying to lose weight. Olive oil is highly beneficial -- and in the spice family, cayenne pepper, curry, ginger, horseradish and parsley are recommended. Green tea is also considered highly beneficial.
Foods to Avoid
Type B people should not eat chicken because it contains a agglutinating lectin in its muscle tissue. Even though they do well with deep-water fish, if you're a Type B you should avoid shellfish due to disruptive lectins found in them. Most nuts and seeds are not recommended for B's, and rye should be avoided, as well. Foods that encourage weight gain for type B people include corn, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat and wheat -- B-types desiring to lose weight should avoid these foods completely. Tomatoes should be eliminated completely because of the lectin factor. Sodas, seltzer water and distilled liquors are also on the "avoid" list.
Cautions
Although D'Adamo's book is filled with testimonies of people who have overcome various health challenges by switching to and following the Blood Type diet, there is little scientific basis for it, according to the Mayo Clinic, which recommends following a healthy diet and exercise plan throughout your life. Studies and clinical trials are needed to determine whether there is scientific validity for following the Blood Type diet tailored to your specific B-blood group.
References
- "Eat Right For Your Type"; Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo with Catherine Whitney; 1996
- DrLam; Blood Type Diet; Michael Lam, MD, MPH
- Mayo Clinic; Blood Type Diet: What is it? Does it Work?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
