Thanks to the strides made in mail-in saliva and fecal testing, just about anyone can take an at-home test to determine a myriad of personal health data points. This has opened up a whole new world for people looking to better their health and wellness. And this has expanded to the diet world as well: From food sensitivities to genetic weight loss markers, it is now easier than ever to personalize your diet and exercise regimen based on your DNA or specific antibodies in your blood. But what if you didn’t have to send your genetic information away for testing? What if it was as simple as using the health information you already have to make better health and diet choices? According to Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic physician clinical professor and author of Eat Right 4 Your Type, it is: he says that you should be eating according to your blood type. More recent studies, however, say you should be skeptical of what’s come to be called the blood type diet—and other experts are skeptical. So, what’s the verdict? Here’s what doctors want you to know before you change up your diet based solely on your blood type.
What Can You Eat On the Blood Type Diet?
Just as genetics predispose you to a number of strengths and weaknesses, Dr. D’Adamo notes that your blood type does the same. It is said that people with different blood types react differently to stress and even have specific gut bacteria (gut health and managing it with food is currently a top trend). Dr. D’Adamo notes that over the course of history not all blood types originally existed at the same time, which is in part why they shouldn’t eat the same, as different foods were more readily available at certain time periods and geographic locations.
Type O (O-Positive Blood Type Diet and O-Megative Blood Type Diet)
The American Red Cross notes that roughly 43 percent of Americans have this blood type. When discussing the diet for Type O blood, Dr. D’Adamo says that as the oldest blood type, Type O should gravitate toward the food of hunter-gatherers and have a high-protein diet. This includes:
Meat (preferably red meat)FishVegetables (preferably, kale, spinach and broccoli)FruitOlive oil
Limit grains and avoid wheat, corn, lentils, some beans (specifically noted are navy and kidney beans) and dairy.
Type A (A-Positive Blood Type Diet and A-Negative Blood Type Diet)
A-positive is said to be one of the most common blood types (1 in 3 people have this type). Dr. D’Adamo says that Type A thrives with a mostly vegetarian diet, as their digestive structure makes it hard to process animal byproducts. His diet recommendations include:
TofuSeafoodTurkeyGrainsLegumesFruit (specifically pineapple)Olive oil
Avoid meat, dairy, beans (specifically kidney and lima beans) and corn.
Type B (B-Positive Blood Type Diet and B-Negative Blood Type Diet)
Type B blood is quite rare; it is noted about 9 percent of the population has B-positive and less than 2 percent has B-negative. Dr. D’Adamo says this blood type should eat a balanced omnivore diet, as they are in the middle of the spectrum of the ABO blood group system. This includes:
Meat (specifically venison and liver),Fish and seafoodDairyGrainsSelect beans and legumesFruitsVegetables (specifically greens)Eggs
Avoid chicken, wheat, corn, lentils and peanuts.
Type AB (AB-Positive Blood Type Diet and AB-Negative Blood Type Diet)
The least common blood type is AB-negative (making up less than 1 percent of the population), while AB-positive is less than 4 percent of people). Dr. D’Adamo recommends a mixed diet, as the AB blood type “can appropriate the characteristics of each of the other blood types.” This includes:
LambFish and seafoodTofuGrainsBeans and legumesVegetables (specifically greens)Fruit
Avoid chicken, corn, buckwheat and kidney beans.
Is the Blood Type Diet Good for You?
Now that you know what Dr. D’Adamo specifically recommends, things get a bit trickier when it comes to recommending the diet and its efficacy. That is because there’s little research that supports the blood type diet. Many dietitians and nutritionists also share their skepticism; in fact, there are so many critics that Dr. D’Adamo has taken time to directly address some of them on his website. “The main claims are that our blood type determines what we should eat for disease prevention,” explains Abby Langer, RD, a registered dietitian and author of Good Food, Bad Diet. “According to science, there is nothing about blood type that requires different foods.” The study that is most cited looked at whether or not the blood type diet could directly benefit cardiometabolic health; it states while participants who followed the diet did experience favorable effects, this was independent of blood type. The senior author of the study has said that the benefits experience came from the ability to follow a “sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet.” Dr. D’Adamo responds that their study was flawed, though he does not argue that the blood type diet “is currently unproven by rigorous scientific study.” Langer shares that when it comes to elements of the blood type diet that anyone could benefit from, eating more plants is it. A review of articles that studied the blood type diet concluded that the diet lacks evidence. Before his death in 2013, Dr. D’Adamo created the D’Adamo Institute—which didn’t respond to requests for comments on the blood type diet—located in New Hampshire, which continues his research and treatment based on blood type. Next up, find out which blood type is said to have the most memory problems.
Sources
American Red Cross: “Why Is Type O Blood So Important?“American Red Cross: “Why Is Type A Blood So Important?“American Red Cross: “Why Is Type B Blood So Important?“Abby Langer, RD, a registered dietitian and author of Good Food, Bad Diet.PLoS One: “ABO Genotype, ‘Blood Type’ Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors"The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Blood Type Diets Lack Supporting Evidence: A Systematic Review”
