Blood Group Diet

The invention of naturopath, Dr Peter D'Adamo, the Blood Group Diet is all about matching your blood group to the types of food you eat to maximise how our bodies cope with the nutrients.

The Blood Group Diet has found supporters in the form of celebrities Liz Hurley and Courtney Cox-Arquette as well as many others who claim that it is very effective. Not only from the weight management side, but increased energy levels as well as 'feeling better' about yourself.

In a Nutshell

Peter D'Adamo wrote the book called "Eat Right For Your Type" in which he discussed his beliefs and findings about blood types and foods.

The blood group diet is based on the idea that by knowing what blood type you are directly influences what you should be eating.

Although the scientific basis of the theories behind the blood group diet have given rise to debate, it continues to grow in popularity.

Why Does Blood Type Make a Difference?

According to Dr. D'Adamo, each blood group has a different way of marking what substances your body considers to be alien. Therefore, your ability to digest and absorb certain foods will be influenced by what kind of blood you have.

He also maintains that certain digestive enzymes and stomach acids are connected with blood type. In other words, depending on your genetic inheritance, some foods can have a beneficial medicinal effect on your body.

Others have no reaction with your blood while some can act like a mild poison. Its a question of how food chemically reacts with your blood and avoiding food groups that don't agree with you.

Blood Group 'O'

This is the most common blood group. D'Adamo says that type 'O's have a digestive tract that resembles the hunter gatherers of thousands of years ago. Therefore, as hunter gatherers eat mostly meat, type 'O's should be looking at a high protein and low carb diet.

This high protein-low carb type diet is similar in some ways to the Atkins or Ketogenic Diet Plans.

Lots of meat, fish and olive oil. Moderate amounts of eggs, nuts and seeds and some vegetables or fruits. Avoiding dairy, pasta, rice's, breads and beans.

Finally, this must go hand in hand with lots of exercise to mimic the hunter gatherer.

Blood Group 'A'

Group 'A' is the second most popular in the UK. D'Adamo has linked this group to more farming lifestyles which means grains, vegetables are very prominent, meat less so.

The type of diet group 'A's should be following is a vegetarian diet that excludes a lot of dairy. You are encouraged to eat nuts, grains, cereals, pasta's, rice, fruit and of course vegetables. Occasional meats or fish are ok, but definitely not the staple of your daily foods.

Finally, exercise-wise it's more golfing or walking than running, or rugby.

Blood Group 'B'

A lot less common than 'O' or 'A', it is thought around 1 in 10 people have type 'B' blood.

Those with 'B' have the least dietary restrictions of any blood group. You are free to eat what you want when you want in moderation. This actually is therefore probably the most health and balanced diet of all blood groups.

As with all blood groups you must avoid processed foods, but 'B's should also be wary of taking on too many nuts or seeds.

Finally, exercise should be active and whilst not the high impact high intensity 'O' group should be aiming for, sports like hockey, swimming, tennis or squash are all good.

Blood Group 'AB'

Finally, the rarest of the blood groups - AB. Unsurprisingly, 'AB' s are able to combine the foods for groups 'A' and 'B'. This means you can eat quite a good range of foods and D'Adamo leans towards a mostly vegetarian diet with added fish and meats and some dairy products.

Exercise is again a combination of both blood group types - meaning you can pretty much do whatever exercise you fancy allowing for high intensity and more relaxing sports and exercise as you please. Nice!

Our Opinion

Well, it's not just our opinion but also what experts think.

Is there a direct, and scientific, link between blood type and the diet your should be eating - not as far as has been found to date. The worry for lots of nutritionists and medical professionals is the restrictive nature of the 'O' type diet for example - excluding carbs. This is certainly not for the masses as it is also difficult to achieve for many.

However, the small benefit of this diet is that it will encourage people to actually look at what they eat and how much exercise they take in conjunction with what they are eating. This is a good thing, especially the exclusion of processed foods.

Therefore, should people really be looking to the Blood Group Diet as a way of managing their weight? By eliminating foods like carbs or eating more high protein when exercising more, you are highly likely to lose weight, especially if you portion control too. Are there better 'diet plans' to follow, most probably yes.