A naturopathic physician, Peter D’Adamo devised the theory of The Blood Type Diet in the 1980s. According to him, our blood group determine the food we should consume and that the body can tolerate. The idea of this diet isn’t primarily to lose weight but to prevent certain medical conditions.
There are 8 types of blood groups: O+, O-, A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+ and AB-. For every blood group type, the diet is different. Let’s take a look at the foods best suited for your blood group according to Peter D’Adamo.
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Type A Blood
People with Type A blood have a sensitive gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, they should eat:
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Beans, legumes, and whole grains
- Walnuts and Pumpkin seeds
- Garlic and onions
- Green tea
- Ginger
- Cold-water fish, such as sardines and salmon
As they have a sensitive immune system, they should use olive and flaxseed oil for eating and cooking.
They should avoid ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, pepper, corn, peanut, red meat, sesame and safflower oils. Certain fruits like oranges, strawberries & melons and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and mushrooms should also be avoided.
Recommended Read: 5 Food Items That Helps In Increasing Immune Power
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Type B Blood
People with Type B Blood have a resistant digestive tract. They can eat the following:
- Green vegetables
- Eggs
- Low-fat dairy products
- Oats
- Milk products like paneer, dahi, etc
- Animal protein
- Fish, oatmeal and quinoa
They should avoid corn, buckwheat, tomatoes, peanuts, sesame seeds, wheat, and chicken.
-
Type O Blood
These people can consume a high-protein diet which means they can eat the following foods:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Vegetables
They should limit beans, grains, and legumes and should stay away from milk products.
-
Type AB Blood
People of this blood group can tolerate all the fruits and vegetables that A & B Blood Types people consume. They should eat the following foods:
- Dairy Products
- Tofu
- Lamb
- Fish
- Grains
- Fruits and Vegetables
They should avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoked or cured meats.
Types of Exercises for Different Blood Types
- Blood Type A: Calming activities like Yoga and Golf
- Blood Type B: Activities that have mental components like Hiking, Tennis and Swimming
- Blood Type O: Vigorous aerobic exercise
- Blood Type AB: Try all of the exercises mentioned for Blood Type A, B and O.
Recommended Read: Yoga and Its Benefits
Is Blood Type Diet Really Beneficial?
Many people have raised several questions regarding the health benefits of the Blood Type Diet but some of them have remained scientifically unanswered. There are some disadvantages of following this diet, which are:
- This diet is quite difficult to follow in the everyday life
- Some of the foods mentioned in the diet plan are exotic and therefore aren’t easily available everywhere
- In the long term, this diet can even lead to deficiency symptoms
The Issue of Nutrients
As per the Blood Type diet, major food groups are excluded for blood types O and A. For people with Blood Type O, a meat-based diet is recommended. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the American Heart Association (AHA), eating too much meat can increase the risk of heart and cancer diseases while eating no meat can cause mineral and protein deficiencies. Also, people who prefer vegetarian food and have Blood Type O can end up in serious trouble if they follow this diet plan which majorly contains meat products.
The Bottom Line
Many dieticians are of the opinion that there’s virtually no evidence that talks about the relevance of adopting a Blood Type Diet. The foods included in the diets of people belonging to different blood types aren’t harmful but excluding the specific necessary food products gives rise to a lot of questions.
Regardless of your blood type, you should always prefer to eat a diet which is rich in industrially-produced trans-fats, sugars, and fewer salts & stay away from food that causes harm to your body.
