The Blood Type Diet Under the Spotlight

That gives me a good idea, but can you be more specific about what you can and can’t eat?
Each of the four blood types has a detailed list of foods that should be avoided and those that can be included. Here’s the lowdown…

Blood Group O
This is the most common blood group in the UK. Dr D’Adamo says that our digestive tract retains the memory of ancient times, and so type Os need to eat a typical hunter-gatherer type diet. In other words, type Os should follow a high-protein, low-carb diet with lots of meat and fish but no dairy products, wheat or grains.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is – the diet recommended for people with blood type O is simply a variation on many of the typical high-protein, low-carb diets that are currently popular, such as the Atkins diet. Foods you can eat freely include meat, fish and olive oil; foods you can eat in moderation include eggs, nuts, seeds, certain vegetables and fruits; and foods to avoid include dairy products, beans, cereals, bread, pasta and rice. To complement your food intake, Dr D’Adamo recommends lots of vigorous aerobic exercise such as aerobics and running – just like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did!

Blood Group A
This is the second most common blood type in the UK. Again according to Dr D'Adamo, digestive system is apparently very good at remembering that our ancestors had settled, farming lifestyles, which included eating lots of grains and vegetables but little meat. Consequently, blood type A’s should follow a vegetarian diet but still avoid dairy products. This means nuts, seeds, beans, cereals, pasta, rice, fruit and veg are all on the ‘to eat’ list. Meanwhile, calming exercises are thought to be best for blood type A’s such as yoga or golf.

Blood Group B
Only one person in 10 has blood type B – a real shame when you consider this blood group has the least dietary restrictions! As our type B ancestors were able to thrive on all sorts of foods, thanks to all that travelling, very few foods need to be avoided and this is the closest you’ll get to a healthy, balanced diet from Dr D'Adamo. The only foods that need to be avoided are processed foods, although nuts and seeds aren’t recommended and only small amounts of carb-rich foods should be eaten. When it comes to exercise, Dr D’Adamo recommends activities that have mental component, such as hiking, tennis and swimming – clearly our ancestors did a lot of thinking while they were walking!

Blood Group AB
People with this rare blood type should eat a combination of the foods recommended for blood groups A and B. Somewhat confusing when type B allows you to eat most foods, while type A suggests a vegetarian diet! Dr D’Adamo gets around this by suggesting that type ABs follow a veggie diet most of the time with some meat, fish and dairy products occasionally. It’s the same when it comes to exercise too – blood type ABs should combine calming exercises with moderately intense activities.

What do the experts say?
Medical experts universally agree that the theory is nonsense, and say there is absolutely no link between our blood group and the diet we eat. Consequently you won’t find qualified nutritionists or dietitians recommending this diet.

There are also several concerns, namely that the diets recommended for blood groups O and A are considerably limited and cut out major groups of foods.

In the long term, this can result in a poor intake of nutrients needed for good health. Cutting out dairy products, for example, will lead to poor intakes of calcium, which can put you at risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), while avoiding meat can result in low intakes of iron, which can lead to anaemia. This is even more worrying in view of the fact that most people in the UK are blood group O or A.