Eat and Exercise for your Blood Type

Ever wondered why your training partner recovers from a workout faster than you, or why you need more fuel on the run than they do? It could be because you have a different blood type.


For more than a decade, runners worldwide have been subscribing to Dr Peter D’Adamo’s Blood Type Diet.

The American naturopathic physician and researcher is author of Eat Right For Your Type, a series of books about eating and exercising for your blood type. His theory? Each of the four basic blood types O, A, B and AB reacts differently to the lectins, or proteins, in the foods we eat.

His research shows each blood type is susceptible to certain diseases, physical vitality and emotional strength, and by adjusting your diet to suit your biological make up, you can live – and run – better.

But Dr Trent Watson, Dietitians Association of Australia spokesperson, says there is little scientific evidence to suggest such strict DNA traits are passed on.

“There are 50,000 to 100,000 genes contained in human DNA, so passing on the same DNA from one generation to the next is like rolling the genetic dice,” says the Newcastle sports dietitian.

Dr Watson suggests runners interested in taking up the Blood Type Diet seek advice from a dietitian to ensure you match nutrition and energy needs with your level of training.

TYPE 0

This is the most common of the four blood types and, according to Dr D’Adamo, your ancestral background shows you are hunters with an extroverted personality type.

He says Type Os can have a higher level of stomach acid than the other blood types, which can result in stomach irritation and ulcers – a theory supported by a 1993 Oxford University study. Dr D’Adamo’s research shows Type Os are more susceptible to arthritis, asthma and hay fever because the immune system is “environmentally intolerant”, especially to foods such as grains and potatoes, which can produce inflammatory reactions in your joints.


EAT RIGHT

Dr D’Adamo’s Type O diet focuses on protein particularly lean, organic meats, vegetables and fruits. He says it’s best to avoid wheat and dairy, which can trigger digestive problems. Caffeine and alcohol can also raise adrenaline and noradrenaline and should be avoided.

TYPE A
Type As are cultivators and more likely to have an introverted personality, according to Dr D’Adamo. You are thought to have high cortisol levels, a hormone made by the adrenal glands which helps maintain blood pressure, immune function and the body's anti-inflammatory processes. Too much of this hormone can lead to heart disease, cancer and diabetes, writes Dr D’Adamo.


EAT RIGHT

Type As are more naturally suited to a vegetarian diet of organic Mediterranean foods. Hopkins recommends avoiding dairy and red meat, because As are typically low in intestinal alkaline phosphatise, a stomach acid, which makes it difficult to digest and metabolise animal protein and fat.

TYPE B
More like nomads with an independent personality, Type Bs have a strong immune system and a tolerant digestive system, says Dr D’Adamo. “They tend to resist many of the severe chronic degenerative illnesses, or at least survive them better than the other blood types,” he writes. But Type B is more susceptible to autoimmune disorders, such as chronic fatigue, lupus and multiple sclerosis because of a reaction to foods that affect how your metabolic process works.


EAT RIGHT

Dr D’Adamo says Type Bs are generally capable of digesting either animal proteins or carbohydrates. But, he says, it’s best to avoid chicken, which contains a lectin in its muscle tissue that can attack the bloodstream. He also recommends avoiding wheat, buckwheat, lentils, tomatoes, peanuts and sesame seeds. “Each of these foods affect the efficiency of your metabolic process, resulting in fatigue, fluid retention and hypoglycemia – a severe drop in blood sugar after eating,” he writes.

TYPE AB
This is the rarest blood type, carried by just two to five per cent of the population. Known for an intuitive personality, Dr D’Adamo says Type ABs are the most biologically complex because group because they combine elements of both blood types. Like Type As, Dr D’Adamo says ABs immune system can be more susceptible to heart disease, cancer and anaemia when under stress.


EAT RIGHT

According to Dr D’Adamo Type AB has Type A’s low levels of stomach acid, but Type B’s adaptation to meats. “Therefore, you lack enough stomach acid to metabolise them efficiently and the meat you eat tends to get stored as fat,” he writes. Hopkins says he has more energy when he eats the right foods including plenty of green vegetables, seafood, dairy and tofu. Dr D’Adamo recommends type ABs avoid smoked or cured meats because they can cause stomach cancer in people with low levels of stomach acid.