Introduction to the Blood Type Diet

Doctors have been aware of a connection between blood types and certain illnesses for some time. Viruses and bacteria also tend to attack particular blood types. In 1957, Dr James D’Adamo, ND, graduated from a naturopathic college in the USA and then studied in the great spas of Europe.

He noticed that some people responded well to the strict vegetarian and low fat diets, while some fared worse for them. He wondered if blood, the source of nourishment for the body, played some role and so went on to blood type his patients and observe their individual reactions to prescribed diets. Over the years a pattern started to emerge, covering diet, exercise and personality. He published his research in 1980 titled One Mans Food and nine years later the D’ Adamo Diet.

In the late 1980s, Drs Laura and Richard Power, PhDs, researched the role of blood types further using IgE, IgG, lectins and T-cell tests. Food tests were carried out on A1, A2, O, B, AB and Rh negative and Rh positive blood types.

 They found that :

• Men tend to be more reactive to food than women.
• Rh negative types tend to be more reactive to food than Rh positive types.
• There is an important difference between A1 and A2 blood types; the latter being a protein eater and the former needing more vegetarian food.
• Only B blood type show strong reactions to IgE tests.

This research was presented to the Academy of Science in the USA and an Australian lecturer in nutrition heard their work and brought it back to Perth. Here a group called SOMA have continued to refine the concept.

They noticed a strong link between facial structure and blood type. They observed that salmon oil and flaxseed oil, rich in omega three best suit A1 and B types while olive oil and evening primrose oil rich in omega six suit type Os. They also found that intolerance’s and allergies associated with food may be  different between winter and summer varieties of the vegetable or fruit.

Eat Right For Your Type by Dr Peter D’Adamo, son of James D’Adamo  is based on ten years of research at the University of Bastyr, Washington state, on the relationship between blood types and diet, in particular the role of lectins in food and their effects on blood cell antigens.

While scanning the medical literature for any correlation’s between blood type and disease Peter D’Adamo discovered that two major diseases of the stomach were associated with blood type. Peptic ulcers, often associated with high stomach acidity was more commonly reported in type Os.

James D’Adamo had noted that type Os do better on a protein diet which requires more stomach acid to digest. Stomach cancer is linked to low stomach acid and pernicious anaemia (as absorption requires sufficient stomach acid) and these problems were more commonly found in Type As, observed by James D’Adamo to have less stomach acid and do better on vegetarian diets.

Blood type is determined by chemical markers called antigens, which identifies cells as self or non self to the human immune system. The base antigen structure is made of long chains of fructose sitting on the cells surface like an antennae, this basic form is the type O antigen. To make an A antigen another sugar, N-acetyl-galactosamine is added, for B antigen, D-galactose is added and in type AB both of these sugars are added.

Our immune system forms antibodies which are specific shapes to lock on to antigens and cause the foreign cells to stick together and this identifies them as non self for the immune system to target and destroy.

Each blood type will form antibodies to the other blood type antigens if mixed together, hence only being able to receive blood from the same type or type Os.

So why is it that certain foods are recommended as beneficial, neutral or harmful for each blood type. The answer is lectins, which are abundant and diverse proteins found in foods. Lectins are a powerful way for organisms to attach to each other. Lots of germs and even our own immune systems use this super glue to their benefit.

Cells in our livers bile duct have lectins on their surface to help them snatch up bacteria and parasites. Bacteria and microbes have lectins on their surfaces which work like suction cups, to attach to the slippery mucosal linings of the body. Often the lectins used are blood type specific, making them a stickier pest for a person of that blood type. And so to with lectins in food, which can affect your gut or pass into the blood stream and cause blood cells to stick together.

For example milk has B like antigens so when a A type drinks milk the lectins may interact directly with the digestive tract or pass into the blood and target specific organs where the cells stick together and are targeted for destruction by the immune system. The clumping can cause irritable bowel syndrome, cirrhosis of the liver or block the blood flow through the kidneys.

How do lectins do this? Lectins have specific shapes, which you could think of as a “key”. The antigens of red blood cell surfaces are like “locks”, a different shape one for each blood type. Foods that contain lectins which are the correct “key” shape bind to the antigen complexes on the outside of your red blood cells and this will cause the blood cells to stick together.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disorder - a self-attacking type disease. This is when the body's immune system improperly identifies the synovial membranes that secrete the lubricating fluid in the joints as foreign, this immune response is initiated and maintained by the consumption of dairy products.

Lectins are binding molecules common on cereal grains, legumes and in milk High lectin levels in the gut occurs because of their resistance to digestive enzymes and leads to transportation through the gut wall (worse in leaky gut).

.Absorbed dietary lectins are presented by macrophages to T cells, and activate the immune system. Lectins in the gut also increase the growth of E.Coli, whose antigen is very similar to that of the synovial membrane so the immune system recognises it as not self and forms antibodies, these recognise both the E.Coli and the synovial cells as foreign, attracting the immune system to destroy them. Milk albumin (BSA) contains an amino acid sequence homologous with human collagen type 1 .

The nervous system has two branches, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic, which send electrical impulses to our glands and organs. The basic message of the sympathetic branch is “speed up”, and “slow down” for the parasympathetic. To a greater of lesser degree everyone is either:

1. Dominated by the sympathetic branch - A1 and AB type particularly which creates an acidic state in the body and so requires an alkaline diet

2. Dominated by the parasympathetic branch - O and A2 particularly which requires a more acidic diet or

3. In balance between the two - B blood type which requires a balance acid/alkaline diet.

Sympathetic dominated nervous systems have more stimulation to the glands responsible for energy production and comparatively less to the organs of digestion and so do better on a vegetarian diet. relaxing styles of exercise is beneficial for these types to reduce stress and tension that may accumulate due to over stimulation of their system.

Parasympathetic dominant people have more stimulation to digestion and less to the energy producing glands and so cope better with meat based diets. This type would also do better for vigourous exercise which stimulates the energy levels.

So your blood type determines your susceptibility to illness, which foods you should eat and how you should exercise.

What else can our blood tell us?

The blood type gene is located on the q leg of chromosome 9 around band 34. Gene linkage means that genes can affect other genes next to, or nearby, and that’s why blood type can have such diverse influences on gene expression such as digestive enzymes and neurotransmitters.

Our blood types are a powerful genetic fingerprint which carries our pattern of race, culture and history. The story told is that type O is the oldest, type A evolved the agrarian society, type B emerged as humans migrated north into colder, harsher territories and type AB is a thoroughly modern adaptation

Blood is typed not only by the OAB system we are all familiar with but with several other ones too including secretor status and rhesus factor. These too are being discovered to have influences on our health.

Every one carries  a blood type antigen on their red blood cells, and most people, 80 - 85% of the population, have blood type antigens that float around freely in their body secretions, such as saliva, mucus, semen and digestive juices.

This appears to create a barrier against bacteria, pollutants and other irritants. Immunological, non secretors have more of a death trap strategy, they allow pathogenic invaders in and then attack and kill them internally. So your secretor status can have a great influence on the characteristics of your immune system and is associated with a wide variety of diseases and metabolic conditions.

Your secretor status affects the following:

• the degree to which foreign bacteria invade the system
• the adherence of lectins and other blood type sensitive structures found in food to your digestive tissue
• syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome
• the balance of intestinal flora
• predicting the relevance of tumour markers for diagnosing cancers
• blood clotting capabilities
• the make up of mothers breast milk
• susceptibility to candida
• immune resistance
• susceptibility to dental caries
• sensitivity to bacteria which cause ulcers
• relative risk for the development of inflammatory bowel problems
• an influence on respiratory health and susceptibility to viruses
• prevalence of auto-immune diseases
• risk factors for cardiovascular disease
• a genetic predictor for alcoholism

 The Lewis blood typing system will give you an indication of your secretor status.

Blood type frequencies in Australia

• A1 30%
• A2 9%
• O 47%
• B 11%
• AB 3%
• Rh + 83%
• Rh - 17%

What this information is outlining is a combination of the above blood type system which helps you choose which foods to eat, with the zone diet system (explained below)  which helps us understand in what combination we should eat these health giving foods for maximum hormonal and health benefits.

When you follow the guide for your blood type for eating and living you will more easily reach your ideal weight, improve you health and slow the process of ageing

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