Eat Right for Your Blood Type

I have not tried the blood type diet, but for months and months I admired an older woman who works at a local Trader Joes - she has the body of a young ballet dancer, runs around stocking shelves with great energy, beautiful hair and skin, radiates happiness, she just glows with health, a very strong yet lean and flexible body. Even at age 20 I did not have such a great body. Looks adorable in her jeans and cute shirts. I heard her mention to someone that her 69th birthday was coming up. When I checked out I told her she looked so wonderful, and congratulations on her birthday, and asked her if she followed a special eating plan. She said the only thing she did was follow the blood type diet, walk and occasionally do yoga. She is an AB blood type, which she mentioned because she said every other month she gives blood because the AB blood type is relatively rare.

I do find the science somewhat persuasive, human blood types did evolve at different points in our history and people were eating different things at those times. I think I will have to give it a try sometime just for a week or two to see how I feel.
 
The big thing about Dr. D'adamo, is that he stresses, everyone has their own genetic makeup and you need to eat the food that is right for you. O's can have sub categories of Non-Secretor, Secretor, and Genotypes of Hunter, Gatherer and Explorer.

His next book, Genotypes Diets explains this better than I can. As I am an O non Hunter, I am limited on the amounts of grains, but I can go to town on veggies and meats. If you are an O gatherer, you are more into plant foods.

My husband is very much on board with with. Years and years of stomach problems are gone. He recently went to the doctor and the doc was amazed by his test results. DH's 6 brothers and sisters all suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and some have cancer. These all started at relatively young ages, so DH is very pleased with his results.
 
bundschuh said:
His next book, Genotypes Diets explains this better than I can. As I am an O non Hunter, I am limited on the amounts of grains, but I can go to town on veggies and meats. If you are an O gatherer, you are more into plant foods.
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But doesn't that sound a little bit like having it both ways? If you are blood type O then you need to eat lots of meat unless you don't have to because you are a O gatherer?
 
As he has done more research, he has found there are sub-types due to methylation and prenatal conditions.

Babies who were malnourished in the womb will have gatherer tendancies which makes it harder to lose weight.

In Type O's there are Gatherers and Hunters. Hunters tend to have a very reactive body, allergies, arthritis, feel stress, but don't take stress well. Gatherers will not easily lose weight.

The beauty of what he is researching is that Blood Type is the basis for his research, but he is finding genotype also affects diet and health.

Read about Agouti mice, go to PBS website and read about Ghosts in the Genes on Nova. It explains about methylation in humans and effect on genotype.
 
I have been following it for 10 yrs and it made a big difference in my health. This is NOT one of the fad diet. The author and his father spent about 70yrs researching the subject. I recommend this to anyone who wants take care of their own health (the weight loss comes as an added benefit :)) http://www.dadamo.com
 
bundschuh said:
As he has done more research, he has found there are sub-types due to methylation and prenatal conditions.

Babies who were malnourished in the womb will have gatherer tendancies which makes it harder to lose weight.

In Type O's there are Gatherers and Hunters. Hunters tend to have a very reactive body, allergies, arthritis, feel stress, but don't take stress well. Gatherers will not easily lose weight.

The beauty of what he is researching is that Blood Type is the basis for his research, but he is finding genotype also affects diet and health.

Read about Agouti mice, go to PBS website and read about Ghosts in the Genes on Nova. It explains about methylation in humans and effect on genotype.
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So I googled both, the mice and the ghosts in the genes, maybe I am a little dense but I not sure how what I am reading there applies to the ER4YT diet?

How do I know that I am a Hunter or a Gatherer? Looking at it I find it very confusing because that means if I am blood type 0 Hunter I should be eating lots of meat, if I am the same blood type but a Gatherer I should forget about meat and basically be eating vegetarian? Doesn't that negate somehow his theory on eating for your blood type. Kind of listen to what I say but if it doesn't work you may be a subgroup in the group that is contrary to what the rest of the group is doing? Isn't that a little bit of double talk?

So if I was malnourished as a baby in the womb I am a gatherer and I have a hard time losing weight? Is that why I should be eating a plant based diet? Does that mean it is harder to lose weight on a diet that is heavy on meat?

I am not trying to knock his theory, I am just having a hard time following his thesis.
 
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Dr. Dadamo has a number of books he has published over the past 12 years. The earliest was Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type followed by Live Right 4 Your Blood Type. He had numerous publications for specific health issues, until he published The Genotype Diet last year.

Every time he publishes, he refines his information. My last post, was rushed as I was at work and couldn't give enough information. Here is a link to the Blood Type Diet website.
http://www.dadamo.com

The Genotype site is a pay site and not hosted by Dadamo, as his publisher wanted the rights to the website.

Following is a link to see what diet style might work best for you:

http://www.dadamo.com/which_diet_is_right.htm

My bad on the Gatherer Diet:

Gatherers still need more lean protein, but they have a different variety of cheeses, vegetable proteins, nuts and seeds.
vegetable proteins and grains from the hunter.


Here is a primer on the blood type program
http://www.dadamo.com/program.htm

Here is something on medline about the diet.

http://www.dadamo.com/knowbase/citations/citation1.html

Information on Hunter and Gatherer genotypes:

http://www.4yourtype.com/hunter.asp

http://www.4yourtype.com/gatherer.asp

If you are interested in this way of living, I would suggest you do the test and get the book(s) that is/are most appropriate, the Eat Right and Live Right for the Blood type and The Genotype Diet for Genotypes.

Once you read the Genotype Diet, methylation and agouti mice will make sense in correlation to diet.
 
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Hey rjroubi:

Have you read Gary Taube's Good Calories Bad Calories.
His book is certainly an eye opener on the business of obesity and diet research.

Mainstream research is tampered with depending on who is paying for the study. I believe it was the Mars corporation who paid for one of Harvard's new research buildings. Harvard went on to do a study paid by Mars to show that sugar is not harmful. (don't quote me on the names, I will research and correct)


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/Story?id=3654291&page=1

http://www.reason.com/news/show/28721.htmlTaubes
 
bundschuh said:
Hey rjroubi:

Have you read Gary Taube's Good Calories Bad Calories.
His book is certainly an eye opener on the business of obesity and diet research.

Mainstream research is tampered with depending on who is paying for the study. I believe it was the Mars corporation who paid for one of Harvard's new research buildings. Harvard went on to do a study paid by Mars to show that sugar is not harmful. (don't quote me on the names, I will research and correct)


http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/NewYearNewYou/Story?id=3654291&page=1

http://www.reason.com/news/show/28721.htmlTaubes
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I haven't read it, but I don't believe in diets anyway. (They make people fat.) I believe in eating healthy whole foods as a lifestyle. I'm thin, but it has nothing to do with eating for my blood type or a diet....it's because I choose my whole foods wisely and I eat to be healthy (ah, yes, mostly plants).

Everyone knows fruits and vegetables are good for you....there is no skewing of studies.....It still comes down to what Michael Pollan says, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." :)
 
Have to add that not all fruits and vegetables are good for everyone. Athough this I have found out from the blood type diet also, we have tested it on ourselves and found it to be true. Mangoes and oranges are avoid food for me. One year I took a jug of orange juice made from fresh oranges and got so sick after. I love mangoes and when the season comes I would eat them and guess what? I get sick after. The symptoms are always the same for each type of fruits i eat. Chicken gives me migraine, mango gives me phelgm and oranges bad bad sore throat and phelgm. I now avoid oranges.

My hubby who is an A blood type cannot take cabbage and he gets sick too when he takes that.

My friends had also tested it and same thing. Not all fruits and vegetables are good for them too.
 
Shellynfree said:
Have to add that not all fruits and vegetables are good for everyone. Athough this I have found out from the blood type diet also, we have tested it on ourselves and found it to be true. Mangoes and oranges are avoid food for me. One year I took a jug of orange juice made from fresh oranges and got so sick after. I love mangoes and when the season comes I would eat them and guess what? I get sick after. The symptoms are always the same for each type of fruits i eat. Chicken gives me migraine, mango gives me phelgm and oranges bad bad sore throat and phelgm. I now avoid oranges.

My hubby who is an A blood type cannot take cabbage and he gets sick too when he takes that.

My friends had also tested it and same thing. Not all fruits and vegetables are good for them too.
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You've obviously missed my point, but that's okay. I don't deny that some people have allergies to some fruit and vegetables but it certainly doesn't have anything to do with their blood type. I also do understand that you believe in and want to defend the blood type diet for whatever reason.

If the blood type diet makes you more conscious of what you are eating and you loose weight....then I am happy for you. People do loose weight with conscious eating. I just think people should read between the lines and see the diet for what it is:

http://www.earthsave.org/news/bloodtyp.htm
 
rjroubi said:
http://www.earthsave.org/news/bloodtyp.htm
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I hadn't read that before but the author makes some really good points!

My problem with the diet is that despite of the fact that the claim is that it is individualized it is very blatent in stereotyping. Because I am a blood typ O I am supposed to eat a lot of meat, no grains, I have certain personality traits and should only do strenous exercise whereas another blood type is a gentle vegetarian who should only do yoga and tai chi.

What disturbs me the most though is the fact that they recommend on his website to take the "Hunter Synergy" supplement that is designed to offset the excess of omega 6 from meat. If that diet is healthy and balanced why does it need to offset anything on a daily and ongoing basis? Responsible supplementation is for diagnosed problems and usually for limited periods of time.

It kind of reminds me of that South Beach Diet guy who says his diet is heart healthy and despite of that takes a statin drug and a baby aspirin every day and recommends it for his patients.

I think it is well-established that higher meat consumption, especially red meats promote cancer growth aside from other health concerns. This is well documented in many studies, including the China Study.

I certainly don't fit into the blood type 0 category, I was constantly sick and miserable on high protein/meat diets and I have never felt better than when I eliminated most meat and dairy products and started eating more vegetables and fruit, nuts, seeds, grains. I find it scary that he recommends for 40 % of the population (the ones with blood type 0) to eliminate grains, just based on blood type. I certainly understand that people can be allergic to certain foods, including vegetables or fruit but that is based on a individual diagnosis and not blood type.

Most mainstream medicine does not even consider nutrition a factor in preventing and healing disease. We are so stuck on individual substances and stereotyping in finding "the magic pill" or next miracle diet that we forget what health is really about. It is not a bunch of diets with their meal plans that lead us on a path of obesity, it is not eating protein powder and protein bars because we want to build muscle until they come out of our ears, it is not taking isolated substances as a "precaution" or synthetical multivitamins because in our quest for weightloss we eat nothing but what the diet industry tells us to eat in order to lose weight and forget the simple truth that it is about health and not weightloss or fitting into a certain size.

I hadn't heard that Michael Pollan quote but it pretty much sums it up for me.

That being said, everyone needs to do what they feel is right for them and what they believe in.
 
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bundschuh said:
http://www.dadamo.com
I have been on it for 11 years, since I was breastfeeding my now 12 year old.

While feeding him, I tried to eat grain heavy diet and very little red meat. I started to lose my milk, my baby was constantly hungry and I had no energy and very bad skin.

Picked up the book and like you couldn't believe what he told me about what I should eat. I was having dreams about red meat and craved it constantly. As an O type, I should eat eat more meat, fish and veggies, eliminate coffee, wheat, most grains and milk products.

I have been feeding my family like this since then. I haven't had the flu in 11 years, my kids never get sick (their teachers will often send notes home wondering why they don't get sick).

I am 48 and people often think I am 38. My stamina is incredible, I can easily work 12 hours days and not feel it.

So I recommend it highly. BTW, there is a tremendous amount of science behind it, especially Lectin science, and blood type disease.

www.dadamo.com
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Honestly, I have the same stats as you and have not even had a sniffle, much less the flu. All I do is exercise and eat healthy. Not follow something for my blood type!
 
I think the most important thing Dr. D'adamo is saying is that one size does not fit all. Reductionists diets that say "I am healthy, because I eat this way, so if you eat my way you will be healthy and lose weight" don't work for about 40% of people who try them.

I think it is great that many people here have found ways of eating that keep them healthy. Unfortunately, there are many people who are not healthy in North America, who cannot find a way of eating that is suitable for them to keep them healthy. I like to think Dr. D'adamo's writings seem to encompass many ways of eating and why those ways are better for some and not so good for others.

I am so curious why diet discussions seem to bring out such strong opinions from people? Does it have to do with personality and change?
 
I think its a fascinating discussion.

The way I feel about this particular program is this: If all the options are healthy and/or healthier versions of the typical american diet than I say its good.

I dont think any program that totally eliminates a healthy food group or emphasizes eat TONS OF THIS can be healthy long term. I also have to say that just becasue a person feels good on a program and stays at happy weight also doesnt make it long term healthy. I was on Atkins for years and felt fantastic but I dont believe it would have been "healthy" to eat that way for the rest of my life.

I am not saying that any of my statements are directly related to this particular Blood Type plan. I have not read the books nor have I eaten this way so my opinion is simply based on overall healthy eating.

Eating tons of any hormone injected animal protein and/or dairy and/or non organic produce could result in problems down the road regardless of your blood type.

There is a reason for all food groups and unless a person has an allergy or some medical reason to avoid it- I think moderation & variety in your clean eating choices is crucial to long term optimal health.
 
bundschuh said:
I am so curious why diet discussions seem to bring out such strong opinions from people? Does it have to do with personality and change?
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I can't speak for anyone else but myself. I have turned my whole life around in the last 8 months, completely changed my lifestyle, workout habits and the way I eat. In the process I have lost over 80 lbs, cut my bodyfat by 1/4, brought my resting heart rate from the high 70s or 80s to 55, my blood pressure down and my blood work is off the charts.

Change or fear of change certainly has nothing to do with not finding Dr. D'Adamo's thesis or theory convincing. In fact, I would fully support a departure from the way we currently practice conventional medicine and I am a big proponent of Naturopathic medicine and nutritional approach which is also used in my current treatment. Dr. D'Adamo's theories just don't make any sense to me.

I understand you swear by this diet and I am glad you have found something that works for you. That being said you don't seem to be open to change or looking at anything else either and that's fine. It was not my intention to convince you to abandon your diet, I merely voiced my opinion which happens to be different than yours. I think the original poster was looking for pros and cons. In the end, everyone is responsible for their own health and decisions they make.
 
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I think the reason this diet (and so many others like it) elicit such strong opinions is because is faulty science being presented as fact. There may be a grain of truth in the claims, but if you really read both what Dr. Adamo says as well as what the people who disagree with Dr. Adamo say, then you seriously have to wonder about the diet. I have a background in biology and I get so frustrated at what passed for "truth". It's not only Dr. Adamo. There are a ton of other diets out there that take a snippet of truth and twist it to suit their needs (Atkins comes to mind - there is a gain of truth in what Atkin claims, but he stretched that truth so far that the truth was buried so far under fluff that it ceased to exist).

That being said, if you are eating a sound diet and doing well - stay on it. Just don't tell me that this diet will solve all of MY problems too, because what is supposedly good for me with this diet is what will give me exactly what the diet is supposed to be preventing.
 
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