Dr. D'Adamo's Eat Right 4 Your Type Diet

Naturopathic physicians James and Peter D'Adamo have woven together research from medical anthropology, cancer research and immunology to illuminate their theory that proteins in the blood, commonly known as your blood-type, interact with proteins called lectins in foods, to cause varying degrees of cell damage.

Also known as serotype proteins, these inherited factors give important clues about what foods are genetically determined to be most compatible in each person's system.

The serotypes that are best known are the Groups O, A (further divided in to sub group A1 and A2), B and AB. We are also familiar with the idea that people will be either positive or negative for the Rhesus or Rh factor.

Also important for determining best foods are the less familiar blood proteins known as M, N and Lewis A or B. Determining which of these factors a person has inherited, in what combination, can clarify in great detail which foods are an individuals best or least nutritious food choices. This also supports the real life experience many of us have that one diet does not fit all.

About 70% of people carry a gene that causes their system to secrete their sero-proteins in body fluids other than blood (such as saliva, semen, digestive juices and sweat).

Secretor status is interesting because people who do secrete have a greater resistance to infection and other immune system challenges like food allergies, while non-secretors have less resilient immune systems, possibly making them more vulnerable to certain diseases.

Non-secretors are not necessarily 'sickly' people. But knowing this status can be a motivating factor in terms of being wiser about preventative lifestyle choices. This knowledge about your self can also help guide treatment choices once an illness appears.

Food allergies are an expression of an immune system response to an injury or challenge. This is a separate and different response from the cell damage that occurs when you eat foods with lectins that are not compatible with your blood type.

The lectin/sero-protein interaction is a deeper, more fundamental reaction, since it is genetically determined and therefore permanent.

Many food allergies are actually food intolerance than will clear when the body is supported to optimal function.

Sometimes people are allergic or temporarily intolerant of foods that should be OK according to their blood type-- that's because we are complex and there is more than one thing that can go wrong that will result in a food item being insulting to your tissues. So while a serotype diet may not solve all your problems, your problems are not likely to completely resolve with out addressing the fundamental serotype compatibility of your diet and your physiology.

Blood Group O

This is the original human blood type, and it is associated with a hunter/gatherer sort of diet. It is very interesting that the original humans ate primarily meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and modern humans of the same blood type show cellular damage when they eat dairy foods and many grains, both of which are associated with agriculture. Farming and the domestication of animals are both rather recent developments in human history. It makes simple sense that the original humans thrived on foods other than agricultural products. People who have Type O have very alert immune systems. This means they have a great capacity to fight infections for instance, and also may tend to develop things like hives, food allergies, intestinal gas and bloating, hay fever and arthritis. These folks have abundant stomach acid, appropriate for digesting the protein in their diet, and fruits and vegetables in abundance are important for maintaining a proper acid/alkaline balance in their gut as well as the all-important fiber to assist the proper digestion and elimination of animal proteins and fats.

Blood Group A

Blood group A evolved along with the development of agriculture. These folks do well with what has become the modern version of the 'health-food diet"- that is "vegetarian with poultry and fish". Grains and beans are tolerated better than by Type O, however there are still significant restrictions. Red meat is not well tolerated and only small amounts of cultured dairy product should be included. Fruits and vegetables are encouraged, especially raw, because the enzymes that are present help with digestion and elimination. Type A has some tendency to a sluggish and disordered digestive tract, skin problems and a vulnerability to slow-developing, chronic conditions.

Blood Group B

Blood group B began to appear among the nomadic herding societies, somewhat later than the first two serotypes historically. This group is unique in its capacity to use dairy products especially cultured items like yogurt and cheese. These are the ovo-lacto vegetarians-types, with protein best included as fish, eggs and turkey. Oddly, chicken contains lectins that are insulting to the Type B system. These folks are like A's in having generally less acid stomach and therefore are not able to digest lots of protein at one sitting. Variety and small frequent meals are the shorthand prescription for this group.

Blood Group AB

Historically blood group AB was the last to evolve and is associated with 'modern' diets. Because of the presence of both group A and group B immune elements, these folks are well adapted to a vegetable, grain and seafood diet, with small amounts of dairy also possible. Red meat, chicken, potatoes and tomatoes as well as a number of grains and beans are problematic for this group. There can be vulnerabilities similar to those faced by group A and group B. Supplementation with hydrochloric or malic acid to enhance digestion will be helpful, as is the small, frequent and diverse meals suggested above.

Comment: In some cases, a blood type diet may be helpful for PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

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