The blood type diet.

Should you eat as per your blood type?

A client recently told me that he cannot go Vegan because he needs to eat meat, based on his blood type.

This was definitely not the first time I was hearing about the blood-type diet but had never met someone with so much conviction that it works.

Let’s explore the blood type diet.

A blood type diet is as simple as it sounds. It is a diet based on your blood type. According to your blood type diet, you are supposed to eat different types of foods. It was first claimed in the book 'Eat Right for Your Type.'

For example, individuals with type O blood are expected to eat a lot of meat, whilst those with type A blood are expected to eat less.

The diet hypothesizes that the ABO blood type should correspond to our ancestors' dietary choices and that people of different blood types absorb food differently.

This may sound intriguing, but these claims lacked solid evidence.

Although there is no research to back the author's claims, the author himself has turned a blind eye to any scientific explanations.

Blood type diet is based on the idea that O is the oldest blood group and that their ideal diet should be similar to that of their forefathers, which is heavy in animal protein and low in grains, similar to a paleo diet. This itself is false as type O blood type is not the oldest, its type A.

As humans initially established into villages and began farming their food, blood type- A evolved next, and these individuals should benefit from a vegetarian diet.

Finally, B was supposed to be the last evolving group, and those who belong to this group are said to cope well with dairy products. Therefore, individuals with AB can eat a variety of foods.

My big problem with this type of fad diet is gut dysbiosis. Purposely omitting certain foods from the diet is proven to reduce the diversity of healthy gut flora, and lead to gut-related issues such as inflammation, IBS-like symptoms, leaky gut and even weight gain due to hormonal imbalance. Not to mention, the catastrophic effects on your mental health and the formation of eating disorders.

What does science say?

A group of experts conducted a study investigating blood type diets in 2013. They discovered 16 potential targets after analyzing 1,415 papers, narrowing them down to a single study of interest. However, there was no link between blood type diets and health outcomes in any investigations.

This systematic review was followed by a direct study that looked at the impact of blood type diet on cardiometabolic risk variables in 1,455 people. The findings reveal that following particular 'Blood-Type' diets are not linked to a better profile for certain cardiometabolic risk factors in young people.

While there was a positive benefit from eating a low-meat, high-fruit and vegetable diet, it was not linked to any particular blood group. It's simply a side effect of eating a standard "healthy" diet. This research was widely regarded as the final nail in the coffin of the blood type diet.

Once again, say NO to fad diets that promise ‘fast results’. make lifestyle changes instead to help you keep your weight in a healthy range permanently.

Trust this helps,

Roshni Sanghvi.