Blood Group Diet - Understanding the Pros and Cons

It was believed by Dr Peter D’Adamo that the unique antigen markers of different blood group types react to different kinds of food. The consumption of the wrong kind of food may lead to various health conditions. The right kind of food, when consumed according to the blood types can help prevent chronic diseases, maintain an optimum body weight and act as defence against a large number of diseases. It was also believed that stomach acid levels and digestive enzymes are related to blood types.

Blood type diet:

1. Blood Type A should only consume a vegetarian, in fact vegan diet.
2. Blood Type B is recommended a balanced diet of meat, dairy products and vegetables.
3. Blood Type O should consume high amounts of animal protein along with lots of fruits and vegetables. The carbohydrate, dairy and wholegrain intake must be low.
4. Blood Type AB should stick to a vegetarian diet mostly, with occasional inclusions of meat and dairy products.

Pros of a diet based on blood group

1. Food that agrees with your body system is essentially beneficial to your body.
2. Blood type dieting makes exercising the most important part of your daily health regimen. This helps to promote fitness.
3. It is effective as far as weight loss is concerned.
4. It discourages the consumption of processed food and junk meals. Healthy fresh vegetables, fruits or dairy products will always be beneficial.
5. Does not allow the intake of fatty, sugary food items.
6. You can choose different food for your diet from a variety of food items suitable for your blood type.

Cons of a diet based on blood group

1. It does not include food from all food groups.
2. Many nutritionists and scientists have not been able to establish a connection between blood type and food suitability.
3. Cutting out certain essential food groups can be quite dangerous.
4. The theory of Dr D’Adamo is quite questionable and disputable. It does not have a medical backing.
5. Following this diet can be quite tedious.
6. There can be varying results from following such diet and this makes it difficult to analyse the outcome of following such diets. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a dietitian-nutritionist.