Among the many types of diets and alternatives proposed for proper nutrition, there is one in particular that, lately, is back in fashion: the blood group diet.
We would like to remind you that, when it comes to health, you should consult professionals, and not let yourself be carried away by random people without any professional title.. Meanwhile, let's try to understand together what that is.
This idea dates back to 1996 when an American naturopath, Peter D’Adamo, publishes a book (Eat right 4 your type) in which he explains how to follow a specific diet based on the blood type. The book has been translated into many languages and has sold millions of copies, also arriving in Italy where it finds fertile ground with Piero Mozzi, doctor and main testimonial of this diet.
According to D'Adamo, blood types appeared at different times. The oldest is the type 0 which was more common in the early human ancestors, who lived as hunters and who ate mainly meat. Subsequently, type A appeared when there was already a diet based on fruit and vegetables. Then came the B type among the farmers who consumed milk and dairy products, and finally there is the AB type that can follow an intermediate diet between the previous ones.
This theory comes from the fact that antigens are present on the surface of red blood cells, molecules that determine the blood type and that, according to D'Adamo, they would be responsible for the different ability to digest various foods in each individual.
Several studies have been conducted, but among these, two have concretely demonstrated that this diet has no scientific basis.
In the first, conducted on approx 1500 people, It has been shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, recommended for people with blood type A, improves the state of health and reduces cardiovascular risks, not only on subjects of type A but of any group.
In the next one the same diet was proposed at approx 1000 overweight people, and also in this case the positive effects were verified on everyone regardless of the blood type.
So, why do those who follow a specific diet for their blood type claim to be healthy and have better clinical parameters? Because who chooses this food style, regardless of blood type, make changes to their daily diet by reducing sugars and fatty foods, eating more fruits and vegetables and alternating meat consumption. But these are the basic foundations of a healthy and balanced diet that experts recommend to everyone to improve health, and it is true that it brings benefits, but it has nothing to do with blood.
Sources
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24454746/
Leave A Comment