Blood Type Dieting ​: Is It Right?

Blood Type Diets

Nowadays, there seem to be so many conflicting diets, claiming “eat this to be thin”, or “don’t eat this and you’ll lose your belly fat”, or “do this exercise, it’s all you’ll ever need to be thin”…

But are these claims true?

I think it’s a matter of personal preference and whatever works for you, the individual.

If you try the Blood Type Diet, it’s obviously based on facts, trials and results – otherwise, it wouldn’t be so successful. Also, when you read it through and see the science behind it, it kind of makes sense on the one hand.

Let me give you the low down:

D’Adamo, the author of the book “Eat Right For Your Blood Type”, says that “Protein components in food called lectins bind with antigens on blood cells and lead to blood cell clumping or agglutination. Avoiding agglutination can improve health by assisting with weight loss management and helping to fight heart disease and possibly cancer”.

I will neither confirm nor deny this statement as I’m not a scientist or a nutritionist – perhaps Vicky Godfrey can have a little say on this philosophy…

From what I can tell, on this diet D’Adamo uses his theory to develop separate diets for people with blood types A, B, AB, and O. In addition, he recommends exercise and overall healthy habits, like drinking enough water, I mean, it’s not rocket science really as most of us know that processed foods contain pesticides, “enhancers” and preservatives which are not that great for us., and probably most of us could do with being more hydrated.

Just doing this in itself, may help you lose some weight. But any weight loss on this diet doesn’t appear to be linked to your “blood type”.

The diet is quite specific about which foods groups are allowed for each different blood type, which can be quite restrictive.

In researching this article I found information and this comment probably sums it up beautifully:-

Liz Weinandy, RD, at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, says: :

“Lectins can be dangerous to our health if eaten in large amounts, but the way D’Adamo presents their effects may be misleading.”

She goes on to say:

“While people often have different nutritional needs, humans are complex animals, and chalking up these specifics to blood type, may oversimplify those needs. To base a whole diet on that is probably not very sensible.”

The premise behind eating better quality foods, no processed or refined sugar, drinking more water, is again, pretty standard stuff and probably will help you lose weight.

As with most new diet plans, off we go to the supermarket (or the organic Wholefood market) to exchange a significant proportion of our monthly salary, for a small basket of “Whole”, “Organic or “Clean” foods, which when we look at the basket, can’t fathom what the hell we’re going to make a meal (a) we want to eat, or (b) that will fill us up and not have us running down to the fried chicken shop in the middle of the night with food cravings worthy of a psychotic pregnant woman! (no offence ladies).

Spending more time in the kitchen, getting to know your foods, what you’re eating and what you put into your bodies SHOULD be the goal of every diet plan. However, the trick is to make it interesting, fun and above all else – TASTY, not tiresome.

Quite often this is why Diet “fads” are just that – because you can’t keep it up. It’s not sustainable. It feels obsessive, can be tedious, is definitely time-consuming and after a few weeks of it, you get resentful and “over it”. I do anyway.

So back to the Blood Type Diet, I’m digressing… This diet may quickly become expensive too, (as I mentioned above) as the author recommends you buy organic foods, as well as his own line of supplements. Hmmm… now, why does that always make me suspicious?

I don’t begrudge anyone making money – but when you’re selling a “diet” and then adding your own brand of supplements to that – the (blood) red flags start waving (pardon the pun) and I flick to another page and off I go…. You lost me.

I work hard for my money and I don’t intend to give it away blindly because someone (“HELLLLLLOOOO”) is promising me a gorgeous fit-hard-abbed-super healthy body.

NO. NO. NO.

In conclusion my lovelies, I would say that, and I will reiterate this over and over again…

You need B A L A N C E!

Balance is everything. Balance is life and death, Balance is up and down, Balance is yes and no. Balance is Yin and Yang.

Eat healthily, but have a little treat now and then; Balance.

Go to the gym or exercise regularly; but if you feel like staying in bed one morning, or missing a session. Do it; Balance.

If you have a sweet tooth and you just love your chocolate bars. Have one, (not three); Balance.

Juicy Lucy’s Tip:

Obviously if you’ve been told you must not do something or eat something by your physician DR or nutritionist – please stick to their advice.

As always, it is up to you and you can purchase this book online here at:

Some of the information gathered in this article from Everyday Health – you can read the full article here. https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/eat-right-for-your-type-diet.aspx

What Vicky Says:

Most diets only work for about 50% of the population, which is why some people get fantastic results and some don’t at all – due to the fact that we are individuals.  The best way to define which diet will work for you is to look at your metabolic type and to deem whether you are slow, medium or fast oxidiser (how fast you burn your nutrients).