Blood type diets have been around for just about as long as we have known the difference between A, B, AB, and O. Though they continue to return and become popular in many different shapes and forms, it’s important to understand that as promising as they may sound, they are no more scientifically sound today than they were when they were first created. There is no reputable, replicated evidence in medical science to suggest that any of these strategies are helpful for health or weight management benefits.
What Are Blood Type Diets?
When it comes to dieting, there are nearly as many strategies, tips, and plans as there are stars in the sky. Among those strategies is a form of dieting called blood type diets which involve different restrictions and rules depending on the blood type of the dieter. It sounds exceptionally scientific and promising as a concept, but it is important to remember that despite some research, this type of strategy is not backed by any reputable evidence.
Blood type diets seem to have a scientific sound to them and have built quite a large following over the years. In January 2014, researchers at the University of Toronto, in Canada, looked more deeply at this type of diet to try to determine whether or not there truly was any merit to these claims that a dieter should eat according to his or her blood type in order to lose weight more effectively.
Has it Been Studied?
When all was said and done, the researchers found that a dieter’s blood type as absolutely nothing to do with how well a dieter will be able to lose weight on a particular plan. The most famous of this form of program is actually called The Blood Type Diet. It was first launched as a “specific type” of plan in 1996 by Peter D’Adamo, a naturopathic physician.
The program claims to determine an individual’s “susceptibility to illness, which foods you should eat, and how you should exercise.” The concept is that the blood type of an individual provides some information regarding the type of dietary habits that their ancestors would have had. For example, people with Type O blood likely had ancestors who were hunters and gatherers. Therefore, in order to lose weight more effectively, they should consume animal protein, avoid grains containing gluten, such as wheat, kidney beans, and lentils.
On the other hand, people with Type A blood should try to eliminate as much dairy, meat, lima beans and kidney beans from their diet as possible, adhering to a primarily vegetarian diet. Blood Type B people should eat a more balanced type of diet that does not contain gluten. People who have Type AB blood should combine the dietary advice for Types A and B.
The Research Findings About Blood Type Diets
The researchers decided to put these rules to the test and analyzed the typical diets of 1,455 healthy young adults and scored each individual based on how closely he or she followed the diet that would suit their blood type.
What they found was that regardless of what blood type an individual happened to have, following the Blood Type Diet for Type A brought about the lowest waist circumferences, BMIs, triglyceride levels, cholesterol levels, and glucose and insulin levels. Those who had a diet similar to that recommended for Type AB also experienced positive results.
It should also be noted that the “history” used for the different blood types used in this research is widely considered to be entirely inaccurate. Not to mention the fact that this variable isn’t typically considered to have any impact on digestion, nutrition, metabolism, or energy use by the body. This could help to explain why the strategy created for only one type ended up being more effective for everyone.
