A study evaluated the effects of the 4 diets corresponding to the 4 blood groups. If the diets lead to certain favorable changes, it seems that this unfortunately has nothing to do with the blood group of the person who practices it…
It is the naturopath Peter d’Adamo who popularized the diet according to blood type, through a best-selling book “Eat Right for Your Type”, translated in 52 languages. According to his theory, most chronic diseases, including obesity, are due to an incompatibility between food and our blood type.
Specifically, an incompatibility between the lectins in our diet and our red blood cells which, according to the incompatibilities, would trigger the pathogenic process. He therefore recommends a diet according to each of the 4 blood groups, the main characteristics of which are as follows:
Group O: ancestral group, you must eat like the hunter-gatherers (rich in animal proteins, without cereals, legumes and dairy products).
Group A: group dating from the agrarian era, it is necessary to eat vegetarian (without dairy products, with mainly vegetables and some cereals).
Group B: group originating from nomadic tribes, quite diversified, it is the only diet where you can eat dairy products, but no wheat, corn or potato.
Group AB: intermediate diet between the diet of group A and group B.
Note that certain foods should be banned for all blood groups: pork, smoked salmon, corn oil and d peanuts, black pepper,…
A diet that lacks physiological bases
The theory linking the prevention of chronic diseases by a diet according to the 4 s-groups angina is lacking in physiological basis, although it can be recognized that there are some relationships between blood type and risk of disease. Thus, we tend to find less type 2 diabetes among group B, and a lower risk of thromboembolism among group O.
But the role of lectins, which, one side, can cause hypersensitivity reactions, and on the other hand could exert some anticarcinogenic effects, on red blood cells is unlikely. Indeed, as proteins, they are degraded during digestion under the action of pepsin. But no matter, this approach still knows fervent defenders and followers. Hence the interest of this study, conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto with 1 455 adults of 20 to 29 years, from whom they collected data on food and determined their blood type.
Effects yes… but independent of the group
The results indicate that:
– following diet A is associated with lower BMI (body mass index), smaller waist circumference, lower blood pressure, insulin levels and triglyceride levels. Which, in itself, is not surprising for people who eat mainly vegetables.
– Adherence to the O diet was associated with lower triglyceride levels, which, again, is not surprising for a diet low in carbohydrates, without added sugars or alcohol.
But cross-checking the data reveals that these effects of the diet occur regardless of blood type. In other words, it is the fact of following a diet, and not following it according to your blood type, which produces its effects.
Source
Wang J. et al: ABO Genotype, ‘Blood-Type’ Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors. PLoS ONE. doi.org/.1371/journal. pone.1371
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