Column #26

Anyone can have a theory, opinion, or hunch. But unless their positions are analyzed, tested, and corroborated by professional measurements they remain but theories, opinions, or hunches. Eat Right 4 Your Type, by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo was first published in 1996. It remains an example of one man’s opinion.

His theory states your blood type determines your body’s fundamental nutrient requirements. Here’s how he breaks down the four primary blood types:

O: “hunter” intolerant of change requires lean meats, less grain and legumes, needs exercise
A: “agrarian” has sensitive digestive system, must be vegetarian, eat grain, only light exercise
B: “nomadic” more tolerant digestive tract, flexible diet, dairy, avoid grain, moderate exercise
AB: “modern” has sensitive digestive system, avoid meat, eat fish, tofu, dairy, produce

Like all traits, blood type is heritable. Each parent has two copies of most genes and they come in different versions (called alleles). For blood type, the gene that determines the ABO type comes in three versions -- A, B, and O. There are six ways these three gene versions can combine to determine a person’s blood type. Each gene pair can be a combination such as AB, BO, AA, etc. Parents have up to ten possible combinations. Therefore it’s possible for a child to have a blood type different from its parents.

Members of the animal kingdom also have different heritable blood types. Canines have eight. Cats have A, B, and AB types with most American cats being type A. Horses have eight blood types, cattle eleven, sheep seven, and goats five. Do these animal species require different diets?

Here is a sampling of blood types by percent for different ethic groups.

Note the dramatic and nonconforming blood type differences between Blackfoot and Navajo Indians. Blackfoot Indians were nomadic with a diet of mostly buffalo, deer, and other game. The Navajo Indians were hunters who lived in settlements and also farmed. Additionally, Alaskan Eskimos were almost exclusive meat eaters.

The assumptions of the blood type theory ignores biological science (genetics) and the chemistry behind the origins of life which is that all animal life is dependent on the same basic chemistry of the green leaf. Green leafy plants, from the lowly one-celled plant up to the leaves of trees, are the world’s only sustainable life forms. They absorb energy from the sun and necessary elements for life from the air, water, and soils. Animals do not absorb energy and nutrients in that manner. To obtain their nutrients and energy they must eat food that has green plants as the bottom rung of their food chain. Their food chain includes other animals.

Deviations from the green leaf and grass-fed meats results in nutrient deficiencies. Blood type is not a determinant for the fundamental requirements of nutrients and energy. The real diet of man, as well as other animal life, remains constant. We all require the green leaf to be at the bottom of our food chain for our food to be properly balanced and nutrient dense. For all of time man’s foods have been grass-fed and Omega-3 meats, wild-caught seafood, green leafy vegetables, and a limited amount of tart fruit.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

The Heritable Genetics of Blood Types

Racial & Ethnic Distribution of ABO Blood Types

Facts about the Blackfoot Native Indian Tribe

The Navajo Indians

Blood Types of Various Animals