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Credit: Juan D. Alfonso
The theory behind the “Blood-Type Diet”—which claims an individual’s nutritional needs vary by blood type—is not valid, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.
The study showed that 3 of the 4 blood-type-specific diets conferred positive effects. But these benefits occurred independently of a person’s ABO genotype.
“The way an individual responds to any one of these diets has absolutely nothing to do with their blood type and has everything to do with their ability to stick to a sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet,” said study author Ahmed El-Sohemy, PhD, of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
About the diet(s)
The Blood-Type Diet was popularized in the book Eat Right for Your Type, written by Peter D’Adamo, ND. His theory is that people with different blood types process food differently, and the ABO blood type should match the dietary habits of our ancestors.
According to the theory, individuals adhering to a blood-type-specific diet can improve their health and decrease the risk of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease.
The Type-A diet recommends that subjects consume mostly grains, fruits, and vegetables. The Type-B diet promotes a high intake of dairy products and a moderate intake of other food groups.
The Type-AB diet is similar to the Type-B diet but has more restrictions on specific foods. And the Type-O diet recommends that subjects consume mostly meat and avoid grain products.
Study results
To test that Blood-Type Diet theory, Dr El-Sohemy and his colleagues analyzed a population of 1455 adults aged 20 to 29 years. Subjects provided detailed information about their usual diets, as well as fasting blood samples.
The researchers used the samples to determine subjects’ ABO blood type and their level of cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
The team also calculated diet scores based on the food items listed in Eat Right for Your Type to determine subjects’ relative adherence to each of the 4 blood-type diets.
Subjects whose diets closely resembled the Type-A diet had a lower body mass index and waist circumference, as well as reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05). But these effects were seen regardless of the individual’s blood type.
Subjects whose diets resembled the Type-AB diet had reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05), regardless of their blood type.
Adhering to the recommendations of the Type-O diet was associated with lower triglyceride levels (P<0.0001), regardless of blood type.
And there were no significant associations for subjects whose eating habits corresponded to the Type-B diet.
“[W]e found no evidence to support the Blood-Type Diet theory,” Dr El-Sohemy said. “It was an intriguing hypothesis, so we felt we should put it to the test. We can now be confident in saying that the Blood-Type Diet hypothesis is false.” 
Credit: Juan D. Alfonso
The theory behind the “Blood-Type Diet”—which claims an individual’s nutritional needs vary by blood type—is not valid, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.
The study showed that 3 of the 4 blood-type-specific diets conferred positive effects. But these benefits occurred independently of a person’s ABO genotype.
“The way an individual responds to any one of these diets has absolutely nothing to do with their blood type and has everything to do with their ability to stick to a sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet,” said study author Ahmed El-Sohemy, PhD, of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
About the diet(s)
The Blood-Type Diet was popularized in the book Eat Right for Your Type, written by Peter D’Adamo, ND. His theory is that people with different blood types process food differently, and the ABO blood type should match the dietary habits of our ancestors.
According to the theory, individuals adhering to a blood-type-specific diet can improve their health and decrease the risk of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease.
The Type-A diet recommends that subjects consume mostly grains, fruits, and vegetables. The Type-B diet promotes a high intake of dairy products and a moderate intake of other food groups.
The Type-AB diet is similar to the Type-B diet but has more restrictions on specific foods. And the Type-O diet recommends that subjects consume mostly meat and avoid grain products.
Study results
To test that Blood-Type Diet theory, Dr El-Sohemy and his colleagues analyzed a population of 1455 adults aged 20 to 29 years. Subjects provided detailed information about their usual diets, as well as fasting blood samples.
The researchers used the samples to determine subjects’ ABO blood type and their level of cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
The team also calculated diet scores based on the food items listed in Eat Right for Your Type to determine subjects’ relative adherence to each of the 4 blood-type diets.
Subjects whose diets closely resembled the Type-A diet had a lower body mass index and waist circumference, as well as reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05). But these effects were seen regardless of the individual’s blood type.
Subjects whose diets resembled the Type-AB diet had reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05), regardless of their blood type.
Adhering to the recommendations of the Type-O diet was associated with lower triglyceride levels (P<0.0001), regardless of blood type.
And there were no significant associations for subjects whose eating habits corresponded to the Type-B diet.
“[W]e found no evidence to support the Blood-Type Diet theory,” Dr El-Sohemy said. “It was an intriguing hypothesis, so we felt we should put it to the test. We can now be confident in saying that the Blood-Type Diet hypothesis is false.”
Credit: Juan D. Alfonso
The theory behind the “Blood-Type Diet”—which claims an individual’s nutritional needs vary by blood type—is not valid, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.
The study showed that 3 of the 4 blood-type-specific diets conferred positive effects. But these benefits occurred independently of a person’s ABO genotype.
“The way an individual responds to any one of these diets has absolutely nothing to do with their blood type and has everything to do with their ability to stick to a sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet,” said study author Ahmed El-Sohemy, PhD, of the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
About the diet(s)
The Blood-Type Diet was popularized in the book Eat Right for Your Type, written by Peter D’Adamo, ND. His theory is that people with different blood types process food differently, and the ABO blood type should match the dietary habits of our ancestors.
According to the theory, individuals adhering to a blood-type-specific diet can improve their health and decrease the risk of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease.
The Type-A diet recommends that subjects consume mostly grains, fruits, and vegetables. The Type-B diet promotes a high intake of dairy products and a moderate intake of other food groups.
The Type-AB diet is similar to the Type-B diet but has more restrictions on specific foods. And the Type-O diet recommends that subjects consume mostly meat and avoid grain products.
Study results
To test that Blood-Type Diet theory, Dr El-Sohemy and his colleagues analyzed a population of 1455 adults aged 20 to 29 years. Subjects provided detailed information about their usual diets, as well as fasting blood samples.
The researchers used the samples to determine subjects’ ABO blood type and their level of cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
The team also calculated diet scores based on the food items listed in Eat Right for Your Type to determine subjects’ relative adherence to each of the 4 blood-type diets.
Subjects whose diets closely resembled the Type-A diet had a lower body mass index and waist circumference, as well as reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05). But these effects were seen regardless of the individual’s blood type.
Subjects whose diets resembled the Type-AB diet had reduced blood pressure, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-Beta (P<0.05), regardless of their blood type.
Adhering to the recommendations of the Type-O diet was associated with lower triglyceride levels (P<0.0001), regardless of blood type.
And there were no significant associations for subjects whose eating habits corresponded to the Type-B diet.
“[W]e found no evidence to support the Blood-Type Diet theory,” Dr El-Sohemy said. “It was an intriguing hypothesis, so we felt we should put it to the test. We can now be confident in saying that the Blood-Type Diet hypothesis is false.”