In the 90s of the last century, the book “4 Blood Groups – 4 Ways to Health” by the naturopath Peter D’Adamo was published in the USA.It became a bestseller almost immediately, was translated into almost every language in the world and became a practical nutritional guide for many people on the planet.According to the author of the book, for each blood group there is a historically correct nutritional concept, on which human health and longevity depends.
The basic idea of this theory is that people should eat the same foods as their ancestors.It is best digested and absorbed, while “wrong” foods clog the body.This nutritional concept is not a diet for weight loss, but rather a healthy, wholesome diet for certain groups of people that helps cleanse and heal the body.
In fact, some studies have shown that people with different blood types are more or less susceptible to different diseases.Dr.D'Adamo, together with his father, for a long time identified the effects of various foods on the body and then divided them into three groups: useful, harmful and neutral.Below are lists of “good” and “bad” foods for people of each blood type.Products not listed are considered neutral and are recommended for consumption in limited quantities.
Nutrition for people with blood group I(0).
According to various sources, up to 40% of the world's population has blood of this group;Dr.D'Adamo identified them as descendants of "hunters", so a meat diet should be more suitable for them.
Healthy products
- Beef, lamb, game, veal, poultry, offal;
- almost all fish (cod, perch, pike, halibut, sturgeon, trout, sardine are especially useful), caviar, seaweed;
- eggs;
- in small quantities, quark and sheep's cheese, cottage cheese;
- Butter;
- some vegetable oils (olive, linseed, sesame, almond oil);
- walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin and cedar seeds;
- Legumes rare (except soybeans and lentils);
- buckwheat, pearl barley, barley grain, rice;
- rye bread;
- Vegetables (turnips and their leaves, kale, horseradish, artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, broccoli, kohlrabi, parsnip, sweet potato, pumpkin, turnip, bell pepper and bell pepper);
- almost all fruits and berries;
- parsley, ginger, cloves, licorice, turmeric, curry, hot peppers;
- Herbal and green tea, red wines, mineral water (can be carbonated).
Harmful products
- Pork;
- Pollock, shellfish, squid;
- almost all dairy products, except those listed as permitted;
- sunflower, corn, cottonseed, peanut, coconut, palm oil;
- poppy seeds, pistachios, peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts;
- Wheat, oats, barley, corn and all products made therefrom;
- vegetables (cauliflower, cucumbers, leeks, rhubarb, potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, olives);
- Avocados, oranges and tangerines, melon, strawberries, coconuts;
- strong alcoholic drinks, lemonade, beer, black tea, coffee.
Nutrition for people with blood group II(A)
Almost 35% of the world's population inherited Group II from their parents;By the way, this is the most common blood group among Europeans.The developer of this diet classified such people as descendants of farmers and gatherers.Their diet is very similar to lacto-ovo vegetarianism.
Healthy products
- turkey (preferred) and other poultry;
- eggs;
- Fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel, zander, whitefish, carp, cod, perch, trout, char);
- fermented milk products, whole milk - only goat's milk, cheese, even only from it;
- vegetable oils (olive oil, linseed oil);
- peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, hazelnuts and other nuts;
- Legumes and soy products are particularly useful;
- Grains (buckwheat, rice, barley, oatmeal, rye) and flour products made from them;
- soy sauce, parsley, turmeric, ginger, mustard;
- vegetables (the healthy list included artichokes, beets, Jerusalem artichokes, broccoli, kale, carrots, kohlrabi, horseradish, garlic, onions, parsnips, squash, turnips, spinach);
- all berries, lemons, grapefruits, pineapples, plums, apricots;
- any herbal teas, green tea, white wine (preferred) and red wine, black coffee (1 cup per day).
Harmful products
- any red meat and offal;
- Shellfish, squid, eels, catfish, flounders, etc.;
- Whole cow's milk and products based on it;
- Butter;
- corn, cottonseed, peanut, coconut oil;
- pistachios, Brazil nuts;
- Wheat, wheat flour and products made therefrom;
- Potatoes, white, red and Chinese cabbage, chili peppers, eggplant, olives, rhubarb, tomatoes;
- some fruits (bananas, melons, oranges, mangoes, papaya, tangerines, coconuts);
- gelatin, vinegar, pepper (black, white, red), capers;
- sweets, sugar;
- strong alcoholic and carbonated drinks, beer, lemonade, black tea.
Nutrition for people with blood group III(B).
This blood type is believed to have arisen through racial mixing.Doctor D'Adamo classified people who were equipped with this as nomads.They are expected to eat as broad and varied a diet as possible;People with blood group III have fewer dietary restrictions than other people.This is explained by the fact that nomads settled on different continents and were omnivores.
Healthy products
- mutton, lamb, venison, rabbit;
- eggs;
- Caviar, perch, sea bass, pike perch, sardine, cod, flounder, haddock, hake, halibut, mackerel, pike, sturgeon, carp;
- almost all dairy products;
- navy and lima beans;
- Olive oil;
- walnuts;
- oatmeal and oatmeal, millet, rice;
- Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, onions, horseradish, parsnips, turnips, garlic;
- cranberries, plums, watermelon, bananas, grapes, papaya, blueberries, blackberries, cherries;
- Mushrooms;
- curry, licorice, ginger, parsley;
- still water, green tea, beer, red and white wine, black tea and coffee (you cannot drink more than 1 cup per day).
Harmful products
- poultry, pork, offal;
- Shellfish, crabs, beluga, eel, pollock, trout, char;
- quail eggs;
- blue cheese and processed cheese;
- other types of beans, soy products;
- Vegetable oils: coconut, corn, peanut, soy, sesame, sunflower, rapeseed;
- cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, poppy seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
- wheat, buckwheat, corn, rye cereals;
- Olives, radishes, radishes, rhubarb, tomatoes, sauerkraut;
- avocado, pomegranates, persimmons, melon, coconuts;
- pepper, cinnamon, soy sauce, gelatin, ketchup;
- carbonated and strong alcoholic drinks, lemonade, mineral water.
Nutrition for people with blood group IV (AB).
This blood group is the rarest and is found in only 7% of people on our planet.This group of people was defined by the naturopath D’Adamo as a mixed type or “new people”.Just like those with blood group III, the “new ones” had significantly better luck with their diet than the population with blood groups I and II.
Healthy products
- lamb, rabbit, turkey;
- chicken eggs;
- Mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, cod, zander, pike, sturgeon;
- dairy products, but cheese in limited quantities;
- walnut and olive oil;
- peanuts, walnuts;
- lentils, soybeans, pinto beans;
- Millet, oats, rice, rye flour and products made therefrom;
- Beets, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, sweet potatoes, carrots, eggplant, parsnips, mustard greens, tomatoes;
- cherry, fig, grape, grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple, plum, watermelon, lemon, gooseberry, cranberry;
- curry, turmeric, ginger, parsley;
- green tea, mineral water, white and red wines.
Harmful products
- pork, beef, chicken, goose, quail eggs;
- Flounder, perch, beluga, halibut, haddock, hake, eel, trout, arthropods and molluscs;
- butter, margarine;
- processed cheese, blue cheese, whole milk, cream;
- Lima beans, black beans, adzuki beans, chickpeas;
- hazelnuts, poppy seeds, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
- buckwheat, corn, wheat and products made from these grains;
- artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, olives, peppers and hot peppers, radishes, radish, rhubarb;
- sunflower, corn, sesame, coconut, cottonseed oils;
- avocados, bananas, melons, guavas, persimmons, pomegranates, quinces, coconuts, mangoes, oranges;
- pepper, vinegar;
- strong alcoholic and sweet carbonated drinks, black tea and coffee.
Criticism of the American blood group diet
The opinions of traditional medicine doctors on this diet are divided, but the majority still tend to believe that it is not scientifically based and has no evidence base.Perhaps the only advantage is that from the list of products for people with different blood groups, with a little effort, you can compose a complete, balanced diet.However, completely avoiding certain foods can still lead to a breakdown of certain substances in the body.For example, people in group I are almost completely prohibited from consuming dairy products, which can lead to calcium and phosphorus deficiency.
Many doctors agree that the blood group diet is too general and does not take into account the individual characteristics of the body, lifestyle and other factors that do not depend on a person's blood group.In addition, as you know, there are many more blood groups than 4;Dr.D’Adamo used one of the simplest systems (AB0) as the basis for developing his diet.
Originally, the term “amino acids” was used in medical books when referring to protein products.Protein does not enter the blood in its original form;It is first broken down into amino acids.However, in fact, the body does not care what plant or animal proteins these amino acids are obtained from, and therefore limiting dairy products and meat for certain groups of people turns out to be inappropriate.After this fact was pointed out to the author of the diet, the term “amino acids” was replaced with “lectins,” which is not clear even to many doctors, let alone the average person.In general, many doctors of traditional medicine tend to believe that the book presenting this diet is “overloaded” with scientific terms, many of which are inappropriate and incomprehensible to the reader.
In conclusion, we can say that the blood group nutrition system did not find resonance in the medical community and even faced serious criticism, but the large number of positive reviews about this diet has a logical explanation.This is primarily due to the general improvement in nutrition, since strong alcohol, carbonated sweet drinks, fatty meats, many “heavy” vegetables, foods high in saturated fats and other harmful foods are completely eliminated from the diet, regardless of blood group.In addition, the placebo effect is one of the important factors in the positive effects of any popular diet, and the development of the American doctor D'Adamo is no exception.