The Vegan View

Blood type Diets

My mother was a vegan for many years but died of colon cancer in 2005. The cancer upset her world for she felt that veganism was the only way to go. I myself follow somewhat modestly the blood type diet - I am type B-positive and my mother was B-negative. I see that vegetarianism has its place according to blood type. AB's and especially A bloods. I have told A bloods that vegetarianism is what they are set up to be and many times these people are some type of vegetarian or semi-vegetarian. According to North American Pharmical, A blood types are the only ones who can go full time vegan. This is 40% of America's population. If an A blood is eating alot of meat and dairy I tell them that they are not set up for these things. Usually they have problems associated with excessive animal protein and fat. When I eat the foods that line up with my system I feel good. Many times when I eat the things I avoid I do not feel the same. I beleive that this ABO factor was not seperate as it is now but back before the flood of Noah all people had the complete ABO blood factor and that contributed to those hundreds of years they lived. This made them more of a moving target to defend them against disease and other health conditions.

VegFamily readers reply:

Article continues below

M Smythe:
My condolences on your mother's passing; one of the worst experiences in life is losing your mom. I don't know for others, but I am O+. Supposedly this is the meat/dairy eating group; however, if I eat these things, I feel awful, my arthritis flares up, I break out, and I stink! I don't, personally, subscribe to this theory.

Anne:
I would not discount the blood type idea but I really think genetics has quite a bit to do with the diseases you contract.

JC:
Joel Fuhrman MD answered this question nicely in his book "Eat To Live." Statistically, blood type has no impact on dietary choices. EVERYONE should eat a HEALTHY vegan diet!

Devar: The Blood Type diet has attracted lots of followers over the years. Its a bit of a mystery to me as to why since the author has little to no science to back it up. If you do a search for criticism of that diet or the author's name, you will find many very well documented articles. Of course, you are quite right to advise people to stop basing their diets on dairy and meat, that would be good advice for anyone!

I'm so sorry about your mother's death from colon cancer. Did she eat a gluten-free vegan diet? If not, that may have been the missing link for her, rather than her blood type. A vegan diet based on whole foods, low in fat and supplemented with B12 can be healthful for most people. However, many people are intolerant of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut. A common end-result of eating gluten when a person is intolerant of it, is colon cancer. As her daughter, you have a significant chance of also being intolerant of gluten. It would be a good idea to be tested for it. Avoiding gluten can be quite a lifestyle change but can be life-saving.

Stephanie:
I'm curious about the "theory" of blood-typing and diet. What is the scientific basis for this? Honestly, I don't believe blood-type has anything to do with what we should be eating (or don't eat as in the base of being vegan). Sounds like a lot of quackery. The best scientifically based book that I have read that supports a whole foods, plant-based diet as a basis for prevention of most diseases of affluence (in the western world) for everyone is a book called the China Study by T. Collin Campbell. I highly recommend this.

Tandi:
The blood type diet has been hugely popular, however I have yet to figure out exactly why. First, a vegan diet in itself does not guarantee you will not develop cancer. There are a wide variety of vegan diets, most of which are not very healthy. You can be a vegan and never touch a fruit or vegetable and I have friends who eat that way. Many vegans eat a very highly refined diet, high in fat and low in fiber and believe they will avoid health problems simply because they are vegan, this is not true. A vegan diet consisting of unrefined, whole foods has shown remarkable capacity to prevent and even reverse cancer in many studies regardless of blood type. But these diets did not include white bread, fake meats and other junk foods.

As for the blood type diet, I will quote Dr. Fuhrman because he has done exensive research into the scientific literature on the connection between blood type and diet and there is very little scientific validity to these claims.

D'Adamo does not supply scientific references to back up any of his claims, Dr. Fuhrman searched Medline for all articles on blood type and diet done in the past 30 years, as well as research on lectins and he read more than 200 scientific articles on the subject of ABO blood types, diet and diease.

He did find a study showing slightly increased risk of coronary heart disease in blood type A, average risk in B and AB and slightly decreased in type O. One study showed type AB had the highest risk of fatal cardiac events, another showed the highest risk in type A, but the study also showed a high risk in patients with type O, and many towns with the largest number of type O people had the most heart disease.

One study looked at 191 patients undergoing bypass surgery and there was a disproportionately high number of patients with type O blood undergoing bypass surgery. The conclusions of all these researchers was that ABO-related factors have had an insignificant impact on the evolution of coronary heart disease. Obviously type O's are not immune to the damage from eating an animal rich diet and can develop heart disease. 95% of Americans develop atherosclerotic heart disease or cancer, not just type As. We are all susceptible to the damage of the American diet regardless of our blood type. Encouraging animal-product consumption in any blood type group is dangerous, especially when there is no documented scientific literature proving that it is safe.

Blood type is only one of many genetic markers involved and represents only a smamll percentage of genetic susceptibility on the human genome. Genetic influence on HDL cholesterol levels has a strong influence on longevity, independent of blood type. Environmental influences on atherosclerosis are much stronger than genetic ones as the documented scientific research of Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and Dean Ornish have proven.

D'Adamo's book mixes some interesting factual information with a lot of far-fetched assertions that have no scientific basis in fact. He makes many unscientific and incorrect claims that show a poor understanding of basic human physiology. He says one blood type doesn't produce enough acid to digest protein, acid doesn't digest protein...pepsin does.

He says type O's don't produce enough iodine, that is true, he just missed one important fact, the human body does not produce iodine, no human produces it, the human body doesn't produce any mineral, we must get iodine from food.

There are many errors and ridiculous claims such as, vegetable oil encourages weight loss in some blood types. Seriously, blood type does not make an exeption to the rule that too many calories will lead to weight gain and vegetable oil is 120 calories per tablespoon. The claims in this book are so outrageous and do not even resemble common sense.

A vegan diet offers excellent protection against cancer when it is a properly planned, whole foods diet. When it consists of potato chips, soda, soy ice cream, soy cheese, white bread and fake meats you are susceptible to disease. There is no 100% guarantee against disease, we are human, but a whole foods vegan diet offers the greatest protection we can give ourselves and that has been well documented in the scientific literature, whereas the blood type diet has not. The China Study is one major published scientific research project that has shown a vegan diet to be a remarkable way to prevent cancer.

Anonymous:
If you are basing your argument on developing cancer, I disagree. Anyone can develop cancer regardless of the diet they follow; all it takes is a genetic mutation. Depending on the type of cancer, some people may be at higher risk due to heredity, which again, is independent of their diet. On the other hand, consuming all plant based food can help some people prevent cancer, or delay the onset of cancer, due to the higher fiber content and the presence of antioxidants to help neutralize harmful free radicals. This does not mean that you are 100% protected from cancer; it is just one step you can take as a precautionary measure to aid in living your life to the fullest extent.

Yogini:
Just wanted to share my opinion. Food is important, but not the most important. Emotions and the mind body connection are even more important. Negative emotions and psychological/emotional problems can provoke illnesses, even if the diet is 100% pure.

Carrie:
I do not belive in the blood type diet. I am ab and it says I can should eat certain meats. I feel much better being vegan and since going vegan have been healing my body for hasimoto thyroid and it was very severe. Also my blood type tells me peanuts are fabulous for me and so are pinto beans when in fact I am allergic to both. I am sorry to hear your mother had colon cancer however, I do belive it can be from many other sources and not just meat and dairy. We have so many toxins in our enviroments. What about non organic foods? all the pesticides and chemicals used? maybe if we over eat junk foods such as sugar or refined flours. Perhaps if we eat soemthing in which we have a sensitivity to and we are unaware of the sensitivity...our body will be damaged over and over again as we eat it. Also conventional medicines damage our body as well. Antibiotics and pretty much any prescription med (even none prescription meds nowaday) damaged everything inside us and make us more susceptible to diesease. There is a blue zone in california and it is in Loma Linda. It is the 7th day adventist and they are veg and vegans. They are a group of people who love longer and healthier than any others in the world. They have vegans who are over 100 and still bycling, working and all. It is impossible for all of them to be type A.

Jessica:
I don't know - I'm O- and I've been vegetarian for 3 years and have never felt better. 2 out of those three I have been vegan. I look and feel great, sorry about your mom. I try to eat really healthy since my family has a heart disease history, I try to exercise and be positive, overall.

Shirly Hill, NFH:
I agree with you, immediately following the flood, the next generation lost 300 years. I believe it was because their diet was converted to a meat diet because all vegetation was destroyed. But concerning eating for your blood type, although 50 people may have the same blood type but they don't necessarily have the same chemistry. Some, although they are not meat eaters, are big refined carbohydrates eaters, even worse fried carbohydrates which can contribute to cancer. Some vegans don't combine their foods properly so as to obtain the proper amount of protein daily, not to mention their genetic predispositions. I would think that these factors would have to be taken into consideration no matter what the blood type.

Vicki:
Like many books out there the blood type theory sounds very scientific, almost convincing but look a bit further and it really is rubbish, I don?t believe it?s ever been through the peer review system too, probably because it would be laughed out. I am very, very sorry to hear about your mother and while vegans who follow a well balanced diet do get lower instances of many diseases we are not immune altogether. Anyone can be unlucky but that doesn?t mean that ?veganism doesn?t work?. If I had to take my chances on any diet for protecting my health it would still be a wholefood vegan diet, rich in fruit and veg. I can?t remember my blood type but most vegans knows another vegan whose is the blood type is the one that ?needs meat? and who is perfectly healthy. A vegan I know with the blood type that supposedly ?needs? mean has been vegan for nearly 30years and has the energy to work more hours than anyone I know, I know that is not very scientific, but neither is the blood group diet!

Nicole:
I am a O- blood type, am just a little skeptical, but I do have some medical issues, so I am curious what foods or diet is suggested for O-? Do you have a link for a good site of info?

SKA:
As far as I can see, there is no empirical or clinical trial evidence on which to base this diet theory, and it is viewed by many physicians as a dangerous fad diet. North American Pharmacal is a maker of vitamins and supplements that is directly connected with the author of the blood type diet. Therefore, it is not an unbiased source of information. I would also be very hesitant to give out medical advice to other people based on a book - any book, even one written by an MD. Unless you have a person's medical history and you are, in fact a medical doctor, it could cause more harm than good. The author is not, I believe an MD, and one site that promotes this diet cites the work of an anthropologist and science fiction writer as doing advanced studies in bood type research - that sent up some BIG red flags for me.

Personally, I am type O and have a really hard time digesting animal flesh, and it's getting even worse as I get older. My cholesterol level (based on lab tests which are unbiased and don't get royalties based on book sales) also hovers too close to the danger zone to eat meat, so I don't risk it. The same goes for dairy.

I come from a family of medical providers and I also use alternative healthcare, so I'm not 100% biased to MD's. But I am not a doctor, and even the doctors I know don't give medical advice without personal information.

Ivy:
I am sorry for your mother. Vegans have a much smaller chance of getting cancer, but they still have a chance. As for the blood-type diet, that's a load of bull. It's not even a consideration for an ethical vegan.

Have a question you'd like to ask and get responses from the VegFamily community? Submit your question here.

Sponsors: