Blood Type Diet Debunked

DESCRIPTION: A systematic review finds no evidence to support the notion that people should choose diets based on their blood type.

So rarely are popular press diet books afforded such fact-checking. Kudos to these researchers. If only we had this 13 years ago when the book was on the bestseller list!

I have a few videos on popular diets, such as:

Unfortunately, nutrition illiteracy is not just a problem among the public, but among the medical profession:

[EARLandPEARL-ci]

Is it science-based, or just the postulations of a spokesman for an opposing system threatened by its conclusions? Is the author opposed to all forms of naturopathic medicine or alternative medicine?
Does the critic display a convincing knowledge of the human ABO groups? Has he actually read any of his books, or has he taken the time to investigate the science. Is the author of the criticism an expert in the area?
Does the criticism appear fair and balanced? Is the critic curious about what they are investigating? It is OK to be skeptical, but a surprising number of skeptics have absolutely no curiosity about that which they are skeptical of. Did the critic take the time to do a thorough review of the material?
Did the critic address their concerns directly with Dr. D'Adamo prior to writing their review? It is considered good journalistic practice to present concerns directly to the authors of a study or book before completing a review. This prevents misconceptions, encourages dialogue, and allows for a more balanced editorial presentation.  A clear sign of a preconceived, slam-dunk ('Gotcha') review is that no effort is made to afford the other side a chance to state their case.Two of the fundamental attributes of good journalism are curiosity and a respect for the people on whom you report.


..

[gordkent]

I have used this diet and it works for me, too bad people can't have open mind about it, everyone different, I am blood type A and before this book came out I had learned thru my life that eating certain foods made me feel better than other foods, once I read the foods that I should be eating it mostly lined up perfectly with my blood type, so I know first hand there is something to this, if people would take notice how some foods do make you have more energy and some sap your energy it would make sense to them to at least review the best foods for your blood type. I still eat meat and all foods but I can tell when I have went off the food guideline and at 54 have more energy now than when I was mid twenties when I had no idea what to eat.

[andrielisilien]

I remember when I borrowed a friend's copy of that book. It was fascinating to read and I showed it to my father who is a doctor for his opinion. He was quite angry and would have thrown the book out of the house if it was my own personal copy. The reason why he said was, "these so called doctors are preying upon the uneducated population for money." Years before that he explained to my family the theory doctors were spreading around that wine is good for your health. Drinking plain grape juice (or better yet, just eat the grapes) gives the same health benefits but the wine companies wouldn't get their sponsors that way. I tell you guys.... something is going on with the integrity of our healthcare. Keep your eyes open.

[Meira]

The outcome is that he switched it to "The Genotype Diet" and broadened the characteristics of the categories.

[dfleischman]

Glad to have something definitive to point to against this diet! However, I don't think quoting Hitler on the front end does much to bolster your case.

[ItalRolando]

Those theories are totally unfounded to me. According to my blood type I should be a hunter and I should eat a lot of meat and eggs. Instead I've been vegetarian for almost 10 years and now happily vegan for 8 years. And I'm also a blood donor! 
Dr. Greger Thanks for your videos.

[MindfulKimberly]

This didn’t disprove his work.. there needs to be more research done on it. Period. If you’ve read the book, particularly the 20th anniversary version, he explains everything from a scientific foundation..

There aren’t any articles disproving the theory that are duplicate from his research. He puts each blood type under a microscope while observing the reactions from these different foods. It has to do with the lectin proteins of foods reacting to the ones in your blood.

I’ve tried being vegan and vegetarian many times.. it makes me sad, but it just doesn’t work for me. Type A’s are supposed to be mostly vegetarian/vegan—some of the quantities of food a week depends on your race(which have common unique genetic variables that play a role into the recommended diet).

Allopathic medicine journals have proven correlation between certain diseases and cancers that are more common in certain races.. this video uses a weird tactic..

It’s shaming one doctor for “lack of evidence and research” with showing just how little scientific evidence and research there is on this subject.

[richardedward]

Two years ago my primary care physician in San Antonio introduced me to the blood type diet and encouraged me to follow it.  But, she was honest, adding there's really no hard science behind it.   For my type, it was heavy on animal products like cow liver.  But i should stay away from goose meat.   Today i'm a vegan (middle aged) endurance athlete.   Never felt better. 

[nonconsensusmedicine]

I lost 50lbs effortlessly on the blood type diet. And speaking of no evidence. There is little evidence to back up my IBD and Addisons regimen. But here I am, IBD in remission and cortisol back in normal range. The fact that I havent dropped dead from adrenal failure is good enough for me.

[PetrusSolus]

Confirmation bias seems to work pretty well, looking at the comments. But the fact remains that a high number of people who follow the BT diet have continued to report success in working with and clearing up all kinds of health issues. Myself included. So — effectiveness is the measure of truth — and that alone renders “debunking” meaningless. The very name of this channel (NutritionFacts) gives it away as an information control hub in a heavily centralized medical and healthcare system, which is not about our health but their profits and advantages. Similar are most so-called "fact-checking" sites today that are there to control your knowledge and opinions and to protect private interests, and are not to be trusted. We have to trust our own experience, not the experts — because that's the only proof we need.

[NutritionFactsOrg]

Did you catch this week’s most popular video on the Eat Right 4 Your Type book? In the words of one researcher, “it is difficult not to perceive the whole thing as a crass fraud.”

[IResonateWithU]

While I dont subscribe to the Blood Type Diet, I see the logic in believing that people with dispositions due to ancestry in a certain area may benefit by foods with more or less enzymes or something relating to digestion.
With that said, its still pretty clear that meat is simply the most difficult thing to digest, and the Harvard study that came out saying that within hours of eating meat, your gut biology is completely changed in bacteria ratios for the worse is further proof.
Still, I find it pretty hilarious that there are people on here posting how smart they are they havent fallen for "the gimmick".
When you are so sick, so desperate, when life is a struggle, trying a new diet doesnt make you gullible or stupid; it makes you proactive. Bless those people that thought it couldnt hurt to try it.
You people that are so smart that you would never be fooled by such nonsense better keep your eyes open...life has a way of showing you where your particular weaknesses are, and often uses karma (and humor) to do it.

[PotatoStrong]

No big surprise to me. Why do people look for a gimmick?

[GrammyGinger]

Thanks for this. I read this book, when it first came out. It seemed like psuedo-science to me, so I threw it in the trash. When I read the many books and publications by Campbell, Esselstyn, McDougall, and that crew, they back up their claims with research. Years later, I went to a doctor, who was a ERFYT convert/zealot. He gave me no end of pressure, but I had read everything by the plant gurus; he couldn't trick me into eating chunks of dead beasts or their secretions. Your videos add so much to the conversation and clear up so many fallacies. I know I won't contribute to degenerative disease by eating plants. Thank you for the encouragement. 

[voltaspeeder]

You can think whatever you want about Blood type diet - it's your right. But it has worked for me way better than a low-fat whole-food Vegan diet. I eliminated all processed crap already few years ago and still didn't see much results in terms of energy, mental clarity and overall health. Then i removed few of most problematic foods for my blood B type according to BTD and honestly my health and metabolism improved greatly over course of few months. It works!

[ireallyder]

You need to address the canons or postulations such as the production of stomach acid and enzymes. Furthermore, lectins and agglutination and so forth. Basically, you need a toe to toe approach.

[Klaus.otto.]

Blood type testing is important to know which diet to follow. If ur blood is hyena blood, eat meat. If its human blood, eat plants. Very simple

[LenoraForest]

This diet always seemed strange to me.  I believe animals have a variety of blood types and yet they don't eat specific diets for it.  Also, that silly book said I should eat meat and I have always done better on a veg diet.

[simplesim]

Whatever works for you, is what you should do. This works great for me, so I continue to do it.

[INTHEWILDERNESS-]

I'm O and always feel full and happy when I eat fish. If I eat pork I feel heavy and bloated. I hate beans