If you are new to the vegan lifestyle or are just looking to change up your diet a bit, then you have probably heard of the ‘blood type diet’. Essentially, this is a diet that prioritizes the consumption of foods according to your blood type. O-positive blood types should focus on fruits and vegetables, while A-positive types should eat more nuts and lentils. People with B-positive blood types should eat more dairy products and rice.
As the name suggests, this diet was first proposed in the 1950s by Dr. Jay M. Wente. Wente, who was a surgeon at a Los Angeles hospital, noticed that some of his patients were healthier and had fewer health problems than others. When he investigated the matter, he found that the well-being of his patients was directly linked to the types of food they were eating. Specifically, the patients who were eating the most vitamin-and-mineral-rich food had the best outcome, while those who were restricting themselves to carbohydrates and fats had the worst results.
Since that time, various studies have been conducted to verify the efficacy of this diet. Below, we will review the scientific evidence supporting the ‘blood type diet’.
Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
As mentioned, one of the primary purposes of the blood type diet is to reduce the risk of heart disease. This is largely due to the fact that certain types of blood are more susceptible to clotting than others. For example, people with type O blood are at a high risk of developing heart disease, as they are less likely to form clots within their bodies. In contrast, those with type AB blood are at a lower risk of heart disease as their red blood cells are always busy preventing blood clots from forming in the first place!
If you are a type O, then you should focus on eating lots of green vegetables and fruit to maintain a healthy balance of clotting factors in your blood. On the other hand, if you are a type A, then you should avoid eating fish and poultry as they are high in fats and therefore increase your risk of heart disease. Similarly, those with type B blood should consume more dairy products and vitamin-rich foods to help boost their immune system and reduce their risk of infection.
Help Prevent Cancer
A diet that helps prevent cancer is another important application of the blood type diet. Studies have shown that animals whose diets are rich in vitamin A and antioxidants (such as vitamin C and E) have a lower risk of developing cancerous tumors than those fed with a standard diet. As mentioned, some of Dr. Wente’s original patients had developed cancer after being on the glycemic index diet for prolonged periods of time (which we discussed earlier). To prevent this from happening to you, you should try to consume foods that contain these nutrients.
Additionally, there is some evidence that coffee can help prevent cancer. Coffee is high in antioxidants, so it is easy to understand how it could have a role to play in preventing this dreadful disease. In fact, some studies have suggested that coffee may even be used as a supplement to treat cancer patients, as it helps the body to restore normal cell function and improve the patients’ quality of life.
Help Promote Overall Well-Being
A healthy diet that promotes well-being is one that is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. These nutrients are important for protecting the body’s cells and tissues from damage caused by free radicals. However, it is important to note that the body does not produce these nutrients on its own, so you will need to include them in your diet. In this way, you can ensure that you are providing your body with what it needs to function at its best!
To help you achieve this, you should try to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. These are the best sources of antioxidants and vitamins, and they also contain fibers that help promote normal bowel movements, which in turn improves well-being.
Another important factor to consider is hydration. To stay hydrated, you should drink at least eight glasses of water per day, limiting yourself to distilled or purified water. Moreover, you should drink plenty of fluids during the summer and winter to avoid dehydration and its associated health problems. When selecting your food, you should also choose those that contain the most water. For example, berries and melons are great sources of hydration and are some of the best examples of the ‘water-rich’ diet discussed above.
Eat To Nourish Your Brain
The human brain is a very complicated organ, and it needs specific nutrients to function at its best. One of the best diet choices available for brain health and well-being is the nutrient-dense diet. This diet provides your body with the necessary nutrients that it needs to function at its best. Moreover, there is some evidence to suggest that eating certain foods can help improve mental performance and memory. These foods are usually high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. To help your brain operate at its best, you should try to focus on eating foods like almonds, chamomile flowers, oats, and red grapes.
Almonds are a great source of vitamin E and the mineral manganese. Both of these nutrients are important for brain health and function. Moreover, the minerals zinc and copper are also necessary for the body’s cells to function properly. Zinc is also important in maintaining a healthy immune system, while copper is an important component of the enzyme dopamine-B-hydroxylase, which helps regulate blood pressure and heart function.
Chamomile flowers are also high in both manganese and vitamins A and E. These are all important nutrients for the brain, as well as for maintaining a healthy immune system. Moreover, chamomile flowers are known to be helpful in treating inflammation and redness of the skin caused by UV rays and free radicals. In addition to helping with skin health, vitamins A and E have both been shown to reduce the damage done by free radicals to human skin cells, making chamomile flowers a great source of vitamins for topical applications.
Eat To Nourish Your Immune System
As stated, certain types of blood are more susceptible to infection than others. To help prevent this, you should try to eat foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as antioxidants. These nutrients are necessary to protect your body’s cells and tissues from damage caused by free radicals. Moreover, as a component of the immune system, your body needs sufficient amounts of zinc and iron to function at its best. To get these nutrients, you should eat more nutritious food and avoid eating foods that are low in fiber. This will help promote regular bowel movements and ensure that your body is always producing the enzymes it needs to function at its peak!
As we discussed earlier, fruit is a great source of both vitamins and antioxidants. These nutrients are necessary for maintaining a healthy immune system. Moreover, vitamins C and E have both been shown to protect the skin from damage caused by UV rays and free radicals. Similarly, vitamin A encourages normal cell reproduction and keeps your skin looking young and healthy!
Try To Maintain A Well-Formed Gut
Your gut is your body’s largest organ, and it is essential that you take good care of it. One way to do this is by eating the right food for it. The blood type diet promotes the formation of a well-formed gut by including necessary nutrients that help form strong intestinal walls. In addition to containing fibers that promote regular bowel movements, the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, and nuts help form a strong intestinal lining that provides protection from pathogens and toxins within the body. Moreover, some studies have shown that certain probiotics may also play a role in maintaining a healthy gut. These are the types of bacteria that reside in the digestive tract and help keep the intestine free of harmful organisms and bad bacteria. Eating foods rich in probiotics can help promote good intestinal health and regular bowel movements.
As we discussed earlier, meat contains iron, which is necessary for the formation of blood. In addition to containing iron, meat is also a good source of zinc, B vitamins, and vitamin E. These nutrients are necessary to maintain a healthy immune system. Moreover, zinc and iron help form the connective tissues within the body, while vitamin E encourages normal cell reproduction and keeps the skin looking young and healthy!
To sum things up, the blood type diet is one that prioritizes the consumption of foods according to your blood type. In type O positive blood, for example, you will want to consume more fruits, vegetables, and nuts, while those with type AB blood should eat more meat and dairy products. Lastly, those with type B positive blood should focus on consuming more carbohydrates and rice.
To be clear, this is not a diet that is specific to humans. Animals whose diets are rich in fruits, vegetables, and nuts have been shown to have healthier and longer lives than those whose diets are high in processed foods and carbs.