The health crisis that originally brought me to the Blood Type Diet was heartburn. It had been steadily increasing for 10 years, but I didn't match any of the risk factors. Experts from both the medical and health perspectives said risk factors for heartburn were: being overweight, a hiatus hernia, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating spicy foods, chocolate, caffeine, fried food, eating before bedtime. None of those applied to me at all except occasional spicy food. But I had heartburn every day and it was getting worse.

Then I found Dr. D'Adamo. He said a Type O's stomach inflammation was caused by wheat and dairy. I had been eating wheat germ, wheat bran, and yogurt for breakfast every day. I gave that up along with all other wheat and dairy. I was off of my medication in less than a week. Within a few months I was pain free, and I have remained so for 4 1/2 years. My doctor still doesn't believe it.

Now I find my self with a different but similar problem (déjà vu all over again, as they say.) I am battling hemorrhoids, but I have none of the risk factors. I am not constipated, I do not strain, I am not overweight, I am not a couch potato, and I am certainly not pregnant. I did not have hemorrhoids until the last 2 years. I can battle them back with big doses of rutin and stone root along with extra helpings of grilled onion. But suddenly they appear again.

As I've been comparing the BTD and the GTD, I've noticed one thing that may be a factor. On the BTD there are no beneficial citrus fruits for Type Os. Lemon, lime and grapefruit, are neutral, but I've neglected them in favor of other beneficial fruit.

The GTD has lemons, limes and grapefruit as beneficial for Hunters and super beneficial for Gatherers. (I know Dr. D says there are absolutely no combination types, but my finger measurements are very close. The top half of my body is more like a Hunter, but the bottom half is more like a Gatherer. So, I often look at both food lists.) The Blood Type Cancer, Menopause, and Aging diets have grapefruit, lemons, and limes as Frequent Neutrals.

Since bioflavonoids play an important role in curing hemorrhoids, I've begun to wonder if I've been deficient in citrus. Whatever diet or blend of diets I eventually settle on, I think citrus will have to be more a part that it has been on the BTD alone.