QUESTION: What evidence do you have that wheat interacts with insulin? In my four years of dietetics training I've never seen, heard or read a reference to this.

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ANSWER: No problem, here's a few references. There are many more in the online databases such as PUBMED.



Livingston JN, Purvis BJ. Effects of wheat germ agglutinin on insulin binding and insulin sensitivity of fat cells. Am J Physiol. 1980 Mar;238(3):E267-75.

Shemer J, LeRoith D. The interaction of brain insulin receptors with wheat germ agglutinin. Neuropeptides. 1987 Jan;9(1):1-8.

Ponzio G, Debant A, Contreres JO, Rossi B. Wheat-germ agglutinin mimics metabolic effects of insulin without increasing receptor autophosphorylation.Cell Signal 1990;2(4):377-86

Kitano N, Taminato T, Ida T, Seno M, Seino Y, Matsukura S, Kuno S, Imura H. Detection of antibodies against wheat germ agglutinin bound glycoproteins on the islet-cell membrane. Diabet Med. 1988 Mar;5(2):139-44.

Messina JL, Hamlin J, Larner J. Insulin-mimetic actions of wheat germ agglutinin and concanavalin A on specific mRNA levels. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1987 Apr;254(1):110-5.

QUESTION:

Hi. I am taking 20mg of Prozac, pre- natals,as well as 112mcg synthroid, and breastfeeding my 8 week old son. I just started the type O diet. Can I take the amino acids tyrosine and arginine, along with bladder wrack? (I have battled bulemia for many years~ the prozac is for that). Thank You!!!

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ANSWER:

The tyrosine and arginine are after all major components of the protein in our diet, so they should not be a problem. The Fucus (bladderwarck), I am less I am less sure about, because it has some mild effects on the thyroid, although its predominant sugar, fucose, is found in highest concentration in human milk over other mammalian species.

QUESTION: If I am using your diet to heal a medical condition (in my case, severe food allergies and various digestive problems) and NOT to lose weight, do I have to adhere to the amounts of the foods that you recommend for my blood type or just eat the foods you recommend for my blood type? In other words, are the amounts of each grouping of foods merely for weight loss?

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ANSWER: The amounts of foods recommended are intended to offer general guidance only. It is much more important to eat in accordance with the highly beneficial and avoid foods recommended for your blood type.

QUESTION: I have B type blood and arthritis. Are dairy products and vegetables of the 'nightshade' family, eg. potatoes, still considered a 'beneficial' food. I have been told that these kind of food can aggravate arthritic conditions. Many thanks for your help.

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ANSWER: Virtually all the nightshade vegetables (like potatoes and tomatoes) are known to contain lectins. Many lectins are capable of influencing the clinical severity of arthtitis, either by acting to upregulate the inflammatory response or by direct action on the tissues themselves. It is probably this reason above all else that their avoidance is recommended by many health authorities albiet in a very non-specific 'avoid all nightshades' principle.

However there is little evidence that the wholesale avoidance of nightshade vegetables has had a demonstrable effect on arthritis. For example, a check of MEDLINE searching under 'nightshade' and 'arthritis' produced no results, yet many people report improvement when then did avoid nightshades.

This shows the importance of choosing your foods by blood type compatibility: instead of trying to see effects by of food groups on broad poopulation groups we look at patterns of individual foods on specific population groups. You do not need to avoid all foods in the category, just the ones which can be expected to react with your individual chemistry.

STUDY: Association of the Lewis blood-group phenotype with infertility in women.

JOURNAL: Int J Fertil Womens Med 1998 May-Jun;43(3):155-8

AUTHORS: Lurie S, Sigler E, Weissman A, Rabinerson D, Barash A

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the distribution of Lewis blood group phenotype and secretor status among women treated for infertility. SETTING: In vitro fertilization unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-seven consecutive infertile women with mechanical (number = 31) or unexplained (number =16) infertility scheduled for IVF-ET. The control group was formed of 47 fertile women from our database and additional new women matched for age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Determination of ABO and Lewis blood group phenotypes. RESULTS: Of the 47 subfertile women, 12 had blood type A (25.5%), 10 type B (21.3%), 4 type AB (8.5%), and 21 type O (44.7%); 38 had Le (a-b+) (80.9%), 4 had Le (a+b-) (8.5%), and 5 had Le (a-b-) (10.6%). Of the 47 controls, 17 had type A (36.2%), 12 type B (25.5%), 4 type AB (8.5%), 14 type O (29.8%); 26 had Le (a-b+) (55.3%), 11 had Le (a+b-) (23.4%), and 10 had Le (a-b-) (21.3%). The difference in the proportions of the A, B, AB, and O phenotypes was not statistically significant. The proportion of combined recessive and nonsecretor phenotypes Le (a+/-b-) was significantly lower in subfertile women (9/47) as compared with fertile controls (21/47) (P = 0.014). The difference in the proportions of the Lewis blood group phenotypes between the unexplained and the mechanical infertility groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Subfertile women have an increased frequency of the Le (a-b+) blood group phenotype. Our hypothesis is that the presence of exposed fucosylated determinants such as Le(b) on the surface of endometrial cells may interfere with implantation.

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COMMENTARY: As any reader of my last book will soon learn, the major health disadvantages of secretor status seems to lie with the 15-20% of the population that are non-secretors. However, this study clearly indicated that women who are secretors may have significantly more difficult problems with fertility.

Although not statistically significant the ABO distribution is also interesting, since it appears that there is a higher than expected amount of type O secretors in the sub fertile group, which had the numbers in the study been larger, would have probably been shown to be significant.

STUDY: Anti-cancer therapy: diversion of polyamines in the gut.

JOURNAL: Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2001 Sep;13(9):1041-6

AUTHORS: Pryme IF, Bardocz S.

ABSTRACT: The growth of a murine non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) tumour, either as an intraperitoneal ascites tumour or as a solid subcutaneous tumour, has been shown to be greatly reduced by including phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), a lectin present in raw kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the diet. The reduced rate of growth occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Based on the experimental observations it has been suggested that a competition occurs between the gut tissue undergoing hyperplasia and the developing tumour for nutrients (including polyamines) from a common body pool. This may be an important factor with regard to the observed initial low level of tumour growth following the feeding of a PHA-containing diet. Results showing that the level of hyperplasia of the small intestine in response to feeding the PHA diets was higher in non-injected mice compared to those which had been injected with tumour cells substantiated the concept of competition between gut and tumour for nutrients etc. required for growth. The observations suggest that lectins, which exhibit growth-promoting effects on the gut, may have interesting applications in the formulation of new approaches with respect to cancer treatment.

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COMMENTARY: Polyamines are a class of molecules known to enhance the growth of many common cancers. Since they are necessary for cell growth, efforts have been launched in recent years to develop anti-cancer drugs that work via inhibiting polyamine production. One of the two basic ways polyamines are produced is via the gut (the other being production in the liver). In recent years the use of lectins as a inhibitor of polyamine production in the gut has become an area of intense research. The theory is that dietary lectins cause the intestinal cells to 'sequester' polyamines inside themselves, thereby depriving the tumor cells of polyamine stimulation.

Perhaps the most important point behind this article is that lectins are not always 'bad' and in fact may under conditions of appropriate usage be quite helpful. Perhaps the best experimental design might be to use non-blood type specific lectins which do not have the ability to agglutinate or inflame the intestinal tract of the host.

QUESTION: This is a testamonial. As I didn't know where else to put it, I ended up here. My 25 yr. old daughter and I have been following the high protein low carb diet for years, me (O+) with good results, she (A+) with mixed. In the beginning she did fantastically, but then started developing numerous problems: cystic acne, twice hospitalized for kidney infections, pain in her diaphragm whenever she ate, constipation, chronic fatigue, weight gain, no menses for a year,depression, and the list goes on. We had no idea these symptoms were related to her diet or that we each needed different diets! Two weeks ago I heard about the ER4YBT book & bought it. The FIRST day she tried it she had "amazing" results, three days later all her symptoms cleared. Yesterday she called and told me her face is completely clear of the acne as well. Needless to say, she is a complete convert and asked me to send this message on as she doesn't have a computer. She even wants to study Naturopathy now, she is so enthused about this way of eating & immensely grateful to be well again. PS: Since I was already eating close to my type, the change is not as dramatic as it was for my daughter, but I, too, am doing well by fine-tuning to my blood type, eliminating dairy, etc. So, thank you, thank you, thank you, especially for giving my young daughter her life back again!

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ANSWER: Many thanks for taking the time to write your note. I have had instances where someone has communciated that the diet made their symptoms worse, only to find out that they were not the ABO blood type they thought they were.

STUDY: ABO/Secretor genetic complex and susceptibility to asthma in childhood.

JOURNAL: Eur Respir J 2001 Jun;17(6):1236-8

AUTHORS: Ronchetti F, Villa MP, Ronchetti R, Bonci E, Latini L, Pascone R, Bottini N, Gloria-Bottini F.

ABSTRACT: A positive association has recently been reported in adult subjects between O/nonSecretor phenotype and asthma. To confirm this association, this study investigated the joint ABO/Secretor phenotype in a cohort of 165 asthmatic children. Three-hundred and sixty-two consecutive newborn infants from the same population were also studied as controls. The proportion of O/nonSecretor in asthmatic children was higher than in controls, thus confirming the association found in adults. The association was more marked in males than in females. In males, the pattern of association between the joint ABO/Secretor phenotype and asthma is dependent on the age at on-set of symptoms. Since the oligosaccharide composition of cell membrane and mucosal secretions is controlled by the cooperative interaction of ABO and Secretor genes, and since such composition influences the adhesion of infectious agents, the age pattern could reflect a more general interaction between developmental maturation and oligosaccharide structure concerning their effects on susceptibility to viral and bacterial agents.

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COMMENTARY: This study supports my own observations that asthmatics (especially childhood asthmatics) have a higher incidence and severity of asthma. Probably the best long-term strategy is the O-non secretor diet, with its low-lectin elements.

STUDY: [The carbohydrate theory].

JOURNAL: Wien Med Wochenschr 1994;144(16):387-92

AUTHORS: Lutz W.

ABSTRACT: We can get the full range of our health only if our genome and our environment are compatible. After we had adapted through millions of years to the diet of scavengers and hunters we could not--up to now--adapt to the farming (to the carbohydrates) in a small fraction of this time. The author sees in this the cause of our "Western" diseases. Evidence can be gathered from the rates for cancer and myocardial infarctions in areas where farming came late (Scotland, Scandinavia, Ireland), and from the good results of a return to the (low carbohydrate) Paleolithic diet in many of our civilization diseases. The genetic substratum for this incomplete adaptation to carbohydrates can be seen in the so called gene polymorphism, incomplete genes for ACE etc, which are more frequent in areas where farming came later.

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COMMENTARY: Sounds like the first chapter of Eat Right 4 Your Type, doesn't it?

STUDY: Isolation and quantitation of lectins from vegetable oils.

JOURNAL: Lipids 1987 Sep;22(9):667-8

AUTHORS: Klurfeld DM, Kritchevsky D

ABSTRACT: The factor(s) responsible for the unexplained atherogenicity of peanut oil remain to be elucidated. To this end, we developed a technique to determine if lectin was present in the oil and to quantitate its concentration. This technique was applied to other vegetable oils including corn, soybean, and sunflower. Crude, unprocessed corn and soybean oils were also analyzed for lectin content. The crude oils contained from 858 to 2983 micrograms lectin per kg, while the refined oils contained 24 to 55 micrograms/kg of biologically active lectin. The identities of the isolated lectins were confirmed by electrophoresis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The biological significance of the presence of lectin in these oils remains to be determined.

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COMMENTARY: This study looked at possible reasons why peanut oil is so atherogenic (i.e. why it accelerates hardening of the arteries. In doing so the researchers discovered that there was considerable evidence that the lectins in peanuts were in the oil, prompting them to investigate other oils from lectin-containing seeds. These were also found to contain 'biologically active lectin.'

QUESTION:

First off, thanks for publishing your blood-type based diet book. I have had extraordinary results. I admit I haven't read the entire book but I have attempted to find specific information on certain foods, with no luck. As a type B, I have eliminated some of my favorite foods from my diet: wheat, corn, chicken, tofu, avocadoes, tomatoes. Now, giving up wheat is a pain in the neck, but giving up avocadoes and tomatoes is a culinary disaster. What I'd like to know is, so to speak, the price expected to be paid for indulging in each of these (and other) forbidden foods?

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ANSWER:

The price to be paid depends on the relative health of the person in question. If you are healthy, it is not the avoidance of one food over another that is going to make much of a difference, but rather the aggregate of how closely you follow the precepts over an extended period of time. Generally 70-80% total compliance works well in most people (out of 10 food choices, 7-9 being neutral or beneficial choices)

QUESTION: Hi! I've followed the Blood Type Diet for almost 2 years now and I'm happy to report that my hepatitis B titers have gone dramatically down -with no medication! I'm type AB and wondering if there are any special vitamins or herbs that might help to keep the condition under check, and again thanks!

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ANSWER: There may be some information suggestive that being type AB blood may result in you more likely staying an essentially healthy 'carrier' rather than progressing to more dire consequences. An older investigation studied 457 'healthy' hepatitis B carriers. The results obtained were analyzed according to the cases investigated. Differences were found between the distribution of blood groups among the normal unselected population and among 'healthy' carriers, where the incidence of blood type AB subjects was much higher than expected. (1) This was verified in a subsequent study as well. (2)

I typically prescribe the following for chronic, but healthy hepatitis (B or C) patients

Licorice (exerts mild antiviral effects, also protective of the liver tissues)

Catechin, a type of flavone anti-oxidant (exerts mild antiviral effect especially against hepatitis

N-acetylcysteine (an antioxidant amino acid, somewhat liver protective)

Eclipta alba (an Ayurvedic herb which is somewhat protective of the liver)

Non of these herbs are toxic and they can be used for long periods of time without any undo worry.



1. Babes VT, Steiner N, Lenkei R, Buzernescu G. ABO blood groups and HBs AG subtypes and titers in healthy carriers. Vox Sang 1977 Oct;33(4):252-6

2. Babes VT, Lenkei R, Steiner N, Berca C. Apparently healthy HBsAg carriers: sex-dependent difference in ABO blood group distribution, subtype ratio and antigen titer. Virologie 1978 Jan-Mar;29(1):3-8

3. Patrick L. Hepatitis C: epidemiology and review of complementary/ alternative medicine treatments Altern Med Rev 1999 Aug;4(4):220-38

QUESTION: Could you give me your thought on this comment: Animals have different blood types, yet they have the same diet and it does not bother them in any way. Thank you.

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ANSWER: This question was answered in a previous Frequently Asserted Objections. Please take a minute to read the list of prior Ask Dr. D'Adamo posts before you post your question.

This is especially true when you are considering asking a question about the variety of so-called criticisms of the theory sometimes seen on competing sites on the internet.

STUDY: Food allergy and food intolerance in childhood.

JOURNAL: Indian J Pediatr 1999;66(1Suppl):S37-S45

AUTHORS: Sullivan PB., University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

ABSTRACT: Food intolerance is a reproducible adverse reaction to a specific food ingredient that is not psychologically based. Food allergy is a form of food intolerance in which there is evidence that the response is caused by an immunological reaction to food. Other mechanisms of food intolerance include enzyme defects (e.g. lactase deficiency), pharmacological effects (e.g. histamine), toxic properties (e.g. haemagglutinating lectins) and irritants (e.g. spices). Food allergy in children is a highly contentious subject and there is often a striking lack of published evidence from which to base clinical decisions. The true prevalence of food allergy in children is unknown, although there is evidence of an increasing incidence of allergic reactions to some foods, especially peanuts. Our understanding of why some children are unable to tolerate certain foods (e.g. cow's milk, egg), or how they grow out of this intolerance, is very poor. Symptoms of food allergy in children are diverse and include vomiting, poor weight gain, abdominal pain, malabsorption, cough, wheeze, rhinitis, atopic eczema, urticaria and angioedema. Despite the lack of objective data to support the notion that food intolerance contributes to behaviour in children, this is a belief firmly held by many parents and some professionals.

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COMMENTARY: I find it amazing that despite ample evidence that dietary lectins are an important provocative influence in both food allergy and intolerance, many professionals, includinbg the vast majority of hematologists, continue to deny their biological activity. However, the simple truth is that they are in the diet, have biological effects, and we best get used to that notion.

QUESTION: My son in almost 12 years old and still wets the bed almost nightly. Would typing his blood and following the right diet for his blood help him?

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ANSWER: To the degree that a diet specific to his metabolism can have as its effects the elimination of foods your son is allergic or intolerant to.. then yes, following tha appropriate blood group diet could be quite beneficial. Bed-wetting is often caused by food intolerance. (1) Depending on the child's blood group, omitting cow's milk, wheat, corn, carbonated beverages, chocolate, refined carbohydrates (including junk food), and products containing food coloring can make a profound difference.(2)

While this problem can be very frustrating, keep in mind it is very common. The problem occurs in approximately five to seven percent of all 10-year-old children. The problem occurs in two to four percent of children ages 12 to 14. This is a problem that also tends to affect twice as many boys and girls.

Other than a small bladder for his age, some research has shown that a child may have insufficient nighttime quantities of a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH). Generally, ADH levels rise at night and reduce urine production during sleep. However, in some children there is inadequate nighttime ADH production, and so he or she produces more urine. One approach to treating bed-wetting involves increasing ADH. A high wheat diet has been shown to decrease ADH.(3)

Some evidence seems to implicate variations in the body's levels of nitric oxide during the course of the night, and in some people it may drop low enough to cause excessive relaxation of their vascular beds. Since nitric oxide is a least partialy influenced by supplementation with the amino acid arginine, perhaps a trial of L-arginine supplementation could be explored along with dietary changes. Arginine is also part of the ADH hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP), and extra supplenetation may help maintain high enough levels of ADH over night to prevent bed wetting.(4)



1. Egger J, Carter CH, Soothill JF, Wilson J. Effect of diet treatment on enuresis in children with migraine or hyperkinetic behavior. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1992 May;31(5):302-7

2. Oei HD, Pelikan-Filipek M, Pelikan Z, van Vliet AC. [Enuresis and encopresis as a reaction to food]. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 1989 Aug 5;133(31):1555-7. Dutch

3,Sachan DS, Mynatt RL. Wheat gluten-based diet retarded ethanol metabolism by altering alcohol dehydrogenase and not carnitine status in adult rats. J Am Coll Nutr. 1993 Apr;12(2):170-5.

4. Robertson G, Rittig S, Kovacs L, Gaskill MB, Zee P, Nanninga J. Pathophysiology and treatment of enuresis in adults. Scand J Urol Nephrol Suppl. 1999;202:36-8; discussion 38-9.

STUDY: Dietary wheat germ agglutinin modulates ovalbumin-induced immune responses in Brown Norway rats.

JOURNAL: Br J Nutr 2001 Apr;85(4):483-90

AUTHORS: Watzl B, Neudecker C, Hansch GM, Rechkemmer G, Pool-Zobel BL.

ABSTRACT: The trend towards an increased consumption of minimally processed plant food results in a higher intake of non-nutritive compounds such as lectins. Lectins are typically globular proteins that are resistant to digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. They affect the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and the absorption of dietary antigens, and induce the release of allergic mediators from mast cells in vitro. Based on this information we have studied whether dietary wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) could be involved in triggering food allergies...[technical and procedural verbiage excised]... In conclusion, these data suggest that high dietary intake of lectins such as WGA may affect the allergic response towards oral antigens in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue.

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COMMENTARY: I find it amazing that many otherwise sophisticated nutritionists still manage to dispute that basic contention that lectins initiate allergic reactions in the gut. The evidence is overwhelming and is being reported in the most prestigious journals. The phenomena is so well studied, we even know the mechanisms, such as the release of interleukin-4 and histamines. One can only hope that the herd mentality that so many professionals manifest toward new ideas will eventually lead to a bit more intellectual curiosity.

STUDY: Safe as mother's milk: carbohydrates as future anti-adhesion drugs for bacterial diseases.

JOURNAL: Glycoconj J 2000 Jul-Sep;17(7-9):659-64

AUTHORS: Sharon N, Ofek I.

ABSTRACT: The majority of infectious diseases are initiated by adhesion of pathogenic organisms to the tissues of the host. In many cases, this adhesion is mediated by lectins present on the surface of the infectious organism that bind to complementary carbohydrates on the surface of the host tissues. Lectin-deficient mutants often lack ability to initiate infection. Soluble carbohydrates recognized by the bacterial lectins block the adhesion of the bacteria to animal cells in vitro. Moreover, they have also been shown to protect against experimental infection by lectin-carrying bacteria in different organs of mammals such as mice, rabbits, calves and monkeys. Although the high cost of production of the required oligosaccharides is falling with the recent introduction of enzymatic methods of synthesis, new technologies, in particular the use of engineered bacteria, promise to lower it even further. Attachment of the oligosaccharides to soluble polymeric carriers will increase greatly their effectiveness as antiadhesion agents. There is no doubt that anti-adhesive oligosaccharides will in the near future join the arsenal of drugs for the therapy of bacterial diseases.

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COMMENTARY: Human milk is laden with glycoconjugates and amino sugars (for example, we as a species have the highest concentration of fucose in our milk, versus other mammals) Historically, the suspected role of these carbohydrates was to act as a 'prebiotic,' conditioning the growth of the gut bacteria. Evidence now is growing that they in fact act as anti-adhesion molecules, blocking the attachment of harmful bacteria by flooding their lectin receptors with decoy molecules. The high fucose content probably serves to block Candida yeast attachment (Candida uses a fucose-secific lectin to attack its host.)

QUESTION: A friend of mine in Ecuador wants to read your book, Eat Right 4 Your Type. Please tell me the spanish publisher she should ask for. Thank you very much and many congratulations for your work. My friends and I follow your diet successfully.

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ANSWER: The Spanish edition is available from Javier Vergara, Paseo Colon 221, 6 Piso Buenos Aires 1399, Argentina. It is available from North American Pharmacal.You can check the status of any international editions of my books from the homepage or here.

As, note that there is a Spanish NAP Distributor (Juan Taboada)

QUESTION: I've had tremendous success with the diet for my type A body. Headaches virtually disappeared, life-long acne 80% cured. I have a one or two lingering issues which I would like your help with. I continue to stain between my periods. It is not very heavy, but persistent. My gynecologist has given me an extensive checkup and found no serious reasons (such as cancer). Any ideas?

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ANSWER: Excessive menstrual bleeding (mennorhagia) occurs most often prior to menopause, with no underlying pathology present just response to erratic hormone production. In younger women menorrhagia can be caused by a range of problems, necessitating skilled diagnosis. Such causes include fibroids, polyps, blood-clotting problems, endometriosis or tumors. The first point to make is that any sign of endo-cervical bleeding is a cause for a complete medical workup. Early signs of cervical and endometrial (uterine) cancer must be ruled out or treated.

I've used two botanical remedies very successfully for uncomplicated mennorhagia:

1. Shepherd's Purse (capsella spp.) is so called from the resemblance of the flat seed-pouches of the plant to an old-fashioned common leather purse. It is similarly called in France Bourse de pasteur, and in Germany Hirtentasche. Capsella’s haemostatic action is due to the presence of tyramine and other amines, and the acetylcholine, choline and tyramine have been shown to produce a transient decrease in blood pressure and haemostatic activity in vivo. It can be used to treat urinary infections with haematuria, and menorrhagia. Although NAP does not make a Capsella-based product, there are numerous formulas available. The tincture form (the herb dissolved in alcohol) works fine and is available in many health food stores. Typical doses are 15 drops in hot water 2-3 times daily as needed.

2. Chlorophyll. Green plants are rich in the photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll a source of vitamin K. Based on its ability to help blood clot normally, vitamin K has been proposed as a treatment for excessive menstrual bleeding and is beneficial for some women. Although bleeding time and prothrombin levels in women with menorrhagia are typically normal, the use of vitamin K (often in the form of chlorophyll) does have limited research support. Green leafy vegetables and other sources of vitamin K should be eaten freely. Liquid chlorophyll supplements can be found at many health food stores. Typical doses are 1-3 tsp daily added to a glass of water. In general the chlorophyll formulas with fat-soluable components left intact are more desirable. One of my mentors was fond of telling his patients to place their chlorophyll in a clear glass of water and leave it next to a window for 10-15 minutes (chlorophyll is light sensitive and can retain photo-energy within its molecular matrix).

QUESTION: There are no naturopathic doctors in my area that I know of, so I would appreciate your input. I am female, 40 years old, blood type 0+. I have had IBS or a spastic colon for the majority of my adult life although it has recently gotten much worse (almost debilitating - always diarrhea, never constipated). I am currently having hydrotherapy and learned about your book there. My concern is that I am currently on the O diet without the meats to avoid overworking my colon (so I'm told) while it heals, but am curious if that is the right approach. I intend to address this with the therapist (who is a big proponent of your book), but am interested in whether or not this is the method you would use.

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ANSWER: First of all, I assume that you have had all the necessary diagnostic work-ups, including a colonoscopy to rule out problems more life-threatening than IBS, including Chrohns and other forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Although many in Alternative Medicine are of the opinion that meat overworks the colon, in reality if there is any relationship between the two it is due to improper combinations between proteins and starches. Protein itself accounts for only as little as .5% of the total content of feces, so efficient is our assimilation.

Since the type O diet is essentially low in most forms of carbohydrate, the combination of high quality, low-fat, hormone and chemical-free fish and meats with appropriatly prepared vegetables is actually easier on the system than lectin containing grains and legumes.

You might want to use small portions of protein, or fish in lieu of red meat, in addition to steaming or cooking vegetables until the intestinal tract has enough time to adjust and begin to repair.

QUESTION: I am a 48 year old female with Type AB blood. I have a strong family history of uterine fibroids for several generations. Many relatives had hysterectomies. I do not want to go this course. I see very little written about this common pre-menopausal problem in women. Any advice? I am a month into the diet. My periods are heavy and painful.

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ANSWER: Uterine fibroids (benign tumors of the uterus, typically non-symptomatic unless embedded in the lining when they can cause heavy bleeding at menses) are more common in blood groups A and AB, probably due to the fact that cellular growth factors that are responsible for the proliferation of uterine tissue can be stimulated by the type A antigen.(1) It has also been shown that hyperlastic (rapidly growing) endometrial tissue is heavily infiltrated with blood group antigens, whereas normal endometrial tissue is not. (2)

Typically, the AB works well in lowering growth-stimulating polyamines, which can accelerate cellular turnover, especially by the use of soy products.

Two herbal remedies traditionally used for treating uterine fibroids are Capsella or Shepherd's Purse (3) and chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants). Capsella may have as its basis of action the fact that it is rich in fumaric acid (4) which is known to inhibit excessive cellular turnover.

As with any medical condition characterized by excess bleeding, it is prudent to make sure that the cause of the bleeding is indeed not from more serious reasons. As such one should always bring such occurances to the attention of one's gyneocologist or primary care phsyician.





1. Berchuck A, Soisson AP, Soper JT, Clarke-Pearson DL, Bast RC Jr, McCarty KS Jr. Reactivity of epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibodies with human uterine tissues. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1989 Oct;113(10):1155-8.

2.Tanaka K, Yasuda M, Motizuki M, Sasaki T, Yamazaki T, Kurose T, Sasagawa M, Hando T, Ohmori M. [Diagnosis and treatment of endometrial hyperplasia]. Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 1989 Apr;16(4 Pt 2-3):1598-604.

3. Shipochliev T. [Uterotonic action of extracts from a group of medicinal plants]. Vet Med Nauki. 1981;18(4):94-8.

4. Kuroda K, Akao M. Antitumor and anti-intoxication activities of fumaric acid in cultured cells. Gann. 1981 Oct;72(5):777-82.

STUDY: Carbohydrate expression in the intestinal mucosa.

JOURNAL: Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 2001;160:III-IX, 1-91

AUTHORS: Sharma R, Schumacher U.

ABSTRACT: A study of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) was undertaken to test the hypothesis that lymphocyte-epithelial interactions influence the glycosylation of cells overlying Peyer's patches. The effects of diet and microbial flora were analysed by comparing the data from male Wistar germ-free rats, with conventional or human flora. CONCLUSIONS: (1) the interactions between diet and flora alter the mucosal architecture and the activity of endocrine cells; (2) the dietary changes are influential in modifying the epithelial mucin predominantly in the small intestine while the microbial flora influences the mucosal architecture predominantly in the large intestine.

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COMMENTARY: This article supports the contentions I have written on for the last 15 years:

1.The health of the gut directly parallels the health of the immune system.

2.Diet influences the health of the mucus lining of the gut, which in itself is under the influence of ABO blood group and secretor status.

3. The health of the gut mucus influences the composition and quality of the intestinal flora, which is again also under the influence of ABO blood group.

STUDY: Vegetable gums modify lectin hemagglutinability.

JOURNAL: Acta Cient Venez 1992;43(5):312-4

AUTHORS: Melito C, Levy-Benshimol A.

ABSTRACT: Arabic gum enhances lectin hemagglutinability. The more glycosylated the lectin, the greater the stimulatory effect of the gum. Evidence presented suggests that the interaction between gum and lectin is of a carbohydrate-carbohydrate nature.

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COMMENTARY: Many naturopaths have recognized a relationship between the intake of vegetable gums (such as gum arabic or carrageenan) and the severity of inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis and irritable bowel disease. The ability of many gums to increase the activity of dietary lectins provides a possible link to this relationship.

QUESTION: We've been doing wonderful (me: O, husband :A) on the Eat Right Diet. My chronic colitis is very nearly under control. What I would like to ask you is for some sort of a plan by which I can pre-empt any further outbreaks. In the past my gastroenterologist would use high doses of steroids. I would like something better. Any ideas, and thanks for your hard work and dedication!

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ANSWER: One plant medicine you may benefit from is Atractylodes, an important and great energy (Chi) tonic which is famous for regulating the digestive functions and as a powerful energy booster. This tonic variety of Atractylodes is known as "White Atractylodes." It is widely used in China by athletes and martial artists, and in weight control programs. It has a mild diuretic action. Atractylodes may be used by anyone wishing to increase vitality. I've had some success (based upon a suggestion by my colleague Bronner Handwerger, ND) that Atractylodes in high doses may have a positive effect as a premptive therapy in the early stages of a colitis flare-up.

In traditional Chinese medicine Atractylodes has been shown to act on the stomach and spleen. It can be used to stimulate appetite, and stop vomiting and diarrhea. It is a diuretic and has been used for edema, fatigue, spontaneous sweating, fever and chills. It has been used in pregnancy for morning sickness and restless fetus. It "tonifies the Spleen and benefits the Qi: used for Spleen or Stomach Deficiency patterns with such symptoms as diarrhea, fatigue. lack of appetite, and vomiting. Strengthens the Spleen and dries Dampness: used for digestive dysfunctions from the Spleen Yang failing to rise, with loss of its transforming ability and subsequent accumulation of Dampness."(1) Studies show that Actractylodes root has anti-inflammatory compounds which probably work by inhibiting pro-inflammatory prostaglandin synthesis. It appears that the polysaccharides in the root are responsible for the immune modulating activity.

Atractylodes can be a hard herb to locate. Many health food stores can order it, or you can check out any number of herbal suppliers on the Internet.



1. Chinese Herbal Medicine, Materia Medica, Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble, Eastland Press, 1986

QUESTION:

I am type O. Last year my doctor ran an Elisa Allergy blood test because he suspected that I had some food allergies. The test showed the I was highly allergic to the exact same foods that ER4YT says I should not eat. Is this a common occurence? Is it further evidence supporting the concepts behind ER4YT.

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ANSWER:

It is common enough to make me think many of the other allergy determination methods, such as rotation dieting, ELISA and RAST are not really worth the extra effort, and indeed will tend to generate more false positives and false negatives than they will pinpoint foods not identified via ABO blood type. Most are also very expensive.