I have been on the blood type diet for over a year now, and at 19, am in the best shape of my life. With an active lifestyle (no intended exercise) and the blood type diet, I have been able to shed countless pounds, and have forwarded many people to the diet. I think that your blood-type specific supplements and such are an innovation. However, have you thought of introducing your diet to many major food companies that make diet specific foods (such as South Beach) or Atkins? Not only would it give the diet more advertisement, it would also make it easier to adhere to my diet. Working 50 or 60 hours a week and going to school makes it hard for me to eat correctly (or at all for that matter), and I have found myself eating bar snacks and drink garnishes for nourishment (I am cocktail waitress). Oddly enough I was loosing more weight eating 3 or 4 meals a day than close to nothing at all, and I would appreciate it if healthier options were readily available. Sincerely, Faith (B positive)

Greetings Faith,

Though I won’t rule it out completely, I’m not particularly jazzed about those types of strategic partnerships; they almost always result in some compromise, either quality or concept-wise. Certainly that bit of ease may help some harried people, but usually by the time whatever you are eating gets into the box, so many ‘intermediates’ have been at the through that in retrospect you’d have just been better having done some pre-preparation instead. NAP does make some protein bars that are very blood type friendly; perhaps these can be used in a pinch. I can usually get it together to bring some green tea, manna bread (if I remember to defrost it the night before!) and peanut butter over to the clinic, no matter how rushed I am, and to be frank, I can be very absent-minded!

Hi Peter, I would like an official answer from you on something, if you don't mind. I was well on my way to a frozen shoulder some 8-10 months after a fall on that shoulder. The doctors had all told me it was fine. Ha, isn't THAT funny! Anyway, I took it upon myself to have a physical therapist look at it and that's when we discovered the problem. I have had some success in working with my chiropractor. He had been doing some pretty aggressive therapy. I have slacked off that and have had my massage therapist work on it some. It is really sore after the last time, which I feel is to be expected. However, some on the board think frozen shoulder is an autoimmune problem. I absolutely know this was triggered by my fall, BUT after noticing it feels worse if I eat avoids, I am starting to wonder if there is in fact some truth to it being an autoimmune disorder, triggered by the fall. I thank you in advance for your help. Also, for all you do, for all you so unselfishly give. You are, once again, an amazing man. Humbly, Pat



Hi Pat!

I’ve had frozen shoulder in the past (actually in my family, a lot of the men have) and I can sympathize with you! It is very painful! I suspect that the cause, continuance and cure are all multi-factorial. For me, it was probably computer-driven repetitive motion, coupled with the repeated use of a screw gun to drive sheetrock into place above my head. Often, the shoulder capsule does develop a gluey substance (which is why frozen shoulder is often termed ‘adhesive capsulitis’) that prevents the joint from gliding properly. Undoubtedly this gluey substance is a post-inflammatory consequence, and if so, you might very well see a link between eating avoids and inflammatory activity; I certainly did. Karate training really helped me, plus a lot of bromelain (an enzyme made from pineapple stems) which acts like a detergent on the joint tissue. If your chiropractor has an iontophoresis machine, tell him to try driving in some 2% magnesium sulphate a few times. Also, I’ve been seeing some very nice results with cold laser therapy treatment; perhaps your DC or physiotherapist can assist you with this therapy as well.

You say the notion of metabolic typing has no basis in scientific research. However, one can't deny that certain diets (i.e. Atkins) result in significant weight loss for some yet cause others to retain or even gain weight. That fact is a clear-cut association with metabolic typing. Jess

Hi Jess,

Well, if you mean ‘metabolic typing’ in the generic sense of the word; or even better ‘metabolic profiling’ as in metabolomics, I would agree with you. In that light, the Blood Type Diet is a form of metabolic profiling, since it uses genotype to determine phenotype. However, if you a referring to the ‘metabolic typing’ seen in such popular books as those written by Walcott or Mercola, I would beg to differ; they have no notion of genotype since they have no genomic basis for their determinations.

Hi, Sadly my daughter just died 10 days after the MMR vaccine was given to her. She was only 17 months. I had tested her blood and she was Blood type B. I am AB- secretor and my wife blood type O+. After MMR she came out in spots like chicken pox and died in her sleep with a little blood on her mouth and bed sheet. Being blood type B, could she have been dealing with a virus before the MMR that was not obvious i.e. could she be dealing with chicken pox in the form of shingles? She kept getting rashes on her face and just a few spots just days and weeks before but doctor said it was fungus; the antifungal cream did seem to work. Would this cream be able to make shingles rash disappear? Could blood type B be more susceptible to death and why? We gave our son single vaccines first time and he lived. There is no doubt in our minds she would not have died if she did not get the MMR. She did also get temperature spikes 5 days after the MMR peaking at 39 deg C, but just before death her temperature was more stable. Under normal MMR circumstances how long would it be before her body would create the required antibody and mop up all the mumps, measles and rubella virus? She was a perfect child with an immense amount of energy and vitality. Best regards, -John

Wow, John,

I am so sorry to hear of you loss. I have written about how it seems to me that children who are type B appear to have more extreme reactions to childhood vaccinations, but hindsight in this case would be 20/20 and it would be insensitive and outrageous to state categorically that this was the result of the child being blood type B. However, I will now redouble my efforts in this direction, and indeed if there is some link, hopefully we can elucidate it, and then get the word out. It is the least we can do.

Dr. D'Adamo, I just want to thank you so very much for all your work and your books. When I first heard about the idea of eating based on blood type I thought that it was a crazy idea. Many years later experiencing some health problems I went to see a doctor who had me buy ERYT. After reading the chapter about Type O, me being O+, I really made sense. I have been using this info for the past 3 years now and I'm feeling young again. I tell people this is the first book they should read if they want to experience better health. Thanks again. -Gregory

A lot of people think concept is crazy at first exposure. I did a radio show in Europe and a geneticist called in saying that blood type was not more important that the color paint on a car. I thought a moment and replied, ‘Well, if you got hit by a car, what would be the first thing about that car you would tell the police officer?’ The idea behind the link between diet and ABO blood group is multidimensional. Often, however, people in the sciences are called in to comment on in only in regard to their discipline. This is usually where the quality of the criticism tends to drop precipitously.

I read your daily note about the nutritionist’s husband I can't believe that you actually waste time on this topic. I have made a few inquires to you and "never" received a response. Perhaps bashing someone who does not agree with your theories is more important than responding to one of the users of your diet who has a legitimate question concerning her health. It is you I am disappointed in. I think that your response to this person is pathetic as well as your lack of interest in the people that follow your diet. Elizabeth

Hello Elizabeth,

I could not find any prior questions with either you name or email attached to them, so I don’t know how far back your dilemma goes. The article that you refer to is not part of the ‘Ask Doctor D’Adamo’ column, but rather my blog, which usually involves me ruminating about thoughts and ideas and does not typically feature my responding to questions. Actually, I’ve only just begun responding to questions after a two-year hiatus; however I’ve not seen many authors who respond to questions at all, so perhaps your criteria is a little extreme. Actually a great place to get questions is on the BTD Forums. I'm on it a lot and there are many other bright intelligent folks as well.

I have purchased hundreds of your books and I give them away to my patients that are open to change. Recently, my Spanish speaking patients are requesting your book in Spanish. I have tried to located it in Spanish and I have been unsuccessful. Could you tell me how I can obtain the eat right for your type in Spanish? Thank you. -Mr. Sanchez.

Hola Mr. Sanchez,

North American Pharmacal would know better than I about the current status of my books in Spanish. I do recall a publisher in Buenos Aires, but also believe that the book is now being printed in Spain proper. You can call them at 877-ABO-TYPE and I’m sure they can locate a source for you. Oh, wait.. they have a Spanish edition listed on their website.

Bless you ! Not only have you vastly improved my immune system and some health problems, but also completely changed the lives of several other people that I know. One a type A who did not realize that milk was the source of her terrible IBS and arthritis, and her husband, type O, who cured himself of snoring and breathing problems to the great benefit of their marriage ! I will keep on recommending friends and family to read your books and I think that this science is the way forward for the future of the human race. It has even helped me to understand my husband better (he is type O), as I am a B and I know at last why we have different likes and needs and I vary our meals accordingly to suit our different types. –Beryl

Hello Beryl,

Thanks! Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come. Perhaps it is time for people to open their eyes up to the idea of individualized nutrition; not just to get rid of a few pounds, but to create health and balance where there is only sickness and imbalance. The BTD holds so much more promise for the future of food; under its lens, each food becomes a dynamic entity, which powers that vary from person to person. So much more interesting that just the protein, fat and carbohydrate content!

My wife recently had our first child (9 months ago) but ever since then has suffered badly with constipation. We are both O type blood groups and began the 'new' regime 10 weeks ago, and it is going very well. I have lost 25lbs in weight! Nikki has lost 14lbs! We are both really pleased with the way things are going, but would like the above question answered and it is quite painful for her. Regards Cliff Howden –Cliff

Have Nikki start taking some ghee (clarified butter), about 1 tablespoon daily. You can buy ghee at most health food stores, or make it yourself. Ghee contains short chain fatty acids that really help energize the cells that line the colon, and in exchange, they will work better and interact more efficiently with the bacteria in the gut, further enhancing the breakdown of fiber, which in turn makes more short chain fatty acids, which energize the cells of the colon lining, which…

Type or types of lectin and one's susceptibility (genetic susceptibility) cannot be determined by blood type. D'Adamo tested lectins with blood cells. Lectin intolerance reactions occur in the gut, general circulation (artery walls and the like), brain, gland or organ as well as red blood cells. Sensitivity of one type of cell does not necessarily determine whether another type cell will or will not react.

Thanks, Gary



Hmm. How can I say this nicely? Your internet doctor appears to know so much about the subject, that not only can he comment decisively on when something occurs, he can comment authoritatively on when something doesn't! My suggestion is that you refer this person to a reliable textbook of glycobiology so they can get their facts straight. Here's a good link for the rest of you. It's always exciting when someone discovers that a century of molecular biology research is wrong!

Even though I consider myself as maintaining an optimum health level and am my doctor's healthiest patient (45), as a blood group A person I sometimes begin to struggle with the effects of multiple stressors. Lately, I started experiencing mild joint and muscle pains in early morning due to the level of stress associated with 2 cancer losses, a lay off and a job search. I also decided to bring my BTD to the highest level of adherence by eliminating all neutrals and am amazed at the results. It feels like my body is going through this amazing low-grade detoxification. I am completely pain and stress free and am also experiencing this incredible surge of mental clarity. I am now asking myself if the occasional chicken, feta, mozzarella and wheat breads are worth giving up this amazing experience. Thank you Dr. D’Adamo – you inspire me Alina

Hi Alina, what a great story. Let's hope that your experience can help inspire others to always be open to improving their levels of compliance if need be.

Hello, Dr. D'Adamo. I am in the middle of reading your book. I have begun eliminating the avoids from my diet and incorporating a lot of the beneficials, however I am a type B and have been a vegetarian for 12 years. I was wondering if I can still benefit from a type B diet without reincorporating meat or fish into my diet? I have no objections to eggs and dairy. Thank you, Mandy

Hi Mandy! Fortunately, type B's are quite omnivorous. You certainly can get by with dairy and eggs. You may want to consider adding a good type B protein powder if you are training hard or under any tye of physical stress. NAP makes a nice one. Also, type B's (for complicated genetic reasons that I will not go into here) do well on sources of 'non-protein nitrogen'. These include creatine; the 'muscle-guy powder.' Very helpful for preventing the type of nerve degeneration type B is more prone to.

I have neuropathy in my hands and feet. There is redness on my hands and on my feet and it is painful. I also have hyperparathyroidism and have had two parathyroids removed to control excess calcium into the blood. Would you recommend the basic diet for type O (which I am) to deal with these problems? Thanks for your help. Lynne

Hi Lynne! Quercetin, a plant based antioxidant, has very nice effects on inhibiting the type of cellular accumulations that can cause neuropathy. It is available in any health food store, or online from the Blood Type Diet E-store. Certainly the type O diet will be very helpful in maximizing the health of the parathyroid, especially the low-wheat, low-corn part!

Thanks to all of you who write in. I can't answer all of your questions, but do wish to thank you all for the wonderful notes and stories.

Peter

STUDY: Quercetin in men with category III chronic prostatitis: a preliminary prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

JOURNAL: Urology 1999 Dec;54(6):960-3

AUTHORS: Shoskes DA, Zeitlin SI, Shahed A, Rajfer J.

ABSTRACT: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) category III chronic prostatitis syndromes (nonbacterial chronic prostatitis and prostatodynia) are common disorders with few effective therapies. Bioflavonoids have recently been shown in an open-label study to improve the symptoms of these disorders in a significant proportion of men. The aim of this study was to confirm these findings in a prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. RESULTS: Both the quercetin and placebo groups were similar in age, symptom duration, and initial symptom score. Patients taking placebo had a mean improvement in NIH symptom score from 20.2 to 18.8 (not significant), while those taking the bioflavonoid had a mean improvement from 21.0 to 13.1 (P = 0.003). Twenty percent of patients taking placebo and 67% of patients taking the bioflavonoid had an improvement of symptoms of at least 25%. In the 17 patients who received quercetin in the open-label study, 82% had at least a 25% improvement in symptom score. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with the bioflavonoid quercetin is well tolerated and provides significant symptomatic improvement in most men with chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

COMMENTARY: Chronic prostatitis is a troublesome condition that can be difficult to control. Typically, long term antibiotics (doxycycline) are considered the only effective treatment (curiously, not because of their anti-microbial effects, but rather because of their probable anti-inflammatory effect). Quercetin is available in many forms and may offer a safe and effective means for many men to control this painful problem. Quercetin is also an effective inhibitor of digestive allergy (it stops basophil degranulation; the process by which histamine is released into the gut and a fairly potent anti-mutagen.

I have difficulty losing weight and was interested in perhaps taking Deflect to "scrub" my body clean of all those nasty lectins adhering to my insulin receptor sites (they are probably all wheat lectins). Anyway, I read your article on Deflect, describing how it contains sacrificial carbohydrates to which lectins attach. My question is this....how do you know that a lectin happily sitting on a fat cell's insulin receptor site will want to move to a sacrificial carbohydrate? Why would it prefer the sacrificial carbohydrate over my fat cell?

ANSWER: To understand the answer to this question we should understand the nature of lectin binding. Lectins bind to carbohydrates reversibly or irreversibly. This is dependent on the shape characteristics of both the sugar that they are specific for and nature of the amino acid residues to which the sugar is linked to the cells wall. Small changes in the structure of the sites, such as the substitution of only one or two amino acids, also result in marked changes in specificity and avidity (the degree, or force of the attraction). Thus, although the sugar is the point of specificity, the amino acid 'stalk' determines much of the particular binding characteristics. (1) Some evidence also indicates that coordination with metal ions may occasionally play a role too.

The sugar is linked to the lectin mainly through charge attraction via covalent (electron sharing) bonds. The individual electron within these clouds of electrons are always moving.

Sometimes the one area of the cloud is more dense than another. This leads to the formation of a transient dipole within the molecule. The transient dipole can induce a dipole in an nearby molecule, by attracting its electrons. The attraction between the two oppositely oriented dipoles is termed a van der Walls interaction. In essence, van der Walls forces tend to 'push' the molecules towards each other, while shape conformity tends to 'pull' them towards each other.

Thus the attraction between lectins and carbohydrates is determined by both shape and charge.

One factor which influences agglutination is the zeta potential which surrounds the negatively-charged surface of the cell. Almost all particles in contact with a liquid acquire an electronic charge on their surfaces. Because of the large amount of sialic acids on the cell membrane the zeta potential is a bit more neutral compared to the charge on particles in suspension which are a bit more negatively charged. Most lectins are very highly positively charged.(3) Thus two amino sugars of similar shape can have two different levels of lectin avidity due to differences in their relative charge.

If we add to this slight structural differences in the amino acid residues between carbohydrates embedded in the cell membrane matrix and free carbohydrate in suspension, we get the force difference necessary to overcome the rather weak covalent bonds and van der Walls forces.

Just how 'hot' is this concept? Here's a summary from a just-published article:

"It is thus justified to compare crucial carbohydrate epitopes with the postal code ensuring correct mail routing and delivery. In view of the functional relevance of lectins the design of high-affinity reagents to occupy their carbohydrate recognition domains offers the perspective for an attractive source of new drugs. Their applications can be supposed to encompass the use as cell-type-selective determinant for targeted drug delivery and as blocking devices in anti-adhesion therapy during infections and inflammatory disease." (2)

Although completely unrelated, two other reasons amino sugars can be of use in weight management therapies:

1. They bind dietary fat. (4)

2. They increase production of the 'anti-fat' hormone, leptin (5) Leptin* acts on receptors in the hypothalamus of the brain where it inhibits food intake counteracts the effects of neuropeptide Y (a potent feeding stimulant secreted by cells in the gut and in the hypothalamus).


Click here for more information on DEFLECT products and lectin binding.

1. Sharon N, Lis H. Related Articles Lectins--proteins with a sweet tooth: functions in cell recognition. Essays Biochem. 1995;30:59-75. Review.

2. Rudiger H, Siebert HC, Solis D, Jimenez-Barbero J, Romero A, von der Lieth CW, Diaz-Marino T, Gabius HJ. Medicinal chemistry based on the sugar code: fundamentals of lectinology and experimental strategies with lectins as targets. Curr Med Chem. 2000 Apr;7(4):389-416. Review.

3. Monsigny M, Roche AC, Sene C, Maget-Dana R, Delmotte F. Sugar-lectin interactions: how does wheat-germ agglutinin bind sialoglycoconjugates? Eur J Biochem 1980 Feb;104(1):147-53

4. Han LK, Kimura Y, Okuda H. Reduction in fat storage during chitin-chitosan treatment in mice fed a high-fat diet.Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 Feb;23(2):174-9

5. McClain DA, Alexander T, Cooksey RC, Considine RV. Hexosamines stimulate leptin production in transgenic mice. Endocrinology 2000 Jun;141(6):1999-2002

* Not lectin!

1. Nishino T, Nishioka C, Ura H, Nagumo T. Isolation and partial characterization of a novel amino sugar-containing fucan sulfate from commercial Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan. Carbohydr Res 1994;255:213-224.

2. Patankar MS, Oehninger S, Barnett T, et al. A revised structure for fucoidan may explain some of its biological activities. J Biol Chem 1993;268:21770-21776.

3. Nishino T, Nishioka C, Ura H, Nagumo T. Isolation and partial characterization of a novel amino sugar-containing fucan sulfate from commercial Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan. Carbohydr Res 1994;255:213-224.

QUESTION: Many thanks for your wonderful work. I think I can speak for the hundreds of thousands of people who have been so helped by your great work. I discussed your theory with the dietician who works at the university clinic where I am treated for inflammatory bowel disease who just scoffed at the theory that my improvement could have been the result of following the type B diet. In particular she said that there was no evidence that corn contained any lectin that specifically agglutinated type B blood. I am 80% better -and off of most of my medicines- thanks to your book. God Bless.

I've found most dieticians to be quite unaware (ignorant) of the large lectin literature to be found on such easily accessed venues such as MEDLINE or OVID. My suspicion is that because their education is insufficient in the basic rudiments of immunology and hematology, they cannot appreciate much of the lectin literature since it is quite complex. Sadly, your interaction is typical of the reaction of most "ADA-droids" when a little intellectual curiosity could have opened up new pathways of thinking.

That corn lectins (Zea Mays Agglutinin) is a d-galactose specific lectin has been known for over 25 years (1). The results of serological studies of Zea mays everta seed extracts with anti-B specificity showed the lectin will agglutinate type B and AB red blood cells. Interestingly corn lectin agglutinated A1B red blood cells significantly more weakly than A2B red blood cells.

"There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell 'em." - Louis Armstrong



Prodanov P, Atanasova N. An anti-B lectin from Zea mays everta.Folia Haematol Int Mag Klin Morphol Blutforsch 1984;111(1):84-5

ANSWER: That is great news, and yet again demonstrates the power of choosing foods by blood type versus the 'macromolecular' (fat-phobic/ fat-philic; protein-phobic/ protein-phillic) theories, which usually do no more than contradict themselves. With the blood type diet, you can make a difference in areas of your health not normally thought to be responsive to diet.

As far as obsessive thought patterns, this is not an easy answer. Some forms of obsessive behavior can be so severe as to hinder the performanace of routine actions. In many of these individuals, medication can help, at least initially. In type A individuals, the efficient modulation of the hormone cortisol can help temper obsessive-type thoughts. Strategies include tai chi, yoga, martial arts and meditation. Adaptogens can help improve stress response--try Korean or Siberian ginseng. The Ayurvedic herbs Ashwgandha, Brahmi (Bacopa) and Boerhaavia (Cortiguard is one formula) are well suited to type A's when under stress.

ANSWER: It has been speculated that 35% of all cancers are the result of genetic outcome, 35 percent the result of diet, and 30 percent the result of environment, principally smoking. If we assume that most(say 80%)of the dietary causes will have been eliminated (if you are type A, you are using soy products, aren't you?); that you don't smoke; and that understanding blood type susceptibilities (such as stress links) allows you to circumvent about 25% of the genetically determined cancers, we get:

You don't smoke: environmental causes go down to 5-8%.

You follow the blood groups A diet: diet causes goes down to about 7%

You control for effects of blood type on other suceptibilities: genetic causes go down to about 28-29%

The residuals: 8%(remaining environmental)+ 7%(remaining diet) +29% (remaining genetic) =44% total versus 100%

It would seem that folowing the blood group A diet should cut the rate of all cancers in that blood group by approximately one-half, which interestingly is about what I have documented in my practice.