Eat Right 4 Your Type®

General Questions

Please explain the two-tier system in Live Right 4 Your Type.

Where can I find the most up-to-date values?

There are inconsistencies between the different books. Why?

Some people on other internet boards claim that blood testing for secretor status is superior to the saliva test. Is that true?

Reporting errors or omissions

What about unlisted foods?

What about foods that appear on one blood type list, but not another?



Please explain the two-tier system in Live Right 4 Your Type.

The logic behind the 'two-tier' system is to allow for both a very simplified, less stringent method of following the diet (for example in individuals who only know their ABO status and wish to follow the diet loosely) and a more in-depth method (for individuals who also know their secretor status, or need more detailed information).

Tier One is the basis of the diet for everyone.

If you simply wish to maintain and enhance your current level of health, use only Tier One as your basis of beneficials and avoids, and simply add the tier two foods to your neutral category. You'll be doing the 'most important' beneficials and avoids. You can consider this version the 'Blood Type Diet Lite' as it is easy to follow and only requires that you know your ABO type.

If you are a secretor, or want to do the 'full diet' but only know you ABO type, you add the tier two values to your plan. Tier Two avoids and beneficial values should be used as written if you are seeking to resolve an illness, heal from injury, lose weight, bear up under added stress, or to alleviate chronic fatigue or other health issues. This is the "turbo" version of the diet, designed to speed healing and provide added protection against disease.

If you are doing the non-secretor version of your ABO plan, you are automatically doing the tier two values, so relax!

Note: if you are a nonsecretor and MM, use the nonsecretor values in preference to the MM values. For instance, tomatoes are to be avoided by type A secretors; they are neutral for type A nonsecretors. With the MM variant, they are considered "beneficial." This applies to secretors only.

Where can I find the most up-to-date values?

TYPEbase4, a searchable food value database by blood group, now displays all updated values on listed foods. While further amendments will be few, this Errata and Clarifications Page will serve as our change log, showing any additions or modifications made relative to the food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type.

There are inconsistencies between the different books. Why?
The different books are in different stages of upgrade or complexity. For example: First book (Eat Right 4 Your Type) was a basic synthesis of the concept. It had to make some judgements regarding homogenizing information if it was secretor status specific. If a food was deemed a more serious avoid for a non secretor than it might be as a neutral or beneficial for a secretor, then the non-secretor value was used. The Second Book (Live Right 4 Your Type) had secretor status differences and a very small number of food value changes, reflecting the advances in basic scientific knowledge. The 'little books' (Food and Beverage Guides) Are a mass market book, very simplified, with largely just secretor guidelines and with a few of the altered values included.

Some people on other internet boards claim that blood testing for secretor status is superior to the saliva test. Is that true?
Dr. D'Adamo had this to say about differences in secretor testing: "Having done 5000 Lewis typing tests in the clinic over the last 15 years, and about 400 salivary inhibition studies, I can safely say that saliva testing is more accurate than blood. The reason being that the agglutinations that are used to determine Lewis types are very delicate (weak antibody reaction) and can easily be misinterpreted, unlike ABO which makes a big glop that you cannot miss (strong antibody). I've even seen conflicting results from two different MedPath labs, especially if the staff is not trained well enough." Blood and secretor typing is discussed in great detail in this article: Blood Grouping Systems and Typing Techniques

Reporting errors or omissions
If you've spotted any other inconsistencies or errors, please post a note to the 'Suggestion Box' Forum. We'll evaluate your input and create a log entry here if appropriate. If you have a question about this page, the food lists, or any other aspect of the diets, please visit the TypeBase page. Many thanks!

What about unlisted foods?

Until further research is performed, unclassified foods are to be considered neutral.

What about foods that appear on one blood type list, but not another?

• Goat is Neutral for AB secretors and nonsecretors.

• Sweetbreads are a Tier I Avoid for all type As and type B secretors and Neutral for type B nonsecretors.

• Chub is Neutral for type A secretors and Beneficial for type A nonsecretors.

• Gray Sole is a Tier I Avoid for type AB secretors and nonsecretors.

• Trout of all varieties is a Tier I Avoid for type B secretors and nonsecretors.

• Quark Cheese is a Tier II Avoid for type A secretors and nonsecretors.

• Egg (chicken), missing from the type AB diet, should be listed as Neutral for secretors and Beneficial for nonsecretors.  

• On p. 263 of the type B diet, the item RICE is missing, though various rice products are listed. It is TIER I Beneficial (B secretor and nonsecretor). 

• Asparagus pea is unlisted for ABs and Os.  It is Neutral for all types.  

• Oyster and Portobello Mushrooms are Neutral for all type ABs.  

• Oyster plant is Neutral for all ABs and Os.  

• Bitter melon is missing from the type A and B fruit lists. It is a TIER I Avoid for both A and B secretors and nonsecretors.

• Cherry Juice (Black), unlisted for Bs, is Neutral for secretors and Beneficial for nonsecretors.  

• Coconut, unlisted for Bs and Os, is a Tier II Avoid for both secretors and nonsecretors.  

• Coconut milk, unlisted for ABs, is a Tier II Avoid for both secretors and nonsecretors.

• Persian melon is missing in the AB and O lists.  It is Neutral for all types.  

• Under the type A diet, Pumpkin Seed is missing.  It is TIER I Beneficial (secretor and nonsecretor).

• Jam/Jelly (OK Ingredients) is Neutral for all. 

• Rice Vinegar follows the values for Vinegar (Balsamic/white/ red) for all blood types.

• For all type Bs, Worcestershire Sauce is a Tier I Avoid; Vinegar (Balsamic/white/red) is Neutral.

• Oregano is Neutral for all type ABs.  

• Wintergreen is Neutral for all type Bs.  

• Yeast (Bakers) is Neutral for types O, B and AB.  

• Yeast (Brewers), which should read Yeast (Brewers/ Nutritional) for all types, is Neutral for secretors and Beneficial for nonsecretors.

• Blackstrap Molasses is a Tier I Beneficial for type AB secretors and nonsecretors, and Neutral for all type Os.

• For type Os, Club Soda shares the value of Seltzer Water, Beneficial.