Numerous diets pop up daily: the Atkins, South Beach, Paleo and even the Cabbage Soup Diet to name only a few. One new diet plan, the Blood Type Diet, claims people can lose weight by eating certain foods suited to their blood types. But does this diet really work? Many doctors are skeptical about the diet’s claims.
Blood Type Diet Basics
The fundamental idea behind the Blood Type Diet is that everyone’s blood type is tied to a particular period in human development. People with type O blood are said to be descended from earliest man, so they should eat plenty of meat but fewer fruits and vegetables. People with type A blood should eat in an agrarian fashion, similar to the diets of early farming societies. Type B indicates you are descended from nomads and should eat dairy and meats but avoid wheat and corn. An AB blood type is said to be modern, and people with this blood type are encouraged to eat more seafood and avoid beef or poultry.
Benefits of the Blood Type Diet
The efficient aspect of the Blood Type Diet is that it breaks food suggestions down into large, easily recognized food groups for each blood type. Instead of tracking calories, all you need to do is figure out which food group to concentrate on and eat the recommended foods for that group. For example, someone in the O group would simply shift his eating pattern toward meat and cut out whole grains, an easier task than totaling calories and sodium for a week’s worth of meals.
Problems With the Blood Type Diet
The potential problems with this diet seem to outweigh the benefits of planning an easy menu, however. By adhering strictly to the types of food included in your blood type group, you’ll deprive yourself of important nutrients in the foods you’ve cut from your diet. Feeding a family of several different blood types could also be a challenge since each person would require different foods.
Some Truth to Blood Type Claims
Doctors admit there is some truth to the idea that blood type can indicate a person’s susceptibility to certain types of illnesses, but they stop short of admitting that blood type is a determining factor for the kind of food a person should eat. There is some research that shows a person’s blood type could be linked to his tendency toward allergies. People with type O blood are more likely to develop ulcers than people with other blood types. The science behind the matching of blood types to food metabolism is still lacking, however, so doctors generally disregard the idea of the Blood Type Diet.
What You Should Know Before Embarking on the Blood Type Diet
Before you start the Blood Type Diet, if you don’t know your type, you will need to visit a doctor and have your blood drawn and tested. Once you know which group you belong to, study the recommendations for that group carefully. The Blood Type Diet is very specific about 
the kinds of foods you should eat and the kinds of foods you should avoid depending on your blood type. In order to really stick to the diet, you must be fully aware of how each kind of food impacts your metabolism.
Difference Between a Low-Fat Diet and the Blood Type Diet
The main difference between a low-fat diet and the Blood Type Diet is the low-fat diet is based on scientific research that has established a link between saturated fats and plaque buildup in arteries. The Blood Type Diet is based on theories developed by a naturopathic doctor who has not tested his theories in a standard lab setting. A low-fat diet sets specific limits on the amount of fat you take in rather than on the types of food you eat. The Blood Type Diet focuses more broadly on overall food groups rather than on the nutritional content of individual foods.
Does the Diet Work?
There is no definitive proof that this diet will bring about weight loss. Following any diet will help you lose weight simply because you are paying attention to the foods you eat. Doctors warn against the health risks of cutting out entire food groups from your diet, which indicates that the Blood Type Diet might do more harm than good.
http://dadamo.com/
http://www.oprah.com/health/Blood-Type-Diet-Fact-vs-Fiction-Nutrition
http://www.webmd.com/diet/eat-right-for-your-type
