The right combination of foods should match one’s particular blood type for overall good health. Photo by Rachel Mabala
Many times people develop allergies, heart burn or slumber after a meal. It is because the food they have eaten is not compatible with the body. According to Dr Peter D’Adamo, a nutritionist based in America, a host of environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle, dictate how one is supposed to eat or else they would develop many of the digestive disorders, quick aging as well as weak immune system.
Scientific personalised individualised nutrition, invented by Dr D’Adamo is a methodology which provides dietary regimen, exercise profile and lifestyle strategies which are compatible with your blood group and genetic formation of an individual (genotype).
Dr Ismail Tamale, a nutritionist at Taimex Uganda Limited advises people to eat right for their blood group and genotype to ensure automatic weight adjustments, have a self-healing body, have a strong immune system and avoid early aging.
“When one eats food not compatible with their blood and genotype, says Dr Tamale, they are likely to doze after meals, belch, bloat, have gas accumulation, heart burn, feel fatigued, be constipated, overweight, have bad breath, skin disorders and even experience indigestion.”
He adds, “These in turn result in diseases such as ulcers, diabetes, hypertension, allergies, heart disease, gout, obesity, cancer, asthma, gastritis and chronic fatigue which may not be reversible unless one adopts eating according to their blood type.”
It is important to determine one’s genotype before selecting the type of food they must eat because environmental factors can alter the way genes are expressed thereby making even identical twins different.
To determine one’s genotype, the shape of the head, length of the fingers, angle of the jaw and the length of the lower and upper foot are measured and computed into the hunter, gatherer, nomad, teacher, explorer or warrior genotypes.
These different genotypes react differently to food and from these, with a background of the blood type, their food and recommended exercises are determined.
What happens if I eat wrong food?
The blood type diet is based on the fact that many foods have proteins that act like antibodies. The proteins are attracted to specific foods depending on your body type. Eating the wrong food can cause your cells to clump making a difficult delivery of nutrients to the rest of the cells in your body.
“This process starts in the intestines; causing an explosive reaction to your villi, and ending up in your blood stream where they can inhibit the function of your major organs, joints, and even brain cells,” says Dr Tamale.
By eating the right foods, your immune system, 50 per cent of which is located in your digestive tract will be in balance, and your body will be able to easily digest and assimilate all of the nutrients that it needs to keep you in an extreme state of well-being.
Blood types and feeding
There are four blood groups: A, B, AB and O groups and for each of these groups, one can have a rhesus factor (+) or not have (-) in addition to the above groups. This therefore causes variations like A+, A-; B+, B-; AB+, AB-; O+ and O-. According to Ezra Musisi, a senior laboratory technologist at Nakasero blood bank, when one does not have the Rhesus factor; its introduction in the body will cause it to produce antibodies against the Rhesus factor which the body identifies as a foreign agent.
“This triggers the immune system into a hyper drive and attack transfused blood. Those that do not have the factor will produce antibodies to attack the Rhesus factor. Red blood cells are likely to clump together, making clots that can block blood vessels and cause death,” he says.
Dr Tamale says, “It does not matter whether you are positive or negative for the rhesus blood factor; the foods that you should or not eat remain the same for the different blood types.”
Dr Tamale advises that, people with blood group O are good with high protein foods but should avoid wheat, corn, dairy products and kidney beans. Group As are largely vegetarian and should avoid, meat, dairy products. Group B are balanced on both plant and animal food but should avoid chicken and peanuts if they want to lose any weight. Group AB thrives well on lean protein in foods such as lean beef, fish, eggs, low fat dairy products, beans, soy foods and nuts. Group AB is also good with organic vegetables and grains such as wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal and barley, and grain products such as bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas and grits.
Recommended exercises for each blood group
It is good to eat right as well as exercise right for your blood group. Dr Tamale says exercises are very important in controlling weight, preventing weight-related conditions as well as improving digestion. There are different exercises recommended for each blood group type.
Blood type O must do intense physical activities such as aerobics, running and martial arts to maintain a healthy weight and manage stress because they are prone to insulin resistance and inflammatory conditions.
Type A blood group naturally has a high level of the stress hormone. They are good with calming exercises such as yoga to reduce the cardiovascular diseases and stress related conditions.
Blood type B are at increased risk of depression and insulin resistance so daily exercises that engage the body and mind such as golf, tennis, cycling, swimming and hiking can help to keep the balance.
People with blood type AB have a challenge with auto immune diseases and age related issues. They are good with balancing both vigorous and calming exercises such as yoga combined with cycling and tennis.
Expert says
Dr Alex Mugalu, a surgeon at LifeLink Hospital thinks one can improve the level of their blood through eating right. “Aneamic people may not necessarily need transfusion. All they need is to eat food that is rich in iron such as red meat, liver, beetroot, bean soup and leafy vegetables in combination with fruits rich in Vitamin C. The patient may also be given folic acid or iron supplements, Vitamin B12, and erythropoietin a growth factor that cause the bone marrow to make more blood cells,” he says.
However, people with severe bone marrow disease may not respond to the erythropoietin growth factors because they do not have enough blood-producing cells in their bone marrow.
In Summary
- It is usually assumed that just because one can manage to have the recommended number of meals in a day in the amounts stated, he or she is eating right.
- But did you know that your blood group is a key factor in whether or not you are eating the right food?