Positive Health Online

Last month we discussed Peter D'Adamo's The Eat Right Diet, which identifies the foods that are most likely to suit the four blood groups O, A, B and AB. The particular diets advocated for each group are said to help people lose weight, feel full of vitality, combat stress, and prevent and overcome disease states. This month I would like to look at three case histories using the blood type diet.

The first case history is a client of Peter D'Adamo's, a 73-year-old Hasidic Rabbi who was a deeply religious man. He had a long history of Type I diabetes, which was poorly controlled by injectable insulin therapy. His legs were often swollen and inflamed and he suffered from poor circulation. He had endured a massive stroke, which had left him partially paralysed, bedridden, exhausted and in great pain.

However, he still had a glint in his eyes, and a zest for life, and dearly wanted to go back to work.

The Rabbi spent most of his time in prayer and thought very little about food. His diet was restricted by Jewish tradition and the rules of Kashruth, in which a number of foods are forbidden, and dairy and meat are never eaten at the same time. He ate the same meal twice daily, which consisted of chicken, bean paste and kasha cooked in chicken fat.

He was Type B blood group, which is quite common amongst Hasidic Jews, and the foods that he chose to eat were not compatible with his biochemistry. The lectins in foods like chicken, buckwheat, beans and corn were causing the cells of his body to agglutinate and this was probably a major factor in his stroke. These particular lectins also block the effects of insulin, which explained why the Rabbi's diabetes was very difficult to control.

The dietary changes were approached carefully so as not to disrupt the religious associations, and his typical meal was restricted to once a week on the Sabbath. Other foods were then introduced: lamb, fish or turkey instead of chicken; rice or millet instead of kasha; and a variety of beans. Vitamins and herbs were also prescribed. Over the next weeks the Rabbi made wonderful progress. Within eight weeks he overcame the effects of his stroke, his circulation improved, and he generally became stronger. After six months he changed from injectable to oral insulin therapy and his diabetes was under control. He is now back at work and there have been no further episodes of strokes.

The second case history is a client of Dr Thomas Kruzel called Marcia, who suffered from lupus nephritis. Marcia was a very frail 30 year old, who was too weak to walk. She had suffered kidney failure and had been on shunt dialysis for several weeks. She was scheduled for a renal transplantation within six months.

Marcia was Type A blood group and her diet was very high in dairy, wheat and red meat, which are all dangerous agglutinating foods for a Type A person in her condition. Marcia was placed on a strict vegetarian diet and given hydrotherapy and homoeopathic preparations. Within two weeks her condition had improved and her need for dialysis had decreased. Two months later Marcia was completely taken off dialysis and her previously scheduled kidney transplant was cancelled. Three years later she is still doing well.

The third case history is one of my clients, Julian, who is 58 years old, and had a wish to lose body fat and achieve optimum health. He suffered minor complaints of asthma and joint pains, but his major concern was to prevent his history of peptic ulcers and constant belching, which caused him great embarrassment.

He also had a sluggish lymphatic system and mucus build up throughout his digestive tract.

His diet consisted of large amounts of bread, dairy produce, beans, lentils, apples, bacon, tea and coffee.

Julian followed a cleansing programme eliminating all dairy produce and red meat, and increased his vegetable intake. The outcome after four weeks was that Julian felt less congested, a little fitter and healthier, and his joint pains had lessened. However, there was no change in his asthmatic condition and his belching was worse. I expected better results than this in the initial stages of rebalancing the body, and therefore looked to the blood type diet for a few answers.

Julian is Type O, and peptic ulcers of the stomach are more common in this blood group as it tends to have high levels of stomach acid and an ulcer-producing enzyme called pepsinogen. Type Os are also prone to Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria which is likewise associated with ulcers. This group therefore needs to eat animal products and protein foods, as they require more stomach acid to aid digestion. They are also sensitive to grains, particularly wheat, for two reasons. Firstly, the wheat lectins interact with IgE antibodies found in the blood, which stimulate the release of histamine and kinins causing allergic reactions. In Julian's case this resulted in inflammation of the digestive tract and constriction in the lungs and was a contributory factor to his asthmatic condition and his persistent digestive problems. Secondly, the wheat lectins interfere with the ability to convert stored fat to energy and this was preventing Julian from losing weight.

Julian followed the recommendations for his blood group, eating a diet high in the following foods: lamb, mackerel, halibut, chicken, onions, parsnips, spinach, broccoli and pineapples. He avoided wheat, potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, avocados, apples and oranges.

After ten weeks Julian felt full of vitality. His asthma and persistent belching had totally disappeared and he had reduced his body fat percentage.

The Blood Type diet is not a panacea for everyone, but in practice, most people will gain some benefits depending on the severity of their symptoms and how well they follow the guidelines. If you have tried other diets without success you may find the answer to your health problems in The Eat Right for your Blood Type Diet.

References

D'Adamo P. The Eat Right Diet. Century Books Ltd. 1998. ISBN 0 7126 7784 4.

* See also Extract in Issue 49, pages 6-7.