Health & Medicine
Blood-Type Diet Debunked: Connection between ABO and Dietary Habits a Myth
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Jan 15, 2014 10:05 PM EST
Whether you're looking to lose weight or simply eat healthier, a recent study shows that a popular myth that claims an individual's needs may be determined by blood type, won't be helpful either way.
"Based on the data of 1,455 study participants, we found no evidence to support the 'blood-type' diet theory," said the senior author of the study, Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics at the U of T, via a press release. "The way an individual responds to any one of these diets has absolutely nothing to do with their blood type and has everything to do with their ability to stick to a sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet."
Study results showed that blood type and health markers were not connected.
The theory behind the 'blood-type' diet, written by naturopath Peter D'Adamo, suggests that the ABO blood types should match dietary habits of our ancestors, while people with different blood types process foods in other ways. In fact, the diet states that those who adhere to it strictly may be able to even decrease the risk of certain chronic illnesses.
To test its theory, the researchers examined a population comprised of mostly young and healthy adults who provided detailed information regarding their diets and blood type information, as well as cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol. Diet scores were then calculated on food items to determine adherence to each of the four 'blood-type' diets.
"There was just no evidence, one way or the other. It was an intriguing hypothesis so we felt we should put it to the test. We can now be confident in saying that the blood type diet hypothesis is false." Last year, a comprehensive review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no evidence to support the 'blood-type' diet and called for properly designed scientific studies to address it.
More information regarding the study can be found via the journal PLOS ONE.
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First Posted: Jan 15, 2014 10:05 PM EST
Whether you're looking to lose weight or simply eat healthier, a recent study shows that a popular myth that claims an individual's needs may be determined by blood type, won't be helpful either way.
"Based on the data of 1,455 study participants, we found no evidence to support the 'blood-type' diet theory," said the senior author of the study, Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutrigenomics at the U of T, via a press release. "The way an individual responds to any one of these diets has absolutely nothing to do with their blood type and has everything to do with their ability to stick to a sensible vegetarian or low-carbohydrate diet."
Study results showed that blood type and health markers were not connected.
The theory behind the 'blood-type' diet, written by naturopath Peter D'Adamo, suggests that the ABO blood types should match dietary habits of our ancestors, while people with different blood types process foods in other ways. In fact, the diet states that those who adhere to it strictly may be able to even decrease the risk of certain chronic illnesses.
To test its theory, the researchers examined a population comprised of mostly young and healthy adults who provided detailed information regarding their diets and blood type information, as well as cardiometabolic risk factors, such as insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol. Diet scores were then calculated on food items to determine adherence to each of the four 'blood-type' diets.
"There was just no evidence, one way or the other. It was an intriguing hypothesis so we felt we should put it to the test. We can now be confident in saying that the blood type diet hypothesis is false." Last year, a comprehensive review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no evidence to support the 'blood-type' diet and called for properly designed scientific studies to address it.
More information regarding the study can be found via the journal PLOS ONE.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone