Many people first come to the Blood Type Diet for weight loss, but they stay for far different reasons. Not just for weight loss, the Blood Type Diet can support the health of your body from the inside out. The nexus of your overall health is the gut, so bringing that into balance has far-reaching holistic effects. So many of my patients report back that joint pain, headaches, skin rashes, or other persistent issues they tried to fix with medication went away simply by regulating their diet by blood type. Nothing makes me happier than hearing these stories of the body healing naturally through proper care; it’s very much the center of the naturopathic vision.
Below are some of the many conditions that may be positively impacted by following the Blood Type Diet.
Diabetes
90 percent of all cases of diabetes are preventable by eating the right diet and exercising appropriately. This statistic makes it the perfect poster child for the power of the Blood Type Diet in diminishing conditions. Simple carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, a sugar, and a usable energy source for your body's cells. Insulin signals your cells to absorb that glucose and use it for energy. If you overeat, especially simple carbohydrates, your insulin stays consistently elevated, and you won't be able to effectively metabolize glucose for energy. This leads to excess glucose in the blood and eventually Type II Diabetes. A healthy diet for your blood type will help the body reduce the main offenders that cause these harmful reactions. Learn More
Arthritis
Arthritis is a broad term that literally means “joint inflammation” and can encompass over 100 conditions, including fibromyalgia and scleroderma, as well as the more common rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. In general, inflammation is a positive systemic response the body mounts to fight infections and heal damaged tissue, among other things. Eating the wrong foods for your blood type can result in inflammation flare-ups, showing the direct connection between diet and joint health. Bone and cartilage, the two main components of a joint, are also heavily impacted by your diet and can be strengthened or weakened based on your intake of important vitamins and minerals. Learn More
Allergies
While people know that certain foods can cause acute allergic reactions immediately upon ingestion, there are far fewer apparent connections between diet and allergies. So many Blood Type Dieters report that their seasonal allergies improve after starting a compliant diet. This is because the body has a limited workload it can handle at once. Taxing your body to deal with negative lectins from 'avoid' type foods and then adding allergies to that mix is usually enough to “break the camel’s back.” If you are BTD compliant, your body will have more than enough energy to digest properly and still ward off allergens. Learn More
Menopause
Most women view menopause as a state of diminished health, mostly from old stereotypes stemming from a time when the average lifespan of a woman was 52. In the modern day, women can have 30+ years of vibrant life following menopause. Because of the depth of hormonal and metabolic systems affected by menopause, the experience can be drastically different for each person. Your experience could be quite different than that of sisters, mothers, or friends because you are an individual with a unique environment, genetic makeup, and personal history. Following a Blood Type Diet throughout this period will support your body and make it better equipped to handle the changes involved, reducing symptoms such as hot flashes, weakened bladder function, and skin issues. Learn More
Fertility/Pregnancy
I discovered early in my career as a naturopath that when a woman was following the Blood Type Diet, her fertility increased dramatically. This had to do with the fact that her body was far healthier overall and not overtaxed, making it a more welcome place for a baby. Even women who had long-standing fertility problems and repeated miscarriages were often able to start a pregnancy and carry to full term after reducing the stress of a poor diet on their bodies. Learn More
Cancer
The blood type antigen is one of the main ways your immune system can identify what is helpful and what is harmful within your body. When cancer strikes, it can confuse your immune system into not being able to make this important distinction, resulting in internal anarchy. The Blood Type Diet can help your body against this harrowing disease in a few ways, including lowering the amount of toxins in your body, raising the amount of blood-type specific positive lectins (which have been proven to help destroy malignant cancer cells), and bolstering your overall immunity and nutrient health that gets hit hard and needs help replenishing after chemotherapy treatments. Learn More
Cardiovascular Health
The entire cardiovascular system is driven by the heart, which pumps blood throughout the body. Different blood types metabolize fats and oils differently and also can have different viscosities which affect circulation. Cholesterol, stress response, and artery inflammation are also affected by the different blood types and the subsequent foods you eat in relation to them. It’s no surprise that the internal system driven by blood is so prominently affected by its genetic makeup. Learn More
Aging
The maintenance of a proper diet throughout your life has been shown to affect some of the most prominent signs of aging, such as mental decline, reduced energy levels, and nutrient deficiencies. Much of this has to do with cellular health. Cells naturally age and get thinner walls and overall weaker functionality, but maintaining a proper blood type diet can strengthen cell health. Since cells are the building blocks of the body, having these pieces strong is a key contributor to slowing the aging process. Learn More
Fatigue
Fatigue is a sometimes vague and confusing concept because, while all of us have been tired from lack of sleep or illness, it lingers and is not easily dissuaded. Chronic fatigue usually results from underlying health issues, such as nutrient deficiencies and excessive stress on your body’s internal systems. The Blood Type Diet not only ensures you are getting the vitamins and nutrients that you need to feel better, but also eases the stress on your body from having to deal with harmful foods and toxins. It’s amazing how consistently I hear new Blood Type Dieters mention that their energy levels have never felt higher. Learn More
Blood Type Beyond the Most Common Conditions
While these are some of the most commonly asked about conditions, and thus worthy of entire books focused on them, they only scratch the surface of what the Blood Type Diet can do for you. If you want to take a deep dive and see the most detailed information available about over 300 conditions, you can pick up The Eat Right 4 Your Type Complete Blood Type Diet Encyclopedia, the most comprehensive database of blood type-related scientific and medical information available in one volume. It also includes Blood Group Protocols, which are specific plans to support certain health goals, customized to each blood type. Supplement and vitamin information is also included in this nearly 600-page, knowledge-packed book. If you have an underlying condition you have been unable to shake that isn’t covered in one of the condition-specific books above, the encyclopedia just might have the answers you have been looking for.
The Bigger Picture
Remember, a diet that pushes only weight loss as its primary goal isn’t thinking big enough. I didn’t create the Blood Type Diet for its superficial impacts, but for the way it can help people fight conditions they have been plagued with, from the small, nagging pain of headaches to the overwhelming enormity of cancer or chronic illness. So many times, people who aren’t even suffering from any conditions will start to feel better and, in that moment, realize what they considered “normal” for themselves was still far from healthy.
The Blood Type Diet is by no means a complete cure for disease; it is a fortification for your body that makes it as healthy and unencumbered as possible. The body is strong and smart, capable of fighting off far more than we think if we only treat it with the respect it deserves.