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Some of the concepts in this book lack full scientific support. However, the diet might still make many people feel much better and achieve a higher level of health. These two aspects are not mutually exclusive.

Reasons the claims about the scientific merit of the specific food lists for each blood type are unconvincing to me include:

1. I've read over half a dozen detailed and methodical explanations showing that the scientific concepts in the 'Blood Type' books are based on sketchy and incomplete science. While some of the theory makes sense, there are significant holes in both the theory and the compilation of the food lists. These explanations were not from books that deny the validity of non-'mainstream' ideas; in fact, quite the opposite. They were by some of the best health and nutrition authors. Their arguments were very compelling, although I don't have the time to elaborate here. There are also numerous online articles with this information that can be found by Googling. The general consensus is that the author has part of the theory right, but presenting it as a complete theory with all questions answered is incorrect.

2. Even if blood type is highly relevant to what we should eat, the concept of biochemical individuality means there would be as many differences as similarities in the diets of people with the same blood type. As the book Biochemical Individuality explains, people are remarkably individual on a biochemical level.

3. Family members with the same blood type often do well on very different diets. This illustrates the above principle and also the concept that different diets suit us at different times in our lives due to various bodily changes and disease processes.

4. The topic of this diet comes up in chat groups now and then, and I've only very rarely heard it discussed favorably, perhaps by a single person. Most people clearly state that it didn't help them and was a waste of time and effort.

The book The Body Ecology Diet: Recovering Your Health and Rebuilding Your Immunity explains that the blood type diet books provide valuable clues about which foods may suit us best, but it should be considered a theory still in development. The author points out several flaws:

- The research has not been adapted for those with Candida issues, acidic conditions, or other serious immune disorders.

- The blood type diet doesn't emphasize the importance of eating cultured foods. For example, type Os are advised to cut out brassica vegetables like cabbage entirely as they affect thyroid function, which may make the diet needlessly limited. But if these foods are cultured, they pose no problem. This is a huge oversight for those with already very limited diets.

- No protein guide is given for vegetarian type Os and Bs.

- Food combining is ignored.

- All blood types are advised to avoid apple cider vinegar, which is highly medicinal, aids digestion, and is alkalizing.

- Food preparation methods that can make some foods more tolerable are not discussed. For example, soaked almonds and cabbage made into sauerkraut are very different from raw or roasted almonds and plain cabbage.

- Many foods that feed yeast are recommended on the diet.

- Unfermented soy is recommended despite being difficult to digest and unhealthy.

- Dairy is given undue importance and over-recommended.

- Wheat may cause problems for all blood types yet is recommended on this diet for some blood types.

- The blood type diet advises avoiding coconut oil and supports many of the myths surrounding this excellent food, as explained in Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol.

- No distinction is made between refined and unrefined oils.

- Many of the fruits and vegetables on the allowed and avoid lists for each blood type don't seem to match the author's experience with patients, and for the most part, all blood types do well eating the same fruits and vegetables (except tomatoes).

However, this blood type diet book can still potentially improve your health because:

1. It advises cutting out junk food.

2. It advises choosing higher quality *organic* vegetables, fruit, meats, and eggs.

3. It advises increasing your vegetable intake.

4. It advises many people to cut out foods like dairy, grains, and legumes, which are common food allergens that most people are unaware of. The lectins in grains and legumes also cause problems for many people.

5. It advises many people to cut out high-carbohydrate foods like grains and legumes, which can lead to easy weight loss for many.

Considering these 5 factors alone, almost anyone would benefit from following this diet. These are 5 excellent pieces of advice. But you would also get many of the same benefits from following any healthy whole food eating plan or at least any that avoids recommending grain and legume consumption, like all the Paleo diet books.

If you have allergies, a problem with carbohydrates, or a need for a lot of fat and protein in your diet, you might hope you're a type O. The basics of the type O program happen to fit me well by chance (though it doesn't fit my family members with the same blood type), but I bet many others who aren't Os do poorly on such a high-carb diet with a lot of grains and legumes. (This may be why the author has revised down the amount of grains it's okay for non-Os to eat in more recent books.)

The author's belief in the blood type diet concept seems to have escalated to faith, as one reviewer said.

It probably won't hurt to try this diet for a short time. But there are far easier ways to get healthy and lose weight that are not as complicated or needlessly restrictive. You might start with a simple book on nutrition and eating real food, such as Real Food: What to Eat and Why or, if you want to lose weight and improve your health, Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats.

If you suspect you have an issue with grains and legumes (and/or want to lose weight while getting healthier), you might want to read some of the books on the Paleo diet and try it for a while. There are many good books on this topic, including The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy (Primal Blueprint Series), as well as a lot of free information online.

If you suspect you have food allergies, you may want to have ELISA testing done, do some pulse testing, go on an elimination diet and then a 4-day rotation diet. You may also want to look into issues related to having a 'leaky gut', which is one of the main causes of food allergies. If you've been a heavy user of NSAIDs, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc., suspect leaky gut. Books like No More Heartburn: Stop the Pain in 30 Days--Naturally! : The Safe, Effective Way to Prevent and Heal Chronic Gastrointestinal Disorders can be helpful in treating this condition.

To learn about the fats we all need, you may want to read Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol and Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food.

All of these books have a solid scientific basis. I say, eat real food, consider that you may have hidden food allergies, and try to find the diet that suits you as an individual!

At best, this book promotes a very incomplete and flawed theory that only explains a small part of the science of what we should eat and why, rather than the whole answer. Unfortunately, the issue depends on many other factors besides blood type and is much more complicated.

To read about how to best treat environmental allergies and chemical sensitivity, I highly recommend Detoxify or Die.

I quite enjoyed finally finding out my blood type! I'm an O negative. It always felt strange not knowing this.

The three stars in this rating are for the 5 excellent diet tips in this book, as listed above, plus some of the information on common allergens. (I read this book and 'Eat Right 4 Your Type' together, and this is really a review of both.)

Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

Quote:

"The "blood type" diet is more hype than substance. I am a blood type "A" eating a blood type "O" diet and doing fabulously. The "Eat Right for Your Blood Type" thing is just bad science, in a nutshell." Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body, Primal Mind

Must read for personal health and wellbeing!

Taking care of one's personal health and wellbeing is of utmost importance. It is not just about the absence of illness but also about achieving a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.

To maintain good health, it is essential to have a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Regular exercise is also crucial as it helps to strengthen the body, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

In addition to physical health, mental health is equally important. This can be achieved by managing stress, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that bring joy and relaxation.

Finally, social well-being is also a key aspect of personal health. This involves having strong relationships with family, friends, and the community.

In conclusion, taking care of personal health and wellbeing requires a holistic approach that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, good mental health, and strong social relationships. By making these lifestyle changes, we can improve our quality of life and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

I wouldn't buy the book.

The reason is that the information it contains is a lot of the same as that in the bigger books.

However, there was some vital information about allergies that we are putting into place.

This particular aspect of the book was quite useful.

We can apply the knowledge about allergies to our daily lives and take necessary precautions.

Although the book may not be worth purchasing for its overall content similarity, the valuable allergy information makes it somewhat worthwhile.

Perhaps in the future, the author could consider adding more unique and diverse content to make the book more appealing and distinguishable from other similar ones.

This would increase its value and make it a more attractive option for potential buyers.

Currently, I am engaged in conducting research on naturopathy with the aim of ascertaining whether it can assist me in more effectively managing certain health issues compared to traditional Western medicine. I quickly browsed through this book. It is quite easy to do so if one skips to the sections related to blood type after reading the introduction.

The introductory content is rather meager. It might have been more persuasive if there was simply a greater amount of it. Recent studies have disproven the effectiveness of the blood type diet. Nevertheless, I have discovered useful tools within various diet plans that can be employed in an overarching, customized approach to eating. However, I did not come across anything in this book that was not presented better in other books.

Generally speaking, reducing processed foods should aid in weight loss. But, it is entirely possible to follow this blood type diet and encounter problems. For instance, I am allergic to walnuts and develop an itchy rash whenever walnuts find their way into delicious treats like carrot cake. Yet, walnuts are listed as being extremely beneficial.

Moreover, this approach does not consider the impact on hormone balance. It is recommended, for example, that individuals of my blood type obtain the majority of their protein intake from soy and soy products. Soy has been associated with increased estrogen levels, which may not be beneficial for all people with a particular blood type throughout all stages of life.

As another reviewer noted, there is no information regarding whether certain preparation techniques, cooking methods, food/herb combinations, etc. best support the diet plan. Oh well, on to the next!

Skimmed all the obviously relevant sections and read the overview chapters.

It seems that this book didn't meet my expectations. There weren't enough research results presented, which was a bit disappointing.

Moreover, the book lacks internal consistency. There are simply too many exceptions or allowances made without any rational explanation.

If all these exceptions are considered valid to his "rules", then there's not much of a premise left.

I only tried this one because a friend recommended the author. However, based on this experience, I'm not sure if I'll pick up another book by this author.

Maybe I'll explore other options and see if I can find a more satisfying read.

I'll keep an open mind and hope to discover a book that truly engages me and provides valuable insights.

Who knows, the next book I pick up might be a real gem.