Blood Type O+ and Vegan
by Debbie
(Hollywood, Florida)
Question:
I've been on and off as a vegan/vegetarian. My blood type is O positive. I've been told with my blood type I must eat animal protein. It grosses me out to think about it. My doctor says I need more protein and fewer carbohydrates because of my sugar problems. I don't know how to balance the foods out the right way. What do you think; can you help?
Answer:
This is a pretty common question that we get on Vegan Nutritionista, similar to another question about being "protein type" and eating vegan.
An entirely new diet program started based around the idea that people with different blood types need to eat different kinds of food. Some of the books include:
I believe this diet fad is appealing to a vast number of people because it seems to make some level of sense; we're not the same, so why should we all feel great eating one way? While not all bodies are created equal, I firmly believe that people can have any type of blood and still excel on a vegan diet. Of course, some people might have food sensitivities, especially to things like wheat and soy, and avoiding those foods can make a huge difference in your life.
The blood type diet says that people with Type 0+ blood should be eating animal products and reducing their consumption of carbohydrates, as well as exercising vigorously. I hesitate to call this a scam, but it's really difficult for me to get behind any type of theme diet. I've heard from many people that when they stopped trying all the diets on the planet and just started eating a well balanced diet full of plant foods, their health improved.
Although I'm not well versed in the blood type diet, when I started to research it, I found that many people said they have been vegan for years and feel great without eating animal products or exercising extensively. Plenty of people professed that following the recommendations in the book did not work for them at all, and that they were healthier when they stopped eating animals.
I personally am blood type O+, so evidently I should feel better eating meat, but from a young age I didn't enjoy meat, and I've never felt better than after I went vegan. I lost a few lingering pounds, I gained a ton of energy, I've maintained the same weight since college without dieting, my blood pressure is low, my cholesterol is amazing, and I'm in the lowest bracket possible for health and life insurance premiums because I am so healthy. It's hard to take those simple facts and convince me I should be eating meat.
However, you may convince me that I feel better when eating more protein. The good news is that it's simple to get plenty of
protein from plant sources, and studies have shown that eating too much protein can lead to health issues, especially when it comes to
animal protein.I do stand behind some of the suggestions of the blood type diet, especially in avoiding refined carbohydrates like white flour, refined sugars, and processed foods. Especially while pregnant or exercising more heavily, I don't feel as well if I start my day with carbohydrates and no protein. My recommendation is to stick to a
balanced diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, and nuts and seeds. If you find you don't feel well when eating wheat or other glutinous foods, try avoiding them to see if it makes a difference in your health.
Hope that helps! We'd love some comments from other readers who have experience with the blood type diet.