• Welcome to Crohn's Forum, a support group for people with all forms of IBD. While this community is not a substitute for doctor's advice and we cannot treat or diagnose, we find being able to communicate with others who have IBD is invaluable as we navigate our struggles and celebrate our successes. We invite you to join us.

Can blood-type-diet help for crohn´s?

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
Is the blood-type diet still around? That was a diet fad about 10 years ago, but I haven't heard much about it recent years. I don't think it worked very well, because it was definitely not based on sound science.
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I never got as far as trying it. Someone suggested it to me a few years back, so I very briefly looked into it, but it said that for my blood type I should eat mostly red meat. Um, no. That would murder my stomach. I knew it would do terrible things for me so I never got farther than that.
 

Scipio

Well-known member
Location
San Diego
The chemical/structural basis for the different blood types in the ABO blood type system is actually pretty minor. You have certain proteins on the surface of your red blood cells that in turn have branched carbohydrate chains attached to the proteins. The different ABO blood types are based on which sugar is the terminal one on the carbohydrate chains. For blood type A the terminal sugar is N-acetyl glucosamine; for type B it is galactose; for type AB it is both; and for Type O it is neither.

That's it. Those terminal sugars are the sole differences that behind the ABO system. And from those minor differences they infer all sorts of elaborate dietary recommendations and restrictions - based on what data it's impossible to say. It's especially doubtful because of the fact that red blood cells function primarily in carrying oxygen. They have very little or nothing to do with digestion of food and metabolism. I think the whole point was to sell a bunch of fad diet books with pseudoscience while pretending to help people.
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
I never got as far as trying it. Someone suggested it to me a few years back, so I very briefly looked into it, but it said that for my blood type I should eat mostly red meat. Um, no. That would murder my stomach. I knew it would do terrible things for me so I never got farther than that.
thats funny, eating mostly red meat...!

I just looked into mine Type A...I am more lucky! seems like I am already in agreement with the recommendations!:
''Type As flourish on a vegetarian diet. It is particularly important for sensitive Type As to eat their foods in as natural a state as possible: pure, fresh and organic. "I can't emphasize enough how this critical dietary adjustment can be to the sensitive immune system of Type A. With this diet you can supercharge your immune system and potentially short circuit the development of life threatening diseases."
 
I know that there are some people who will mock but I have believed in the Blood Type Diet since I found that it almost completely replicated those foods that even my gastroenterologist acknowledged were keeping me alive in the worst stages of my Crohn's Disease. I am B positive.

Cat-a-Tonic, if you are recommended to eat red meat, you are probably a blood type O. Have you tried cutting wheat and dairy completely from your diet? It could make a massive difference.

By the way, I take no medication for Crohn's and have taken none since my proctocolectomy in 2000 after a very long history of illness and numerous operations and hospital stays caused by Crohn's
 
I know that there are some people who will mock but I have believed in the Blood Type Diet since I found that it almost completely replicated those foods that even my gastroenterologist acknowledged were keeping me alive in the worst stages of my Crohn's Disease. I am B positive.

Cat-a-Tonic, if you are recommended to eat red meat, you are probably a blood type O. Have you tried cutting wheat and dairy completely from your diet? It could make a massive difference.

By the way, I take no medication for Crohn's and have taken none since my proctocolectomy in 2000 after a very long history of illness and numerous operations and hospital stays caused by Crohn's
OK. Maybe they tell the B-type to change to a healthier diet than the O-type. Can you tell what you stop eating and what you started with instead? The O-type is told to start with more red meat and that doesn´t make very much sense. It sounds like a bad choice for the most of us.
 
Each diet is healthy for the people in that blood group and each contains all food groups and all essential nutrients. You must look at it as a whole, not just one element of it.

Yes, the blood group diet does specify red meat as the best source of protein for type O, but the individual portion is only 115-175g/4-6oz for men and 60-140g/2-5oz for women - not masses of red meat! Oily fish is also highly beneficial. Just as important are leafy green and other vegetables and fruits. The most important (but not only) things for Os to avoid are wheat and dairy and taking these out of your diet can make an enormous difference.

The B type diet also includes red meat in the same quantities but lamb, rabbit and venison are the preferred types. I have always eaten mainly lamb for my meat (being Australian there is excellent grass fed lamb available) but have added rabbit. Seafood, other than shellfish (which I always knew in my heart of hearts but tried to deny), is very good and I try to eat fish two or three times a week. Dairy, however, is what really distinguishes B type diet from the others and is what kept me going in the very bad times - milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter - anything but blue cheese and commercially made icecream. As with all the diets, vegetables are important and Bs have a very wide selection from which to choose.
 
My blood type is B-, and I stay away from most dairy because it doesn't agree with me at all. I can eat some yogurt and hard cheese, the rest make me run to the bathroom. I don't eat any red meat for the same reason.
 
My blood type is B-, and I stay away from most dairy because it doesn't agree with me at all. I can eat some yogurt and hard cheese, the rest make me run to the bathroom. I don't eat any red meat for the same reason.
I'm glad that you have found a food regime that works for you.

I'm not proselytizing for the Blood Type Diet - all I am doing is explaining, in response to questions, how it works for me and has done so for the 17 years since my proctocolectomy.
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Cat-a-Tonic, if you are recommended to eat red meat, you are probably a blood type O. Have you tried cutting wheat and dairy completely from your diet? It could make a massive difference.
Yes, I am blood type O positive. And yes, I've tried cutting out dairy and gluten. I've been lactose intolerant for close to 20 years now so I generally avoid dairy on the whole anyway. And when I did a trial of going gluten-free, I didn't notice any difference at all. No difference when I stopped eating gluten and no difference when I re-introduced it into my diet.
 
I am O+ and I live on Meat and carbs mainly. Vegs can kill me (literally, I almost died from a beetroot piece a few years ago). I eat dairy (I am not lactose intolerant) and probably thats why my bones havent become gelatine yet.
If I cut both lactose and gluten I will probably have to eat thin air (I dont think thats too healthy or nutritious).
 
Yes, I am blood type O positive. And yes, I've tried cutting out dairy and gluten. I've been lactose intolerant for close to 20 years now so I generally avoid dairy on the whole anyway. And when I did a trial of going gluten-free, I didn't notice any difference at all. No difference when I stopped eating gluten and no difference when I re-introduced it into my diet.
It isn't gluten that is the problem (unless you are also a celiac or otherwise gluten intolerant) but wheat and wheat crops up in all sorts of unexpected places.
 
I am O+ and I live on Meat and carbs mainly. Vegs can kill me (literally, I almost died from a beetroot piece a few years ago). I eat dairy (I am not lactose intolerant) and probably thats why my bones havent become gelatine yet.
If I cut both lactose and gluten I will probably have to eat thin air (I dont think thats too healthy or nutritious).
It is not about gluten or lactose; it's about wheat and dairy. There are plenty of other grains that are recommended for O+ and other sources of calcium.

Unfortunately, for many people with Crohn's (including myself), vegetables are a problem. I need to be selective about which vegetables I can cope with and in which form. Juicing can give you the advantages of vegetables, without the problems created by the fibre. There are almost no vegetables that i can eat raw and I grate many of the vegetables that I cook, so that they don't lose all of their goodness by being cooked to death!

The Blood Type Diet isn't about not eating things that will make you ill but about eating things that will give your body the best opportunity to use what you eat.
 
Thats what I am saying, I cannot tolerate any kind of grain except processed white flour which is made from wheat. All other grains kill me. I tried juicing, the veggie juice came out the way it got in, same color same texture within 20mins. I cannot eat whole grain pasta, or bread made of corn/rye/barley flour. Cannot eat legumes, breakfast cereal, spinach etc. Juicing fruits works only if they are not acidic orange/lemon/grape/ juice kill me. and since my only source of calcium that cannot kill me is Cheese (and yogurt in small quantities), cutting dairy is out of the question, Unless I start eating grated snail shells for calcium, we have a lot in my garden.

Oh yes I eat sardines too (fish did not try to kill me,yet) but people must have some variety in life.
 
Top