Re: Re: Book Review - Eat Right 4 Your Type

[Guest guest]

Hi Shan,

 

I'd like the article on a Word document.

 

Thanks,

Theta

  Wow -  9 pages. I have put this article on a Word document and it is only 6

pages. I find for me, articles longer then one page are easier to read on Word

documents of even pdf files, so if it is something I will read more then once, I

put it on a Word document - or is something I particularly want to remember as

putting it on a Word document seems to help me remember.

        If I post an article that is long and you or anybody else would like

to read it on a Word document or a pdf file, let me know and I will sent it to

you.

            blessings

                Shan

>

> > 

> > 

> > 

> >   

> >

> > I found the perception in this review interesting, as  well as the comments

> > at the bottom.

> >  blessings

> >  Shan

> > 

> > Eat Right 4 Your Type by   D'Adamo

> > Book Reviews - Thumbs  Down Reviews

> > Saturday, 01 January 2000 12:13

> > _http://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/thumbs-down/419-eat-right-4-your-t

> > ype.html_

> >

(http://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/thumbs-down/419-eat-right-4-your-typ

> > e.html) 

> > 

> > A Thumbs Down Book Review

> > Eat Right 4 Your Type

> > By  D'Adamo, MD

> > Review by Sally Eauclaire Osborne, M.S.

> > 

> > 

> > Eating according to your blood type seems to be the  hottest idea in

> > nutrition today. Despite negative reviews in nearly every  mainstream

> > publication †"

> >  nearly all of whom have proclaimed the diet to be " no  bloody good "

†" Eat

> > Right 4 Your Type by J. D'Adamo, N.D. (Putnam, 1996)  has become a

> > bestseller.

> > 

> > 

> > Fad diets, of course, come and go, rarely earning kudos  from anyone other

> > than publishers and their publicists. Dr. D'Adamo's book,  however, has won

> > the respect of fellow naturopathic doctors, many of whom now  offer $20

> > blood typing tests to determine whether their clients are Type O, A, B  or

AB.

> > After all, Dr. D'Adamo claims 4,000 case studies of people who achieved

> > radiant good health after learning to " eat right for their type. " Supporters

> > include Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S., Christiane Northrup, M.D., Bruce

> > West, M.D., , M.D.,and scores of other respected physicians

> > and  nutritionists.

> > 

> > 

> > Why then have others †" Clement, Director at the  Hippocrates

> > Institute, Crayon, M.S. of Designs for Health, and this  writer,

among

> > others

> > †" seen little or nothing that clinically or scientifically  supports

the

> > theory? Blood type as a factor in illness? Certainly. More than  1,000

> > scientific studies exist suggesting this is so.

> > 

> > 

> > Blood type as a factor in deciding what to eat? D'Adamo  bases his theories

> > on the assumption that early man had Type O blood, and that  the A, B, and

> > AB bloodtypes came long after. He claims that these later  bloodtypes are

> > genetically predisposed towards grains and milk products, foods  that came

in

> > with agriculture and the domestication of animals, while Type Os  are

> > natural meat eaters. The evidence is less than convincing. Anthropologists

> > can

> > point to evidence that all four blood types existed back in the

> > hunter/gatherer Paleolithic era,1 a fact that deflates Dr. D'Adamo's entire

> > theoretical

> > structure.

> > 

> > 

> > That so many people have done well on Dr. D'Adamo's blood  type diet theory

> > suggests that there is at least a drop of truth in it. Could  the system

> > work though the theories are faulty? Would that answer were as simple  as

four

> > blood types, four diets!

> > 

> > 

> > Whether we are blood type A, B, AB or O is determined by  chemical markers

> > called antigens that lie on the surface of our red blood cells.  If foreign

> > blood enters the body †" as occurs with an improperly matched blood

> > transfusion †" the immune system's " security police " step up to check

the

> > antigen  ID

> > card to determine whether or not it should be welcomed. If not, the immune

> > system generates antibodies to lock onto the foreign blood cells, causing

> > them  to clump together or " agglutinate. " Bodily " garbage collectors " then

> > round up  the glued-together trespassers to usher them out of the body.

> > 

> > 

> > Most people are familiar with this particular immune  system scenario. It's

> > the reason why wrong blood transfusions cause hemolysis  and death.

> > 

> > 

> > Less well known is the fact that plants and foods also  contain

> > blood-specific agglutinins known as lectins. A powerful example is a 

lectin

> > known as

> > ricin, found in the seeds of castor oil plants. If injected into  the

> > bloodstream, it agglutinizes so quickly with red blood cells that massive

> > blood

> > clots form and death is nearly instantaneous.

> > 

> > 

> > Reactions to the protein lectins in food are rarely so  life threatening.

> > (Or so unlikely, given that few people would ever think of  eating the

seeds

> > of the castor oil plant much less inject them into the  bloodstream.) Dr.

> > D'Adamo, however, reports that hundreds of common food lectins  are capable

of

> > causing health problems when eaten by people of the wrong blood  type.

> > Milk, he says, has " B-like qualities; if a person with Type A blood drinks

> > it,

> > his system will immediately start the agglutination process in order to

> > reject it. " He reports that similar consequences accrue to Type O wheat

> > eaters,

> >  Type B chicken eaters, Type AB anchovy eaters, and so forth. In short,

> > there is  a long list of foods that he says are best avoided by each blood

> > type.

> > 

> > 

> > Such clumping, according to Dr. D'Adamo's theory, is not  just a form of

> > " corpuscle punishment; " it disrupts digestion, metabolism,  nutrient

> > absorption, insulin utilization and a host of other vital processes, 

which,

> > in turn,

> > may contribute to everything from postprandial lethargy to  chronic

> > fatigue, diabetes, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer and other

> > ills. If

> > so, it only makes sense to " eat right 4 your type. "

> > 

> > 

> > When we take a careful look at this theory it appears a  bit " sticky. " The

> > majority of scientific studies linking blood types and lectins  have

> > involved lectins added to blood isolated in test tubes.2 But foods are NOT

> > supposed to be injected directly into the blood stream. Mother Nature

designed

> > the

> > digestive system to process them for safe transport through the bloodstream

> >  and for easy assimilation into our cells.

> > 

> > 

> > A healthy body with full digestive and assimilative  capabilities is

> > completely capable of handling food lectins. In fact, this is  borne out by

> > numerous studies which suggest that lectins are either dismantled  by

enzymes

> > †"

> > which are abundantly present in raw and fermented foods - or by  cooking,

> > which destroys the helpful enzymes but compensates by denaturing  complex

> > proteins so that they can more easily be broken down during the rest of 

the

> > digestive process. 3

> > 

> > 

> > Few people today, however, can boast fully functioning  digestive systems.

> > Two health problems that have undoubtedly contributed to the  ability of

> > food lectins to slip uninvited into the bloodstream are: widespread

> > hydrochloric acid (HCl) and trypsin deficiencies, which make it difficult

for

> > people

> > to properly digest protein, and " leaky gut " syndrome, a condition in  which

> > large undigested or partially digested protein molecules " leak " out of the

> > GI tract and into the bloodstream, where they do not belong and where they

> > are  likely to provoke an immune system response.

> > 

> > 

> > Many popular health writers, including Adelle and  , have

> > identified problems caused by widespread HCl deficiencies,  especially

after

> > the age of 40. As put it, " Too little hydrochloric acid  impairs

> > protein digestion and vitamin C absorption, allows the B vitamins to be

> > destroyed and prevents minerals from reaching the blood to the extent that

> > anemia

> > can develop and bones crumble. " Strong words, but backed by studies she

> > cites from 1939 to 1961.4

> > 

> > 

> > More recently Atkins, M.D., has taken up the cry.  In Dr. Atkins'

> > Vita-Nutrient Solution (Simon & Schuster, 1998), he writes,  " A lack of

> > stomach acid is commonplace, the result of aging genetics, use of  certain

> > medications, and a variety of other factors. " Citing 11 studies, Dr. 

Atkins

> > contends that the inability to properly digest protein contributes to 

asthma,

> > diabetes, food allergies, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia,  pernicious

> > anemia, candida, rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal infections,  psoriasis,

> > vitiligo, hives, eczema, dermatitis, herpetiformis and  acne.5

> > 

> > 

> > Why are people so short of HCl? For the body to  manufacture HCl, it needs

> > ample supplies of protein and zinc, ingredients that  are in short supply

in

> > the popular low protein/high carbohydrate vegetarian and  near vegetarian

> > diets so popular today. Low HCl levels lead people to eat less  meat

(because

> > they have trouble digesting it), which, in turn, leads to still  lower HCl

> > production. Once this cycle is set in motion, declining health is

> > inevitable.

> > 

> > 

> > Adelle did not make a link between HCl deficiencies  and blood type;

> > and Dr. Atkins does not consider blood type when he tailors  programs to

his

> > clients, according to Pescatore, Ph.D., a nutritional  counselor at

> > the Atkins Center.6 So it is possible that most of the people with  this

> > problem are all Type As or ABs, the types Dr. D'Adamo feels are predisposed

> > to

> > chronic shortfalls of HCl. The people with ample HCl may all be Type Os, as

> > Dr. D'Adamo claims. Yet the identification of age-related deficiencies

> > coupled  with reports of failing health suggest a gradual decline of HCl

over

> > time. If  so, HCl deficiency is a preventable and correctable problem,

> > regardless of blood  type.

> > 

> > 

> > Less well known is that people with digestive problems  tend to suffer from

> > shortfalls of pancreatic enzymes, particularly the protein  digesting

> > protease trypsin. If this is not secreted in sufficient quantities, 

protein

> > molecules are improperly broken down. The greater the pancreatic

> > insufficiency,

> > the more undigested and partially digested protein molecules that  enter

> > the system and the more likely an immune system reaction. Indeed a 

connection

> > between pancreatic enzyme insufficiency and multiple food allergies  was

> > made back in 1935.7

> > 

> > 

> > If trypsin deficiencies are on the rise today, the culprit  might be the

> > growing popularity of soy products such as tofu, soy milk and  products

made

> > with soy protein isolate, all of which contain trypsin inhibitors. 

Although

> > many nutritionists believe that these inhibitors are deactivated by

> > processing and cooking, L. and Walter J. Wolfe of the USDA's

> > National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL, have

> > shown 

> > that the ONLY way to completely deactivate trypsin inhibitors is through the

> >  old-fashioned fermentation techniques used to make tempeh, miso and natto.

> >  Otherwise some trypsin inhibitors ALWAYS remain.8 If soyfoods are only

> > eaten  occasionally, the pancreas will kick in to produce extra trypsin. A

> > constant  barrage of soyfoods, however, will cause the pancreas to become

> > overworked over  time.

> > 

> > 

> > The problem colloquially known as " leaky gut " syndrome  occurs when the

> > mucus membranes of the intestinal tract are damaged and no  longer provide

an

> > effective barrier to pathogenic gut bacteria and macro food  molecules such

> > as undigested or partially digested large proteins.

> > 

> > 

> > Once these macromolecules " leak " into the system, they are  either attacked

> > as foreign antigens or join " immune complexes " that lodge  elsewhere in the

> > body, causing havoc. When food and other antigens are allowed  to enter the

> > system in excessive amounts †" as is always the case in individuals 

with

> > leaky gut syndrome †" sensitization of the immune system occurs, 

contributing

> > to, if not actually causing, auto-immune diseases.

> > 

> > 

> > As might be expected, permeability of the intestinal  lining correlates

> > with numerous disorders, including food and environmental  allergies; bowel

> > problems such as IBS, Crohn's disease and celiac disease;  inflammatory

joint

> > diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; dermatological  diseases such as

> > psoriasis, and many forms of cancer.9

> > 

> > 

> > Foreign proteins that pass through a " leaky gut " include  not only Dr.

> > D'Adamo's pet lectins but also saponins and other blood factors. As 

clinical

> > allergist Mark, M.D, points out, " Lectins are only another  aspect

of

> > food intolerances or hyperreactivity and cannot stand alone  diagnostically

> > as its advocates imply. " 10

> > 

> > 

> > Though Dr. D'Adamo seems well aware of the differences  between food

> > allergies (which trigger reactions of IgE antibodies), food  sensitivities

> > (which

> > trigger delayed reactions by IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies)  and

> > lectin-related agglutinations, the bottom line is that the foods marked most

> > often for

> > avoidance by people of all four blood types are the very same ones  that

are

> > most likely to trigger allergic reactions. Nowhere is this more true  than

> > of the Type Os, who are forbidden wheat, corn, sugar, dairy products and

> > yeast †" five of the " sinister seven " foods identified by the late

Stuart

> > Berger,  M.D., as the foods most likely to cause allergies and damage the

> > immune 

> > system. " 11 As for Dr. Berger's other two " sinister " foods, soy and eggs, Dr.

> >  D'Adamo considers soy a " neutral " that should not be eaten in quantity and

> >  advises that eggs are " generally a poor source " for the O blood  type.

> > 

> > 

> > Dr. D'Adamo may well be correct in saying that the foods  he has matched to

> > each of the four main blood types would create no reaction in  the body.

> > More likely, such foods cause LESS of a reaction. Types A, B, AB, and  O,

> > after all, only represent the major blood types. More than 400 other blood

> > markers exist, most of which are minor and admittedly occur only in limited

> > geographic areas. Even so, the myriad markers mean that people have blood

> > configurations that are as unique as their fingerprints. Take the lectin

> > theory 

> > to its ultimate conclusion, and each of us would require a one-of-a-kind

> > custom  diet. Not four blood types, four diets, but an infinite number. It

> > doesn't take  an IV league degree to know that this is an unworkable

solution.

> > 

> > 

> > Wouldn't it be wiser to clear up the problems that are  causing " leaky gut "

> > syndrome to begin with? The causes of " leaky gut " are many.  More than half

> > of the 68 million people who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory  drugs

> > (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (best known under the brand names 

Advil,

> > Motrin and Nuprin), naproxen, eiflunisal, profen, undomethacin,  salicylate

> > and tolmetin report some degree of digestive upset, including  irritation,

> > bleeding and ulceration. The drugs interfere with the protective  mucus

that

> > nature designed to coat the GI tract.12

> > 

> > 

> > Other factors that contribute to leaky gut syndrome  include HCl and

> > trypsin deficiencies13, alcoholism14 and trauma.15 Aging also  plays a

role.

> > As D.

> > Hollander wrote in Gerontology, " the intestinal barrier to  the absorption

> > of potentially harmful environmental substances may be less  efficient in

> > aging animals. " 16

> > 

> > 

> > Less publicized is the importance of diet. As Loren  Cordain, Ph.D. †"

a

> > proponent of the hunter/gatherer Paleo-Diet has pointed out †"   cereal

grains,

> > legumes, dairy products, yeast-containing foods and other  products of the

> > agricultural era all contain lectins that bind intestinal  epithelial cells

> > and change the permeability of those cells.17 These are the  very foods

tagged

> > for elimination in most of the four blood type  diets!

> > 

> > 

> > Dr. D'Adamo guaranteed the phenomenal success of his book  when he told

> > people of Type O, A and B to " just say ‘no'' to all 

commercially-made breads,

> > bagels, muffins, flours, cakes, cookies, pastas and  cereals. Whether made

> > from refined flours or the seemingly healthier version of  whole grains,

> > these gluten-containing products injure the gut. Eliminating them  from the

> > diet

> > is the first step in giving the injured intestinal lining a chance  to rest

> > and recover. In that the three blood types O, A and B represent 96  percent

> > of Anerica's white population and 93 percent of the black population,  it's

> > no wonder that so many people have benefited mightily from Dr. D'Adamo's

> > diets.18

> > 

> > 

> > Surely another component of Dr. D'Adamo's success is the  fact that many of

> > his clients had been eating the same foods over and over, week  after week

> > for years. A rabbi who ate kasha day in and day out, for example. A  boy

> > whose favorite foods were corn and fried chicken. A woman suffering from

> > lupus

> > and kidney failure who ate " substantial amounts " of dairy and wheat. It is

> > well known that people with " leaky gut " syndrome become more and more

> > sensitive  to their favorite foods as time goes on, and that people with

food

> > allergies and  sensitivities are often advised to stick to " rotation

diets. "

> > 

> > 

> > Why else might Dr. D'Adamo's programs work? It could be as  simple as the

> > fact that all four diets eliminate chips, candy, donuts, cinnamon  rolls

and

> > other junk foods comprised of sugar, wheat, salt, hydrogenated fats,  and

> > other known health destroyers. For Americans on the Standard American diet

> > (SAD), adoption of any of the four diets would represent a considerable

> > improvement.

> > 

> > 

> > Those who would like to enjoy high energy and radiant  health without

> > subscribing to the restrictive blood type diets nor to a rigid  grain-free,

> > dairy-free and bean-free Paleolithic diet, might consider the  following:

> > 

> > 

> > First determine if you have " leaky gut " syndrome. One  diagnostic tool is

> > the intestinal permeability test available through Great  Smokies

Diagnostic

> > Laboratory in Asheville, N.C. For healing, what's generally  required is

the

> > elimination of wheat and other gluten-containing grain products  †" as

well

> > as other problematic foods such as dairy and soy †" for a period of 

four

> > months to a year, depending on severity of the condition. Although diet 

alone

> > can sometime heal a wounded GI tract, healing is facilitated with an

> > appropriate supplement plan.

> > 

> > 

> >

> > People who have had a " leaky gut " for some time tend to be  seriously

> > deficient in vitamins and minerals, betaine-HCl, digestive enzymes,

> > beneficial

> > gut bacteria, and many beneficial fatty acids. Two supplements that  almost

> > always work wonders are MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and bovine cartilage.

> > Detoxification programs, candida cleanses and parasite purge programs are

> > often  advisable as well. Coconut cream and coconut oil †" which

D'Adamo says

> > should be  avoided by everybody †" can be particularly helpful in

combatting

> > pathogens in  the gut and in restoring proper fatty acid balance.

> > 

> > 

> > Upon completion of these programs †" not before †" I have  found

that people

> > of all blood types seem able to eat MODEST amounts of nearly  anything,

> > including wheat and other grain products. The operative word, of  course,

is

> > " modest, " meaning one or two small servings a day, not the whopping  6-11

> > servings of breads and grains currently recommended by the U.S.D.A. Food

> > Pyramid.

> > 

> > 

> > To maintain ongoing gut health, breads and grains MUST be  prepared for

> > easy digestion using the soaking, fermenting and cooking  instructions

> > described in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (NewTrends  Publishing,

> > 2000).

> > Better yet, start making gelatin-rich soup broths, as per  Fallon's

recipes.

> > 

> > 

> > Scientific studies dating back to the turn of the century  suggest that

> > gelatin improves the digestion of grains, beans, meat and dairy  products

and

> > that it can normalize cases of hydrochloric acid deficiency. In  addition,

> > gelatin can soothe, protect and nourish the intestinal lining. As  h

Cohn

> > of the Medical Polyclinic of the University of Bonn wrote back in  1905,

> > " Gelatin lines the mucous membrane of the intestinal tract and guards 

against

> > further injurious action on the part of the ingesta. " 19

> > 

> > 

> > Further support of gelatin came in 1937 when Francis  Pottenger noted,

> > " Even foods to which individuals may be definitely sensitive,  as proven by

> > the

> > leucopenic index and elimination diets, frequently may be  tolerated with

> > slight discomfort or none at all if gelatin is made part of the  diet. " 20

> > 

> > 

> > The obvious conclusion is that proper soaking and cooking,  and the use of

> > gelatin, can make the blood-type diets irrelevant. Type Os find  they can

> > eat grains. Type A people †" whom Dr. D'Adamo believes are natural 

vegetarians

> > because they typically lack the abundant secretions of HCl necessary  for

> > easy digestion of meats †" find meats easier to digest if they are

served

> > with a gelatin-based gravy, stewed in their own broth or served along with a

> > cup  of soup. And gelatin can alleviate the allergic reactions and

> > sensitivities that  numerous research studies have connected to blood Types

B

> > and AB.

> > 

> > 

> > Those who don't care to keep their stock pots simmering,  can achieve

> > similar benefits by taking bovine cartilage supplements. More than  40

years

> > of

> > studies by the late F. Prudden, M.D., D.Sci., showed that  cartilage

can

> > soothe inflammation anywhere in the body, particularly the GI  tract.21

> > 

> > 

> > Follow these simple, old-fashioned rules and those pesky  lectins will be

> > dismantled in your healthy gut and never cause problems in the 

bloodstream.

> > If so, you'll have the high energy and good health needed to mine  yet

> > another vein of the blood type controversy †" the possible link between

blood

> > type and personality. Since 1920, it's been a hot subject in Japan, where

> > political candidates advertise their blood type, where dating services

inform

> > prospective partners about each other's antigens and where a TV sitcom was

> > entitled " I Am Type O. " Even condoms are sold by blood type and come

packaged

> >  with little " success cards " advising which types will make red-blooded

> > romantics.

> > 

> > 

> > References

> > 

> > E-mail from Ruediger Hoeflechner on the subject of the  Paleodiet,

> > September 14-24, 1998.

> > Freed, D. L.F., " Dietary Lectins and  Disease, " Chapter 21 from Section B.

> > " Non-Allergic Effects of Food, " pp. 375-381  from an unidentified medical

> > textbook in the collection of Mark.

> > Ibid.

> > , Adele, Let's Get Well (Signet, 1972), p. 142.

> > Atkins,  , Dr. Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution (Simon & Schuster,

> > 1998), pp.  234-235.

> > Author's conversation with Pescatore at the American College  of

> > Clinical Nutrition's annual convention, Albuquerque, N.M., October 2, 1998.

> > Oelgoetz, A.W, " The Treatment of Food Allergy and Indigestion of Pancreatic

> >  Origin with Pancreatic Enzymes, " American Journal of Digestive

> > Disturbances  Nutrition, 1935, Volume 2, pp. 422-426.

> > , L., and Wolf,  Walter, J., " Compositional changes in

> > trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, saponins  and isoflavones related to

soybean

> > processing, " The Journal of Nutrition, March  1995, pp. 518S-588S.

> > For 52 references see the 1996 manual Assessing  Physiological Function

> > published by the Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory,  Interpretive

> > Guidelines,

> > Intestinal Permeability, p. 6.

> > Correspondence of  Mark, M.D., to Pat Connolly, February 19, 1998.

> > Berger, Stuart, Dr.  Berger's Immune Power Diet (New American Library,

> > 1985).

> > Margolis, Simeon  and Flynn, A., Arthritis: The s Hopkins White

> > Papers 1997 (Baltimore,  MD, s Hopkins Medical Institutions, 1997), pp.

> > 15-19.

> > Mack, R.;  Flick, A.; et al; " Correlation of intestinal

> > lactulose permeability  with exocrine pancreatic dysfunction, " Journal of

> > Pediatrics, 1992, Volume 120,  pp. 696-701.

> > Bjarnason, Ingvar; Ward, ; and s, ; " The leaky  gut of

> > alcoholism: possible route of entry for toxic compounds, " The Lancet, 

January

> > 28, 1984, pp. 179-182.

> > Freed, D.L.F., p. 380.

> > Hollander, D and  Tarnawski, H., " Aging-associated increase in intestinal

> > absorption of  macromolecules, " Gerontology, 1985, Vol.31, No. 3, pp.

> > 133-137.

> > E-mail from  Loren Cordain on the subject of Paleo diets, March 29-30,

> > 1998.

> > The  incidence in the white population is: type A, 41 percent; type B, 10

> > percent;  type AB, 4 percent; type O, 45 percent. Among blacks, the

> > frequencies are: Type  A, 27 percent; Type B, 20 percent; Type AB, 7

percent;

> > Type O

> > 46 percent.  Source: Tortora, Gerard, J., and Anagnostakos, P.,

> > Principles of  Anatomy and Physiology, Sixth Edition, (Harper & Row, 1990),

p.

> > 563. 

> > Gotthoffer, N. R., Gelatin in Nutrition and Medicine (Grayslake, IL,

> > Grayslake Gelatin Company, 1945).

> > Ibid, p. 62.

> > Pottenger, F. M.,  " Hydrophilic Colloid Diet, " PPNF Health Journal, Spring

> > 1997, Vol. 21, no. 1, p.  17.

> > Prudden, F., and Balassa, L., " The Biological Activity of

> > Bovine Cartilage Preparations, " Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism, Vol.

> > III, 

> > No. 4, Summer 1974.

> >

> > About the Reviewer

> > 

> > Sally Eauclaire Osborne, MS, likes Dr. D'Adamo's  description of her Type O

> > personality as a " natural born leader " who tends to be  " strong, certain

> > and powerful †" blushing with good health and optimism. " She  eagerly

awaits

> > the day when her Type B son and daughter will become self-made 

millionaires.

> > A nutritionist and health educator she teaches individuals and  groups at

> > Right Spin Health Education in Santa Fe, NM. She can be contacted at  (505)

> > 984-2093.

> > 

> > 

> > Letter from a Reader

> > 

> > With respect to Sally Eauclaire Osborne's Review of Dr.  D'Adamo's first

> > book, I would like to ask you to review immunology regarding the  formation

of

> > antibodies in the body, and immunohematology regarding the  antibodies

> > involved in transfusion reactions. It is also important to understand  that

> > although we call the " ABO " antigens " blood type antigens, " they are also

> > present on other tissues of the body. Ms. Osborne does not seem to be aware

of

> > the need for exposure to an antigen in order to elicit an antibody-formation

> > response. The other blood type antigens that she refers to require exposure

> > to  blood, usually a previous transfusion or placental leakage, to cause

the

> >  formation of antibodies. ABO antibodies are present in the blood shortly

> > after  birth due to exposure to like antigens in food, bacteria and

viruses.

> > Please see _http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood-type_

> > (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood-type)   for a good brief article.

> > 

> > D'Adamo's Live Right For Your Type has much better  science. His first book

> > suffers from a lack of science as he neglects to address  this issue. Ms.

> > Osborne's review suffers even more. She does not appear to have  even a

basic

> > understanding of immunology or immunohematology. She is wrong in  her

> > assumptions that lead her to the conclusion of needing an infinite number of

> > diets. If the " 400 other blood markers " Ms. Osborne mentions were food

> > lectins,

> >  we would have ready-made antibodies at the waiting as we do with

> > ABOantibodies.

> > 

> > Graves

> > 

> > 

> > Sally Eauclaire Osborne's  Reply

> > 

> > This is an interesting concept, and I'd like to explore  the topic more

> > thoroughly in the future. Dr. D'Adamo has certainly brought up  some

> > potentially enlightening science. However, the blood type concept continues

> > to lead

> > him to some dubious conclusions, including some particularly bad advice 

for

> > fertility and pregnancy. In practical terms, the blood type diet (especially

> >  the Type O diet) has helped many people, but is irrelevant if the gut is

> > healed  first.

> > 

> > 

> > Masterjohn's  Reply

> > 

> > The point in the review is that lectins that pass the  intestinal barrier

> > can interact with blood-antigens directly to cause  agglutination or

> > otherwise toxic properties. This process does not necessarily  involve

> > antibodies.

> > Lectins are proteins that bind to specific sugars or sugar

> > complexes--substances present on the outside of all cells, including red

blood

> > cells.

> > " Lectins " are also called " hemagglutinins " because of their ability to

> > directly

> > agglutinate red blood cells, and researchers determine their presence  in

> > foods by the ability of extracts of those foods to cause hemagglutination in

> > test tube studies. The researchers then test the ability of specific sugars

> > to  prevent the agglutination in order to determine which sugars the

lectins

> > are  binding toa. Variation between the sugars individuals display on their

> > red blood  cells will indeed produce variation in their response to food

> > lectins without  necessarily having produced any antibodies to those

sugars.

> > Osborne's point was  that these lectins can be deactivated through proper

food

> > preparation techniques  and by the healthy human digestive system. Rather

> > than focusing on avoiding  foods based on one's reactivity to specific

> > lectins, Osborne suggests we should  restore our digestive health and

properly

> > prepare problematic foods to  deactivate lectins.

> > 

> > a. Nachbar MS, Oppenheim JD. Lectins in the United States  diet: a survey

> > of lectins in commonly consumed foods and a review of the  literature. Am J

> > Clin Nutr.  1980;33:2338-45.

> >

> >