Diets for Blood Type AB Positive
Many health professionals believe that an individual's blood type within the A-B-O cell-surface-antigen classification system dictates her ideal dietary regimen. Type AB is very rare, with fewer than 5 percent of people possessing it; it is the only "derivative" blood type and results from a commingling of A and B. Types AB+ and AB- are not believed to differ in the realm of nutritional requirements, says Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo in his book "Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight."
A man is weighing his fresh produce at the grocery store. (Image: Noel Hendrickson/Digital Vision/Getty Images)Pseudo-Vegetarian Diet
Type AB people should consume diets consisting primarily of fruits and vegetables of all kinds. Breaking down meat requires a significant amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Although type A people are genetically prone to low stomach acid and type B people readily tolerate meat, the combination of A and B results in individuals heavily slanted toward A in this respect.
As a result, ABs should limit their meat intake, with tofu being a solid substitute. In addition, chicken contains significant amounts of a substance called lectin, which tends to irritate the digestive tracts of ABs for different reasons. Type AB people can increase stomach acid levels by taking the amino acid L-histidine and bitter herbs and avoiding carbonated beverages.
High-Activity, Low-Chemical Diet
Type ABs resemble Type O people in terms of their stress-hormone profile. They possess a propensity to overproduce catecholamines known as adrenaline. Accordingly, ABs are advised to get plenty of intense exercise in order to maintain manageable baseline stress levels, with aerobic exercise preferred over modalities such as yoga and tai chi.
To fuel this exercise requirement, AB types should eat plenty of fructose- and starch-rich foods of the sort they thrive on, particularly grains, with rice preferable to pasta. As an additional consequence of a propensity for stressful states, they should avoid consuming foods containing substances that generate physical or psychological stress reactions through the increased release of adrenalin, such as alcohol and caffeine.
Finally, type ABs tolerate dairy products well, and the more a person exercises, the higher his or her protein requirements, so milk is a sufficient source. Starting the day with a glass of warm water can help allay mucus accumulation resulting from dairy foods.
Eat Frequent, Small Meals
The low stomach acid levels of type ABs also dictates that smaller meals consumed more often throughout the day will be digested more efficiently and completely than larger meals spaced further apart. “Your stomach initiates the digestive process with a combination of digestive secretions, and the muscular contractions that mix food with them." explains Dr. D'Adamo. "When you have low levels of digestive secretions, food tends to stay in the stomach longer.”
Frequent small meals also fit well into the high-activity lifestyle recommended for AB types, as this diet method keeps the stomach from being overly full at any given time and maintains blood glucose within a narrow range.
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