A dietary buzzword for sure, but how well do we really understand the concept of superfoods? Forcing yourself to eat kale all day may be well intentioned, but changing your diet without regard for your specific body chemistry can be a shot in the dark at best. A perfect starting point is knowing and understanding the very building block of your own physiological makeup—your blood type.
Through years of research, Dr. Peter D’Adamo has shown that while some foods may be generally beneficial, most are processed differently by the body depending on particular attributes of each blood type. So while one article may promote legumes as a superfood—specifically kidney, black, red and garbanzo beans—we know from Dr. D’Adamo’s research that kidney beans are in fact only a Beneficial for Type B, and are an Avoid for all other blood types. Likewise, garbanzo beans are Avoids for Types A, B and AB, and are merely a Neutral for Type O, meaning that hummus you’re enjoying may not be as healthy as you had hoped.
Yogurt tends to be another staple on superfood lists, and while it is Beneficial for Types B and AB, and a Neutral for Type A, it is an Avoid for Type O due to its dairy content. Not to despair, however—Type Os can get their fix from yogurt made of almond milk. They can even share it with friends, as almond milk is a Neutral across all blood types.
Mixed messages appear on the meat side of the superfood equation as well. One recent superfood report listed “skinless poultry” as a better, leaner alternative to beef. In fact, chicken is only a Neutral for Types O and A, and is an Avoid for Types B and AB.
The bottom line is that while super-hyped superfoods may have generally beneficial characteristics, it’s important to customize the list to what works best for you to make sure that you are, in fact, eating right for your type. If you haven’t already, try out our Blood Type Diet app for a searchable database of foods and their categorization for each blood type—Avoid, Neutral or Beneficial. Or, pick up one of our blood type specific Food, Beverage and Supplement Lists pocket books for quick and easy access to information already curated for your blood type.
Oh, and that kale binge we mentioned before? If you’ve already done it, you’re in luck. It’s a Beneficial across the board.
