With so many types of diet developed for weight loss, it is not unlikely to have diet methods that will earn criticisms and skepticism. Losing weight is a common problem for most people today and turning to different diet methods is an easy decision for some. Most of these diet methods claim to effectively reduce or control your weight but some can also give you undesirable side effects. The Atkins diet is one the popular methods used to lose weight but there are also a lot of people including health experts that warns people in adopting this diet plan.

The Blood Type diet is not spared from the scrutiny of the weight loss experts. They argued that the blood type diet was not scientifically proven as the study was conducted on test tubes not on actual environment. This could also increase the risk of getting other diseases because it is more focused on eating meat and fish while reducing the intake of grains and cereals. While for some people the blood type diet is an effective method in losing weight, experts says that it is normal because an individual has to follow a low calorie diet meals.

The reason why this diet method is an intriguing one was due to the theory of its proponent that people should eat foods that matches their blood type. According to Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, the blood type has everything to do with how an individual digest food. It also affects an individual’s ability to respond to stress, mental state, the efficiency of metabolism, and the strength of the immune system. In his book “Eat Right For Your  Type” there are certain foods that should be avoided depending on your type of blood.

The doctor anchored his theory on evolution. He observed that the changes in environmental conditions and eating styles of our ancestors lead to the different blood types. In his study, a substance called lectin was causing agglutination for some people because there are some lectins that are not compatible with a particular blood type. Lectins are proteins commonly found in leguminous plants.

He later developed a food list specific for a blood type. Foods were grouped into 16 categories and he recommended certain foods for a particular blood type. According to him this will avoid health problems and will also help in weight loss. But critics are adamant if these recommendations by Dr. D’Adamo works. Experts say that lectins are usually destroyed by cooking and/or by digestive enzymes so its effects to the body are minimal (if there is). He also failed to include important factors such as rate of metabolism and sugar/insulin sensitivity of an individual. For example, there could be two people with the same type of blood but with different metabolisms.

Others argue that the Type O diet of Dr. D’Adamo could increase the risk of heart disease. In this diet plan, people are required to eat low-carbohydrate foods but high in proteins like meat and fish. Type A diet is focused more on eating fish and vegetables while avoiding red meat and dairies. If you have a Type B blood, you are lucky since you can eat a variety of foods and eating more fruits and vegetables is recommended. For Type AB diet, it is the combination of the A and B diets but D’Adamo suggests eating smaller and more frequent meals.

All of these diet plans should be coupled with regular exercises. Critics say that the weight loss effects could be due to the restricted calorie diet and not the result of a specific blood type. Eating healthy and living healthy is still the key in losing weight.

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