I Exercised According To My Blood Type For 4 Months—Here's What Happened

After a long period of trial and error in developing more health awareness, I found I feel my best on a hunter-gatherer (similar to paleo) diet with an emphasis on lean animal proteins and fruits and veggies over grains, legumes, or dairy. When I first heard about Dr. D’Adamo’s blood type diets, I explored the findings, and – lo and behold – I realized I had exactly pinpointed the needs of my own blood type (B+), simply by becoming in tune with how my system reacted to certain foods! As one does after such a discovery, I went down the rabbit hole and found that Dr. D’Adamo’s philosophy extended beyond food to exercise as well.

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What Your Blood Type Can Affect

Published author and naturopathic physician Dr. Peter D’Adamo wrote the book Eat Right 4 Your Type, which explains how each blood type has a correlating nutritional diet for optimal function and fighting off inflammation and disease. I was fascinated to learn that our blood types are the result of multiple ancestral genetic factors that may predict susceptibility to certain diseases. For example, Dr. D’Adamo found that B blood types are more susceptible to autoimmune disorders (checks out for me and others I know who have type B blood). WebMD researchers found that people with type A, AB, and B blood types are more prone to stomach cancers; specifically type A, because the stomach bacteria H. pylori infection is more common in people with type A blood. Again, I’ve met plenty of type A people who struggle with stomach issues and ulcers. 

Even gut bacteria relate to blood type, and this “originated from our ancestors whose digestive tracts developed to accommodate one type of diet over another,” Dr. D’Adamo’s research indicates. This means that certain people’s microbiome developed to break down carbohydrates much more efficiently (type A), whereas others (type O) tend to store carbs as fat. You know those people who seem to be able to eat almost anything but don’t gain weight, and they actually need a certain amount of carbs in their diet? Yeah, those people. They’re probably type A. 

These genetic factors also spell different types of stress responses for each blood type. For example, type A blood types tend to have naturally higher levels of cortisol, so they may struggle with stress management more than others, while type O tends to release less cortisol in moments of stress. In connection with this, Dr. D’Adamo discovered that each blood type benefits from certain kinds of exercise, according to its own specific metabolic workings. “Everyone has an envelope of tolerance for exercise,” his website claims. “Train within the envelope, and exercise is a great method for managing or releasing stress. It acts as a safety valve to let off steam.”