Your blood type can reveal valuable information about your fitness preferences, diet, and susceptibility to certain diseases.
Before diving in, this is not another article about Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s controversial blood type diet designed for weight loss. Rather it’s an informative piece about how the genes in our blood shape our needs.
[tds_info]Every piece of information here is supported by multiple studies, which you can find in the sources below.[/tds_info]
Why should you know your blood type?
In November 2016, sports scientist Sandra Camman explained at the 08th International Hamburg Sports Congress that the genetic information in the blood could influence our personality, dietary needs, and exercise preferences.
Sandra Camman suffered from digestive problems for years and, and because of her research, she adapted her dietary habits and exercise program to her blood type.
As a result, her digestive problems gradually improved until they disappeared completely.
She also found that there is a direct link between blood type and a strong immune system.
The most common blood groups
The two most common blood groups are blood group A and blood group O. Blood group AB is the rarest, possessed by only 5 percent of the population.
People with blood group O are universal donors, which means that they can donate blood to the other three blood types but can only receive the blood of an O-type donor.
And the blood type AB is a universal recipient because they could receive blood from all other blood types and donate blood within their blood type.
If you want to know your blood type, you could buy a quick blood type test at the pharmacy, online, or the family doctor.
Blood Groups: Nutrition, fitness, and health risks
Knowing how your blood type affects your overall health can help you improve your diet and training.
According to the sports scientist Sandra Camman, we can nowadays assign important characteristics to each blood group.
The blood group O
People who belong to the O type rarely get sick and quickly shake off cold symptoms.
Diet tips for people with O Blood Type
If you have a blood type O, your body produces a lot of stomach acid and can metabolize animal protein well. So a protein and fat-rich diet is recommended.
On the other hand, carbohydrates block your metabolic processes. So it would help if you considered going on a gluten-free diet.
You should also drink plenty of water to promote metabolic processes.
Some helpful tips to help you drink more
Because of the gastric acid, your body is considered too acidic overall and reacts, for example, to legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and beans, as these are classified as acidic in the alkaline diet.
In addition, blood type 0 is very sensitive to caffeine, so it would be best if you drink coffee in moderation. On the other hand, the caffeine effect of green tea is somewhat gentler, longer-lasting, and is better tolerated.
Training tips for people with O Blood Type
People with this blood group are not satisfied with sports until they have completely exhausted themselves for an hour – preferably every day. Only in this way do they feel balanced and effectively release adrenaline.
They are bursting with energy, self-confidence, and ambition. Sometimes they are impulsive and talk before they think.
High-impact sports are ideal: functional training, HIIT workouts, long runs, competitions, and team sports.
In 2017, scientists from the University of Verona found in a study that runners with blood type 0 are faster than runners with blood types A, B, and AB.
The immune system of people with O Blood Type
Due to high stomach acid production, people with blood group 0 have a particularly sensitive gastrointestinal tract.
Researchers have found that this blood type, in particular, has an increased risk of developing chronic gastritis.
However, this is almost the only downside of the O type. It is otherwise very robust. For example, people of the O type are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease – this was the conclusion reached by American scientists led by Prof. Lu Qi of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, who followed almost 90,000 people for more than 20 years in two large studies.
The blood group A
As we mentioned at the beginning, blood group A is the most common – 31 percent of the word’s population have an A-type. The blood type originated in the Neolithic period when people first obtained their food from agriculture.
Diet tips for people with A Blood Type
Blood type A individuals metabolize plant foods optimally and are less able to metabolize animal protein.
They’re born vegetarians. The incomplete protein digestion in the intestine can clog cells and the blood.
However, people with the A-type may occasionally reach for easily digestible protein in the form of fish and poultry.
And they should be careful when eating dairy products because they significantly increase mucus formation in the sinuses.
People with Blood type A often suffer from increased LDL cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Studies have also found that blood groups A, AB, and B have an increased risk of thrombosis.
Training tips for people with A Blood Type
People with blood type A need several breaks to recharge the batteries and calm the hyperactive mind.
They have an increased cortisol release, so competitive sports would be counterproductive and stressful.
The recommended sports are cycling, slow running, Nordic walking, yoga, meditation, and gentle strength training. This is the best way to relieve tension, stress, and cramped muscles.
A training session should not go longer than 30 minutes and two to three days a week are sufficient.
The blood group B
Fifteen percent of the world population have blood group B and a fast-adapting immune system.
People with this blood group get out of their mental balance. For example, due to stress at work, their health suffers immediately. That’s why they need structure in their private lives and sports.
Diet tips for people with B Blood Type
People with this blood type tolerate Milk products because they have similar antigens as blood type B.
However, balance is key. Too much cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter can cause increased levels of inflammation, especially in the mucous membranes.
Corn, chicken, sesame, and wheat block the metabolism of the B type and causes negative stress and excessive cortisol production.
Besides, cortisol has a strong influence on eating behavior and leads to increased consumption of sugary foods.
Training tips for people with B Blood Type
People with the B-type need strength training. Because they get exhausted during endurance sports such as running, swimming, and cycling
And it would be helpful if they followed the workouts by relaxation activities such as massages or sauna sessions. Regular training increases stress tolerance at the same time.
They should not let themselves get stressed – whether in sports or at work – even small morning rituals help: a walk, music, or yoga exercises.
The immune system of people with B Blood Type
The German physician, Prof. Dr. Markus Lerch from the University of Greifswald, proved a direct connection between pancreatic disease and the B blood type.
The B type has a 2.5-fold increased risk of pancreatic disease than blood group O.
The AB blood type
Blood type AB has only existed for 1200 years, and only 5 percent of the population has it. People of the AB type have a robust immune system and can, for example, quickly fight off mutating viruses.
In addition, they are considered intelligent and energetic and head people. They combine both positive and negative characteristics of blood types A and B.
Diet tips for people with AB Blood Type
Individuals with blood type AB produce as little stomach acid as the A-type, so they cannot metabolize meat well, and it is converted to fat more quickly.
As with the B type, corn, sesame seeds, buckwheat, and kidney beans cause increased insulin secretion.
So people with this type should consider a healthy mix between protein and carbohydrates. And it would be best if protein and carbohydrates are not consumed together in one meal.
Test for yourself which dairy products and which meat is good for you.
Training tips for people with AB Blood Type
Love to run a half marathon- not a good idea. People with blood group AB tend to produce more stress during sporting competitions.
They strive for a pleasant alternation between the opposites of, for example, running and yoga or dancing and meditation.
It’s the perfect mix to relieve stress or prevent it from occurring in the first place.
The perfect sports for blood group AB: running, short fitness sessions, cycling, dancing, aqua fitness, and yoga.
4-Blood type AB has an increased risk of disease.
The immune system of people with AB Blood Type
Scientists at the University of Vermont found in a study of 30,000 subjects that people with blood type AB have an 82 percent higher risk of developing dementia than other blood types.
Factor III, a protein that controls blood clotting, plays a key role here. For this reason, blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels should be checked regularly for the AB type, as the blood group also tends to have elevated LDL cholesterol levels.
In addition, the rare AB blood type has an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Their risk is 23 percent higher than blood group O.
Sources:
- G. Lippi, g. Gandini (2017): Influence of ABO blood group on sports performance, accessed on May 11, 2019:
- S. Camman, 8th International Hamburg Sports Congress (2016): The blood code – fit with the AB0 system (script), accessed on May 9, 2019
- S. Camman (2017): Der Blutgruppen-CODE, p. 10 ff.
- Me. He, B. Wolpin (2012): ABO Blood Group and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Two Prospective Cohort Studies, accessed on May 10, 2019:
- German Red Cross: Blood groups & distribution in the population, accessed on May 9, 2019:
- SK Vasan, K. Rostgaard, A. Majeed (2016): ABO Blood Group and Risk of Thromboembolic and Arterial Disease: A Study of 1.5 Million Blood Donors, accessed on May 11, 2019
- K. Alexander (2014): ABO blood type, factor VIII, and incident cognitive impairment in the REGARDS cohort, accessed on May 12, 2019
- University Medicine Greifswald (2016): Scientists are looking for genetic markers for the development of organ damage to the liver and pancreas, accessed on May 12, 2019
- AM Alkout, C. Blackwell, DM Weir (2000): Increased Inflammatory Responses of Persons of Blood Group O to Helicobacter pylori, accessed on May 13, 2019
