The Eat Right for Your Blood Type Diet bases approved food lists on blood types which are purported to relate to genetic legacies. The science behind the diet is a bit shaky, but anecdotally, I have seen a few trends that seem to correlate with some of the basics:

• Type O (“hunters”—about 45% of the population) people usually love meat. These folks will rarely choose to be vegetarian and are frequently the ones who will be inclined to try the Atkins plan. Reducing grains is often helpful for O types.

• Type A (“farmers”—40% of the population) usually make good vegetarians since they could care less about eating meat. They digest black beans and grains well and usually are okay with poultry too.

• Type B (“nomads”—11% of the population) usually do well with dairy and lamb, but not chicken or beef. They often thrive when eliminating wheat and corn from their diets.

• Type AB (“modern”—4% of the population) are usually a blend of type A and type B people but can have a sensitive digestive system. They are most prone to food sensitivities and may need to follow an elimination diet for awhile to discover which foods are problemmatic for them.

The pros:
• eliminating wheat in and of itself will often yield amazing results since it is a common allergen
• overall, the diet recommends healthy foods; just the rationale behind the choices is unsubstantiated
• might be a useful jumping-off point for discovering food sensitivities

On the con side:
• many people do no know their blood type
• science behind this diet has not been duplicated
• most O types eat plenty of protein and do not need the encouragement to eat any more
• it can be difficult to follow this diet in a household of different blood types
• can be overly rigid and difficult to follow correctly