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Blood type diets: Expanding the theory to practice

Marcello Menapace

Theoretical and molecular biology has expanded its scope recently to include a vast array of new topics following the greater availability of new technologies.  Glycobiology is one such subcategory of Life Sciences that has considerably benefited from the introduction of almost fantascientific novel tools to explore humans at the molecular level. Advances in glycobiology have have new realms of explanation possibilities especially in Nutrition. Blood type diets (BTD) have now been confirmed and thoroughly explained both theoretically and practically by the presence of glycans (small oligosugars) in all foods  As the name suggests, blood groupings identify the presence of these glycans in all women and men which are thus divided into four blood groups: A, B, AB and O.  These glycans are not only expressed on red blood cells but also on every other cell in the human body and in some cases (secretors) in bodily secretions too (such as saliva).  Most interestingly, it is now a proven fact that the different sugar terminals (residue) of the three different glycans (A, B and O) forming the four blood groups react differentially not only with other glycans but also with other glycan-binding proteins (lectins) whatever their origin (exogeneous and endogeneous).  Moreover, glycans on proteins (glycoproteins) and lipids (glycolipids) influence the way these (whether on the cell surface, within or in the extracellular matrix) react to various stimuli (internal or external) and consequentially alter most biochemical cascades.  Finally, he consequences are obvious: each blood group will have specific nutritional needs as exemplified by various physiological factors.