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Blood Types & The Immune System
The Body is holographic: a single drop of blood contains the genetic coding for an entire human being.  All the fluids and tissues of the body carry this information.  All that is needed is the proper technology to access the information.

The Immune System's role in the body is to define "self" and destroy "non-self".  Without this function the immune system could attack your own tissues by mistake and allow dangerous organisms access to vital aspects of the body.

The key terms to understand in immunology are:

Blood types are based on the principle of antigen recognition by the body as "self" or "non-self".

This chemical makeup explains why individuals with type O blood c only accept blood from other type O individuals, with antibodies for A & B antigens, all other blood types would be agglutinated and destroyed.  However, with no antigens on its surface, type O blood can be accepted without attack by any other blood type labeling these individuals as "universal donors".  At the same time, because individuals with type AB blood possess no antibodies for A or B antigens,  they are  able to accept blood of any type labeling them as "universal acceptors".

What does this all have to do with diet?

Lectins & Food

A chemical reaction occurs between the food you eat and your blood.  This reaction is driven or caused by lectins.  Lectins are abundant and diverse proteins found in food which have agglutinating properties that affect your blood.  Lectins are used by organisms throughout nature for various purposes.  For example, parasites and bacteria have lectins on their surface which act as suction cups allowing them to hold on to slippery mucous linings of the body.  Foods also have lectins and if they incompatible with your body's blood type antigen, they can target an organ or bodily system and begin to agglutinate blood cells in that area.  Many foods have lectins similar enough to a certain blood type antigen that the body sees them as "enemies".  For example, milk has B-like qualities; if a type A blood drinks milk, his system will immediately start the agglutination process to reject it.

The agglutinating ability of some lectins is so powerful that they are lethal toxins able to produce death within minutes.  But what about lectins of a less powerful nature found in the foods many of us eat on a daily basis?  When the blood agglutinates and becomes sticky it does not flow through the vessels and tissues very efficiently.  This inhibits the transfer of nutrition and toxins in the tissues.  When this type of agglutination occurs over and over it causes a deteriorating effect on the body which over time leads to many chronic illnesses: allergies/sensitivities, cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, asthma, auto-immune diseases, many aging diseases, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis, pernicious anemia, clotting disorder, diabetes, chronic inflammation, Crohn's disease, and other digestive disorders to name a few.

The key in avoiding these types of reactions in the body is to avoid the foods with lectins that are not compatible with you blood type.  The book "Eat Right 4 Your Type" by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo discusses philosophy of diet and health.  At the Institute of Chiropractic & Acupuncture Therapy we have put together a packet of the lists of foods and overall concepts and support Dr. D'Adamo with these few exceptions:

• Shellfish should be avoided (lobster, shrimp, crab, etc.).  These fish do not have detoxification abilities meaning that any heavy metals, chemicals, etc. they have accumulated are eaten along with the fish.

• Do not eat another animal's detoxification organs (liver, kidney, spleen, etc.)
   

Inflammation

Inflammation is the natural healing process of the body and ius always characterized by five things: pain, swelling, increased temperature, redness, and loss of function.. There are two types of inflammation, acute and chronic.  As a simple definition, acute means short term and chronic means long term.  Dr. Seaman discusses these two types of inflammation in the following quote.

As this chronic inflammation persists in the body, over time the bodily tissues become so irritated that they slowly mutate and develop into pathologies or diseases.  The two most prevalent pro-inflammatory conditions in our society today are cancer and cardiovascular disease.  While these are the most prevalent, the underlying cause of most chronic diseases is the same -- inflammation.  Here are a few conditions that fit into this category:

When the body is subjected to traumas (physical, chemical, emotional), certain chemicals are released from the bodily tissues that promote inflammation.  As the healing process progresses, these chemicals decrease and the inflammation is resolved.  However, there are many factors that can either interfere with the reduction of these chemicals or that can produce excess amounts of these chemicals without experiencing actual physical trauma.  This drives the acute inflammation into the chronic state setting the stage for tissue degeneration and disease.

Diet and Inflammation

Diet plays an enormous role in the production of health or disease.,  Many things that we eat can have either a "pro-inflammatory" or "anti-inflammatory" effect on the body.  The following principles are general guidelines that can be followed when looking at diet.

Avoid foods with a high glycemic index.  The glycemic index is used to evaluate how fast the blood sugar rises after a particular food is eaten.  When the blood sugar rises rapidly, the body responds with a rapid increase in insulin to regulate the sugar.  The "insulin spike" results in symptoms of hyperglycemia and then hypoglycemia, increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides (the bad fats) and a decrease in the body's sensitivity to insulin eventually requiring more insulin to accomplish the same results.  This pancreas eventually becomes exhausted leading to diabetes.  In general, the foods with a high glycemic index are refined carbohydrates, sugar, and starchy foods.  These are also the same foods that tend to be pro-inflammatory in the body.  As the blood sugar rapidly rises, the body is unable to use all of the sugar and thus converts it into fat (storage) for later use.  In other words, the biggest culprit in weight gain is not fat but is sugar.

The best source of carbohydrates is vegetables and fruits.  The glycemic index is low and they are high in dietary fiber, which helps to slow and regulate the absorption of sugar.

Eat the right kinds of fats.  Your body requires fatty acids in order to perform certain functions.,  Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are high in these fatty acids.  In general, these are oils that remain in liquid form at room temperature.  Fats that solidify at room temperature are saturated fats and tend to be pro-inflammatory.   The best sources of these fats are cold water fish (salmon, tuna, cod, mackerel, etc.), flaxseed oil, leafy greens, sunflower/safflower oil, and grains.

Get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals.  The best sources of vitamins and m8inerals are the ones that occur naturally (i.e. fruits, vegetables, etc.).  When vitamins and minerals are obtained from their natural sources, the proper enzymes and cofactors are also present for their proper absorption and use in the body.  Because of these enzymes and cofactors, naturally occurring sources are always preferred over supplementation.  However, in 1936 U.S. Senate Document 264 cited the lack of nutrition due to our depleted soils.  It also stated that 95% of Americans were deficient in one or more major minerals and many trace minerals.  One can just imagine the further depletion from 1936 until the present time.  This can make it difficult for even the most health conscious individual to receive all of the necessary  nutrients to maintain proper health.  It may be necessary to supplement what an individual is lacking in their diet but it is important to find a vitamin/mineral supplement that can be properly utilized by the individual.  Not all supplements are equal.

Buyers beware of the RDA values.  Most individuals in our society are already deficient of many vitamins and minerals.  Consider the following data on nutrient intake for women.  It has been found that:

The RDA values are only good for survival -- not the production of health.  "RDA refers to the level of intake of essential nutrients that, on the basis of scientific knowledge, are judged by the Food and Nutrition Board to be adequate to meet the known nutrient needs of practically all healthy persons."  (David R. Seaman.  "Clinical Nutrition for Pain, Inflammation, and Tissue Healing", p, 122)  This definition assumes that people are healthy.  What about someone who has lost their health?  What about the individual who is deficient in nutrients?  The RDAs are not adequate to replace deficiencies and for many individuals to gain and maintain their health, much more than the RDA is required.

A Well Oiled Metabolic Machine

When proper nutritional guidelines are followed and poor nutritional habits are avoided, the body is able to function more efficiently.  As a result, inflammation is reduced, the body receives the necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and cofactors to run all of the physiological processes, energy levels increase, and the system is not bogged down in processing poor nutrition.  As the body begins working with more efficiency and economy, unnecessary weight begins to come off.

Weight Control -- The solution to pollution is dilution.

Fat is very low in metabolic activity and thus acts as an excellent buffer when the body is exposed to toxic chemicals and elements.  If the normal and health processes of detoxification in the body are not working properly, those toxins are not expelled by the body and thus wreak havoc on the tissues and they circulate through the blood stream.  In an effort to get those toxins out of circulation, the body will store them in the fat tissue where the damage is minimal.  As the toxins accumulate the fat content in response also accumulates as well as water retention.

Enter the diet and exercise program.  The individual decides that it's time to lose weight and begins a program.  However, if the detoxification organs are not working properly, which initiated the problem in the first place, the body has one of two choices.

1. It can metabolize the fat tissue and thus liberate the toxins for circulation in the body where they again wreak havoc on the tissues -- not healthy!  OR
2. The body can choose to leave the weight on -- again, not healthy!

The body chooses the lesser of two evils and leaves the weight on.

It is not uncommon in our clinic for a patient beginning a program to become healthier to automatically begin to lose weight when a detoxification process is started.  While diet is traditionally viewed as a means of weight control, the effects of diet are global in the body.  The effects it has in the production of health and disease are far reaching. 

Weight loss is a byproduct of a healthy body and on a day to day basis , diet plays the biggest part in the production of health.