Gentle Reader,
How do we know if a blood type diet works? How do we know if vitamins work? How do we evaluate health claims?I recently checked in on a new customer to see how her vitamin regimen was going. We had talked at length about the value of the Shaklee supplements and the ease of the Vita strip in Vitalizer. She had not reordered.
Her husband decided Vitalizer was too expensive and she should stick with the many bottles of individual supplements recommended by the local health food store. My friend suffers from aches and pains as well as other health issues and is taking a goodly number of vitamins and herbs.
I thought of them when I read about a recent publication in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A group of Belgian scientists did a systematic search of the literature to see if there was any evidence to support the basic premise behind Eat Right 4 Your Type, published in 1997 by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo. This book has sold in the millions. Perhaps you are among those who have bought, read and followed his recommendation based on your blood type.
Have you found it makes a difference? Do you stick to it?
Dr Steve Chaney, Dr. Richard Brouse, Dr. Frank Painter, Dr. Bruce Miller are all students of the latest claims about diet and eating that promise life-changing results. What each of these men study is the research behind the claims. The question to ask of a blood type diet is whether it could be that simple, given that there is tremendous variation in the human genetic makeup? Is a blood type related to the health outcomes of different diets?
Where is the evidence?
Out of 1415 articles with blood type diet in the title, only one matched their criteria
- Did the study start with human subjects grouped according to blood type?
- Did the study have an intervention in which the subjects were required to adhere to a particular type of diet?
- Did the study measure a health outcome of the dietary intervention?
You can read the study here, and the newsletter about it from Dr. Chaney here. The one study that met the criteria was based on an entirely different way of typing blood.
The take-away from this discussion is the question of evidence. Why follow a diet based on blood type without doing the same research you would do before buying a new car or paint for your house? If you truly purchase and consume products based only on price, evidence may not sway you to search further. If you purchase your products based on the recommendation of a trusted friend or professional, you may or may not be getting the best value.
I have not followed the blood type diet. I started a Shaklee nutritional program and felt better in many surprising ways. Then I called the company and asked for 2 clinical studies published in peer-review scientific journals. My body told me I had taken a positive step with vitamins and a protein smoothie. Now I wanted scientific evidence. A thick packet arrived with the articles. I knew how to read the studies and evaluate whether their set up, process and conclusions were valid. Their studies follow the above criteria.
- Group the subjects according to the criteria
- Track the intervention
- Measure the results
Whether it’s a blood type study, a pain relief study, a vitamin delivery system study, it must follow clean scientific protocal and the results must be accepted for what they are. All of Shaklee’s products are tested in this way. I trust them. Don’t take my word for it. Google Shaklee science yourself.
Finally, if your body doesn’t give you strong signals that a new regimen or product is effective for you, ask yourself if you have given it enough time and if you have been consistent in following the program.
There are a lot of fads in the health and wellness world. Some of them may be harmless. Others may harm. If you are working to increase your mobility, lessen your pain level, or just want to prevent illness and have more energy, check the quality of the product. Do your research.
Let me know what your criteria are when deciding what to eat and what vitamins to take?
Be well, Do well and Keep Moving,
Betsy
206 933 1889