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316 of 321 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More scientifically oriented than Eat Right..., October 23, 2003
This review is from: Eat Right For Your Type - Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia (Paperback)
I admit it: I was suspicious of this diet. Before examining this book, I thought the diet sounded very "fad-like" (and I remain wholly unconvinced by the personality-trait correspondences which are NOT essential to the scientific basis of the diet, just a curiosity). I read negative reviews and their justifications. What I noticed was that most of these reviews sounded a lot like the criticisms leveled at the Atkins diet, a diet that does work for a lot of people (though not all--this book makes clear why) that have since been disproven by double-blind studies. A number noted that d'Adamo's theories weren't backed up by scientific research. Fair enough; this book cites double-blind studies and peer-reviewed research extensively, far more so than the Eat Right and Cook Right books. It also fine-tunes some of the earlier findings. This is ongoing research, something you just don't see in proponents of "fad" diets. D'Adamo has clearly been listing to his critics, and makes every attempt to clarify, fine-tune, and explain how all of this works. I picked this book--and the diet--up when I browsed it in the store and noted that the medical problems in my family charted almost exactly with the risk factors for blood type. (Blood type correlations with disease have actually been established in peer-reviewed medical journals for a long time, although they aren't much talked about.) I tried the diet. I'm about three weeks in. I've lost 10 pounds, my digestive problems are much improved, I feel more energetic, I don't crave sweets, and -- the most convincing thing for me, because I wasn't looking for it and therefore can't attribute it to the placebo effect -- the morning stiffness I've had for 30 years is gone. It takes at least a week for things to kick in--especially if one has increased intestinal permeability due to intestinal damage--but it does, and for many, myself included, the results are quite profound. I am not a scientist, nor am I claiming that d'Adamo has everything right. There are some typos in the book, although most misprints are corrected on the website (www.dadamo.com)--hard to find, but worth looking. This is ongoing research, however. D'Adamo also uses that site to update new findings on food compatibility. I think this diet could easily be used in conjunction with others appropriate to type. For instance, type O people will do well with Atkins as long as they cut out the wheat gluten and dairy; people with food allergies may have to limit intake of more foods than he lists. He suggests 70-80% compliance works for most people. Even the critics suggest that this diet isn't likely to harm anyone. I fully expect some version of this to be exonerated as fully as, if not more than, Atkins. In the meantime, this is a great resource, it's interesting reading even for the healthy, and it is more likely to engage a reader like myself who likes to see detailed scientific justification before jumping into a health plan.
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172 of 178 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to Treat Your Illness or Disease with Relevant Herbs, January 8, 2002
This review is from: Eat Right For Your Type - Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia (Paperback)
Dr. Peter D'Adamo has written a very interesting adjunct to his superb book, Live Right 4 Your Type. If you have already read that earlier book, you will find this book adds to your knowledge by letting you know about the latest research about the statistical correlations of various diseases and illnesses to those with various blood types. I wrote down the illnesses that I have more frequently than other people I know, and the diseases I have experienced before reading this book. I checked my experience against what the book reports, and found a high correlation (I have had two additional problems not typical of my Type O blood, and have not experienced three problems often associated with Type O people). I did the same for my wife, who has a different blood type, and found that her pattern reasonably closely matched what is described in the book as well. Then, the book has an excellent discussion of why people with each blood type can be affected differently by each illness or disease. You are also given extensive suggestions for herbal therapies that match your herb type. I have not had experiences with the herbs that were suggested for me, so I cannot comment on how relevant they are. If you already use herbs to improve conditions, you will probably adore this book. If you don't use many herbs, you will probably appreciate understanding more about the potential strengths and weaknesses of your blood chemistry. The book is quite thorough in providing articles you can read for more details, and where to access these articles on-line. If you have not read Live Right 4 Your Type, you will find that this book covers almost the same background material but at a much higher level of abstraction. There is a fairly complete discussion of how blood types seem to have developed and what their chemical implications are. In other ways, the book is quite complete in similarity to the earlier ones. For example, you get the food indications for each blood type, essentially like the information in both Eat Right 4 Your Type and Live Right 4 Your Type. Many people are skeptical about Dr. D'Adamo's work. I found him careful about what he had to say. For example, he notes that the risk charts in the book describe how blood type "in conjunction with other factors . . . may be [associated with] an increased risk for developing a certain disease." As to the diseases and illnesses, I was impressed to see how much different cancers were broken down by the part of the body affected while different infections were also segmented. I always find it helpful to keep the research-based associations to blood type in mind when I read other books about nutrition, health, and diseases. Perhaps someday other health authors will add this perspective to their work, as well. Until then, I am very grateful to Dr. D'Adamo for helping me understand how to make the most out of being a Type O person! How can you turn your strengths and weaknesses into resources for improving the quality of your life . . . and those you care about? Keep your mind and your body full of the most helpful resources you can add!
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112 of 122 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
PETER D'ADAMO - HE IS BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME!, January 11, 2002
This review is from: Eat Right For Your Type - Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia (Paperback)
Peter D'Adamo has proven his expertise in the areas of food, nutrition and health in general. His previous books of the "well-known 4's" - "Eat Right", "Cook Right" and "Live Right" have become extremely popular and offer new insight into choosing the right foods based on your blood type. I have been following Peter's advice for years and as his books will reveal, "you are exactly what youe eat." His theories on how to improve one's health, energy and general feeling of well being are based on sound, reliable research. This encyclopedia contains some of the information found in his previous books but he expands on his topics in greater detail. There is extremely helpful information provided on herbs and supplements for those who are into natural healing alternatives. The author also expands on various diseases and, with cancer being one of most-feared diseases, the information presented here was particularly informative and helpful. Whether it be cancer, diabetes or heart disease, most people probably worry about these life-threatening diseases at some point in their lives, particularly as we grow older. D'Adamo makes mention of various studies which support the claims he makes for his theories on various blood types. This "Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia", like all of D'Adamo's other books, is highly recommended and worth far more than five stars in the rating. Thank you, Peter, for providing such enlightening reading material, which may ultimately help prolong our lives and improve the quality of our daily living.
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