Title: Revisiting D'Adamo's Blood Type Diet: The Critical Role of Secreted Antigens in Digestive Health - An Evolutionary Perspective
Author: Vijender Bhalla
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i2.100
Abstract
The theoretical construct of a 'Blood Specific Diet' advocated by Peter D'Adamo, on the premise that food lectins react differently with each blood type, has met with criticism from different quarters for different reasons.The approach followed in this paper is a paradigm shift from 'blood types' to 'secreted antigens', as the key factor, in the relationship between diet and disease (gastric / duodenal ulceration). The problem is analyzed from an evolutionary perspective, relying essentially on a built-in-set of biological mechanism in the form of secreted blood group substances, which confer a selective advantage in an environment of lectin-rich-diet. It is an evolutionary legacy that has been retained, to this day, in hunting-gathering societies. Lectins have been implicated as the trigger factor for peptic ulceration. Decreased susceptibility of secretors to peptic ulceration is closely related to the presence of glycoprotein form of blood group substances in large quantity In the brush border cells, which act as a defense against the mucous stripping effect of lectins in food. Due to their lectin binding affinity, secreted antigens also prevent the lectins from attaching to and damaging the cell membrane lining of the gut. Three primary factors namely, quantum of lectin intake, secretor status along with ABO phenotype and preferential affinity of H. pylori key-adhesins for competing H type 2 and Lewis-a and Lewis-b antigenic receptors, seem to play a pivotal role in determining the bacterial load, inflammatory response and severity of H. pylori infection leading to gastric / duodenal ulceration. Propensity for gastric ulceration is a bane of modern societies which are not so well adapted to withstand the onslaught of lectin-rich-diet.
References
1. D'Adamo PJ: Eat right 4 your type. Putnam, New York 1997.
2. Klaper M: Blood Type Diet: Fact or Fiction. Toronto Vegetarian Association, Nov. 11, 2005. Website: www.earthsave.org.
3. Leila Cusack, Emmy De Buck, Veerie Compernolle, PhillippeVanderkerchkove: Blood type diets lack supporting evidence: A systematic review. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(1): 99-104, 2013.
4. Wang Jingzhou, Bibiana Garcia-Bailo, Daiva E. Nielsen, Ahmed El-Sohemy: ABO Genotype, Blood Type Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors. 15 Jan. 2014, PLoS ONE 9(1): e84749 doi: 10.1371/journal. pone. 0084749. PMC 3893150.
5. Mary-Jean King "2: ABO Polymorp-hism and their putative biological relationship with disease". Human Blood Cells (Consequences of Genetic Polymorphisms and Variations). (2000-07-04), World Scientific Pub Co Inc. pp 44. ISBN 978-1860941962.
6. Owen Foundation website: www.owenfoundation.com, Lectins in Edible Foods and ABO Reactions: An alphabetical list of Foods containing Lectins in Edible Plants and Animal sources. Oct. 2013.
7. Nachbar MS, Oppenheim JD: Lectins in the United States diet: a survey of lectins in commonly consumed foods and a review of the literature. Am. J. Clin. Nut. 33:2338-2345, 1980.
8. Bhatia HM, Boyd WC: Inhibition reactions of Fourteen "Nonspecific" Seed Extracts. Transfusion 2(2): 106-109, 1962.
9. Boyd WC: Lectins. Annals of New York Academy of Sciences. 169 (Article 1), pp. 168-190, 1970.
10. Grundbacher FJ: Lectins in precipitin reactions with soluble H substance of Human Saliva and Serum. Science 1973.
11. Clarke CA, Edwards JW, Haddock DRW, Howel-Evans AW, McConnell RB, Sheppard PM: ABO blood groups and secretor character in duodenal ulcer. Brit. Med. J. ii, 725-731, 1956.
12. 6. Clarke CA, Evans DA, price A, McConnell RB, Sheppard PM: Secretion of blood group antigens and peptic ulcer. Brit. Med. J. i, 603-7, 1959.
13. Prokop O, Uhlenbruck G: Human Blood and Serum Groups. New York, NY Wiley Interscience; pp. 390-722, 1969.
14. Mourant AE, Kopec AC, Domaniewska-Sobczak K: Blood Groups and Disease. London, Oxford University Press, 1978.
15. Garratty G: Do blood groups have a biological role? In, Immunology of Transfusion Medicine. ed. Garratty G. New York, NY Dekker; pp. 201-255, 1994.
16. Marshal BJ, Warren JR: Unidentified curved bacilli in the stomach of patients with gastritis and peptic ulceration. Lancet 1 (8390): 1311-5, 1984.
17. NIH Consensus Statement Online: Helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer disease. Jan. 7-9, 1994, pp. 1-23.
18. Shistani A, Graham DY: Pathogenesis and therapy of gastric and duodenal ulcer disease. Medi. Clin. North-Am. 86(6): 1447-66, 2002.
19. Kusters JG, van Vliet AH, Kuipers EJ: Pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori Infection. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19(3): 449-90, 2006.
20. Liver D, Arnqvist A, Ogren J, Frick IM, Kersulyte D, Incecik ET, Berg DE, Convucci A, Engstrand L, Boren T: Helicobacter pylori adhesin binding fucosylatedhisto-blood group antigen revealed by retagging. Science, 279(5349): 373-7, 1998.
21. Schreiber S, Konradt M, Groll C, Scheid P, Hanauer G, Werling HO, Josenhans C, Suerbaum S: The spatial orientation of Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101(14): 5024-9, 2004.
22. Peterson AM, Krogfelt KA: Helicobacter pylori an invading organism? A review. FEMS Immunol. Med. Microbiol. 36(3): 117-26, 2003.
23. Mentis A, Blackwell CC, Weir DM, Spiladic C, Dialianas A, Skandalis N: ABO blood group, secretor status and detection of Helicobacter pylori among patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers. Epidemiol. Infect. 106, 221-229, 1991.
24. Bhalla V: ABH Polymorphism and Lectins in Diet: A Selection-Relaxation Hypoth-esis. In, Lectins-Biology, Biochemistry, Cinical Biochemistry, Vol. 7, Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri USA, PP. 299-303, 1990.
25. Wiener AS, Moor-Jankowski J: Blood groups of non-human primates and their relationship to the blood groups of man. In, Monkeys, Apes and Man. ed. Chiarelli AB. Academic Press; London; pp. 71-95, 1971.
26. Mourant AE, Kopec AC, Domaniewska-Sobczak K: Blood Groups and Disease. London, Oxford University Press, 1978.
27. Kuhn SL, Stiner MC: The antiquity of Hunter-gatherers. In, Hunter-gatherers: an interdisciplinary perspective. ed. Panter Brick C, Rowley Conwy P and Layton R. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001: pp. 99-142. [The Biosocial Society symposium series].
28. Coming CC, Shanahan F: Why is celiac disease so common in Ireland?Perspect. Biol. Med. 44: 342-52, 2001. [PubMed Abstract].
29. Rostani K, Malekzadeh R, Shahbazkhani B, Akbari MR, Catassi C: Coeliac disease in Middle Eastern countries: a challenge for the evolutionary history of this complex disorder? Dig. Liver Disease. 36: 694-7. [PubMed Abstract].
30. Temple NJ, Burkitt DP: Western diseases: Their dietary prevention and reversibility, Totowa, N.J., Humana Press; xiii, 453, 1994.
31. Freeman S, Herron JC: Evolution analysis, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River; xiv, 802, 2004.
32. Jonsson T, Olsson S, Ahren B, Bog-Hansen TC, Dole A, Lindeberg S: Agrarian diet and diseases of affluence - Do evolutionary novel dietary lectins cause leptin resistance? BMC Endocrine Disorders. 5:10, 2005.
33. Sharon N, Lis H. Lectins: Cell-agglutinating and sugar-specific proteins. Science, 177(4053): 949-59, 1972.
34. Bhalla V, Gaur V, Bhatia K: Lectin studies III. A survey of phytohaemagglutinins: Interaction of lectins with erythrocytes of ten vertebrate species, Vox Sanguinis, 35: 241-247, 1978.
35. Gibbons JR, Dankers I: Lectin-like constituents of food which react with components of Serum, Saliva and Streptococcus mutans. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 41(4): 880-888, 1981.
36. Bhalla V, Bhatia K, Gaur V, Satsangi S: Specific differences in the inhibition reactions of seven anti-H type lectins. ActaAnthropogenetica, 1(2): 9-14, 1977.
37. Boyd WC: The specificity of the nonspecific. J. Immunology, 85(3): 2 21-29, 1960
38. Sachdeva Rosy, Bhalla V: Inhibition reactions of ten nonspecific seed extracts and their conversion into group specific lectins. J. Hum. Ecology, 8(1): 39-42, 1997.
39. Liener IE: Phytohemagglutinis: Their nutritional significance. J. Agric. Food Chem. 22: 17, 1974.
40. Goldstein IJ, Poretz RD: Isolation, physicochemical characterization and carbohydrate-binding specificity of lectins. In, The Lectins. Ed. Liener IE, Sharon N, Goldstein IJ. Academic Press Inc., Harcourt Bruce Jovanovich, Publishers, London, 1986.
41. Bhalla, V: Lectins as diagnostic reagents: Application to problems in Sero-Anthropology, and detection of new sources in Indian Flora. In, Contributions to Holistic Traditions in Anthropology in India. Ed. R.K. Bhattacharya, Anthropological Survey of India, Calcutta, 2000.
42. Concon JM, Newberg DS, Eades SN: Lectins in Wheat Gluten Proteins. J. Agric. Food Chem. 31: 939-941, 1983.
43. Grant G, More LJ, McKenzie NH, Pusztai A: The effect of heating on the haemagglu-tinaing activity and nutritional properties of bean (Phaseolusvulgaris) seeds. J. Sci. Food. Agric. 33: 1324-1326, 1982.
44. Van Damme JME, Peumans WJ, Pusztai A, Bardocz S: Handbook of plant lectins : Properties and Biomedical Applications. Chichester, John Wiley, ill. xiv. 1st ed. 1998.
45. Sharon N, Lis H: Lectins. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordecht; London. xviii, 2nd ed. 2003.
46. Pusztai A: In, Toxicants of plant origin III. Proteins and Amino Acids. Cheeks, PR; ed., CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton. Florida.1987.
47. Pusztai A: Characteristics and consequ-ences of interaction of lectins with intes-tinal mucosa (abstract). Arch. Latinoam Nutr. 44 (4 Suppl 1): 10s-15s, 1996.
48. Shewry PR, Halford NG: Cereal seed storage proteins: structures, properties and role in grain utilisation. J. Exp. Bot., 53: 947-58, 2002. [PubMed Abstract).
49. Freed DLJ: Lectins in Food: Their importance in health and disease. Journal of Nutritional Medicine, 2: 45-65, 1991.
50. Silane M, De Vincenzi M: Bio active anti-nutritional peptides derived from cereal protamines: A review. Nahrung 43: 175-84, 1999. [PubMed Abstract].
51. Freed DLJ, Buckley CH: Mucotractive effect of lectin. Lancet, i: 585-6, 1978.
52. De Cagno R, De Angelis M, Lavermicocca P, De Vincenzi M, Giovannini C, Faccia M. Gobbetti M: Proteolysis by sour dough lactic acid bacteria: effects on wheat flour protein fractions and gliadin peptides involved in human cereal intolerance. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 623-33, 2002. [PubMed Abstract].
53. Mercenier A, Pavan S, Pot B: Probiotics as biotherapeutic agents: Present knowledge and future prospects. Curr. Pharm. Des. 9: 175-91, 2003. [PubMed Abstract].
54. Uchigata Y, Spitalnik SL, Tachiwaki O, Salata KF, Notkins AL: Pancreatic islet cell surface glycoprotein containing Gal B(1-4)GNAc-R identified by cytotoxic monoclonal antibodies. J. Exp. Med. 165: 124-39, 1987.
55. Scott FW, Kolb H: Cow's milk and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Lancet, 348: 613, 1996.
56. Bond A, Kerr MA, Hay FC: Distinct oligosaccharides content of rheumatoid arthritis derived immune complexes. Arthr. Rheum. 38: 744-9, 1995.
57. Kolberg J, Sollid L: Lectin activity of gluten identified as wheat germ agglutinin. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 130: 867-72, 1985.
58. Coppo R, Amore A, Roccatello D: Dietary antigens and primary IgA nephropathy. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2: 173-80, 1992.
59. Freed DLJ: Dietary Lectins and the anti-Nutritive Effects of Gut Allergy. Elsevier, Biomedical Press, North Holland. pp. 411-22, 1979.
60. Liener IE, Sharon N, Goldstein IJ: The Lectins: Properties, Functions and Application in Biology and Medicine. Academic Press, Orlando, FL; 1986.
61. Freed DLJ: Do dietary lectins cause disease? BMJ. 318: 1023-24, 1999.
62. Pusztai A, Clarke EMW, King TP: The nutritional toxicity of Phaseolusvulgaris lectins. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 38:115, 1978.
63. Banwell JG, Howard R, Kabir I, Costerton JW: Bacterial overgrowth by indigenous microflora in the PHA fed rat. Can. J. Microbiol. 34: 1009-13, 1988.
64. Greer F, Pusztai A: Toxicity of kidney bean (Phaseolusvulgaris) in rats: Changes in intestinal permeability. Digestion, 32: 42-6, 1985.
65. Martins LC, de Olivera Corvelo TC, [...] de Souza JT: ABH and Lewis antigen distribution in blood, saliva and mucous & H. pylori infection in gastric ulcer patients. World J. Gastroenterol. 12(7): 1120-4, 2006.
66. Sheu BS, Sheu SM, Yang HB, Huang AH, Wu JJ: Host gastric Lewis expression determines the bacterial density of Helicobacter pylori in babA2genopositive infection. Gut 52: 927-32, 2003.
67. Mahdavi J, Sonden B, Hurtig M, [...] Boren T: Helicobacter pylori SabA Adhesion in persistent infection and chronic inflammation. Science 297 (5581): 573-8, 2002.
68. Clyne M, Drumm B: Lewis blood group antigen expression and adherence of Helicobacter pylori to gastric cells. Gastroenterology 113: 72-80, 1997.
69. Alkout AM, Blackwell CC, Weir DM, Roxton IR, Elton RA, Luman W, Palmer K: Isolation of a cell surface component of Helicobacter pylori that binds H type 2, Lewis a and Lewis b antigens. Gastroenterology 112: 1179-87, 1997.
70. Heneghan MA, Moran AP, Feeley M, Egan EL, Goulding J, Connolly CE, McCarthy CF: Effects of host Lewis and ABO blood group antigen expression on Helicobactor pylori colonisation density and the consequent inflammatory response. Article first publishedonline 17 Jan. 2006. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-695X.1998.tb01135.x.