Eat Right for Your Type; No Tofu for You! Book Review

Eat Right for Your Type is a book which relates the diet to blood type. The main justification for the four specific diets is lectin protein digestion and absorption within the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. A main critique of this book is the cultural and biological explanations behind the diet specifications and relation to blood type. In comparison to Dr. Weston Prices’ common findings on the benefits of traditional diet's high in saturated fats and cholesterol found in all indigenous societies, Peter D’Adamo’s recommendations of animal-derived fat sources are primarily lean meats. A specific concern is centered on the Type A diet recommendations, which eliminate meat and dairy while recommending a diet high in vegetable oils and soy protein through foods like tofu.
Tofu, like many soy products that are not completely and thoroughly fermented and aged for the appropriate amount of time, lack the digestive enzymes that make the minerals available for digestion and absorption. Peter D'Adamo's recommendations for vegetarians to eat tofu as a replacement for protein sources is ignorance. Tofu has enzyme inhibitors, that can block the bodies absorption of essential minerals, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Soy protein powders, soy isolates, are also high in mineral-blocking phytates, thyroid-depressing phytoestrogens and potent enzyme inhibitors that depress growth and cause cancer. These enzyme inhibitors can only be removed from the soybean through fermentation, not ordinary household cooking practices. It is a mistake to rely on tofu or bean curd as a protein food because of its high phytate content. Eating tofu with fish broth, like the Japanese, and not using tofu as a protein substitute, but as a small addition to the meal is recommended. Soy milk, often used as a substitute for cow milk, is also high in phytate content and can lead to mineral deficiencies. Phytoestrogens cannot be removed through the process of fermentation or modern processing, and are potent endocrine disrupters as well as goitrogens-substances that depress thyroid function (Fallon, 62).
The anitnutrients in modern soy products and soy flour can inhibit growth and cause intestinal problems, swelling of the pancreas and even cancer. Soy's high omega-3 content allows it to go rancid quickly when the bean is made into flour. Instead, choose traditional soy products that have been fermented for the adequate amount of time, such as natto, miso, or tempeh (Fallon, 477).
Tracy Taylor
Food Activist


Sources:
Nourishing Traditions; The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. Sally Fallon
Eat Right 4 your Type: the individualized diet solution to staying healthy, living longer and achieving your ideal weight. Peter D'Adamo.