Blood typing refers to a technique that determines the specific type of blood an individual has. It identifies the particular agglutinogens, antigens or proteins that are present on the surface of red blood cells. Agglutinogens come in two types, considered as type A and type B; each are chemically distinct from one another. Through blood typing, the blood types can be grouped into four categories: A, B, O, and AB
Blood typing also identifies the presence of another protein called the Rh factor on the surface of the red blood cells. Those who have this substance on their blood are grouped under Rh positive(Rh+) while those who do not have this are considered Rh negative (Rh-). Combining Rh with a specific agglutinogen, an individual who is type B with the Rh protein on the surface of his or her blood is said to be type B positive.
Can a specific blood type determine the type of diet an individual should follow?
It is good to know the specific blood type that each individual has in order to determine an appropriate diet that would match with their blood. Scientific studies revealed that some proteins in food can react differently with each blood type. One type of protein, known as lectin, exhibits agglutinating effects that can trigger different health concerns when united with the body’s organs. Individuals who are sensitive to lectins may suffer from severe intestinal damage which could disrupt digestion, cause a loss of protein and retard growth. Lectins have the potential to block glucose uptake and insulin receptors, which may lead to celiac disease and support the growth of harmful bacteria. In addition, these proteins can trigger several immune responses which encourage IgE, IgG and IgM allergy reactions as well as lymphocyte mitogenesis, an induced mechanism of cell division.
Some probiotics or beneficial bacteria can also potentially trigger hemagglutinin activity similar to the effects of lectin, which may be blood type-specific. This is because blood type antigens are also present in the digestive tract, particularly in the mucosal lining. Most of the good bacteria utilize the blood type to determine the kind of food that they need. Blood type-specific polyflora of probiotics should be matched with the kind of prebiotics that could further enhance the growth of these beneficial bacteria. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that excessive amounts of probiotics may stimulate the formation of high titer isoagglutinins. This kind of substance could lead to haemolytic reactions in recipients with blood type A and B because donors who have probiotics in their diets might possess high titer isoagglutinins.
Blood typing is extremely important in the case of newborn babies. Newborns have a sterile gut which later becomes the home of bacteria during the first few months outside their mother’s womb. Usually, these bacteria have terminal sugar structures on their membrane, which match the A and B agglutinogens found on red blood cells. Once it recognizes the antigens on bacteria, the newborn’s immune system produce antibodies, the anti-A and anti-B isoagglutinins, that act against the bacterial sugars, which results to a cross reaction with the red cell antigen.
Be advised that we can only determine the letter of your blood type and not whether it is positive or negative. The mechanism behind blood typing is for one to understand the particular blood type and the specific nutritional diet that matches with it so they can improve their overall wellbeing, young and old alike.