Canadian Blood Services and Blood Astrology
We trust the Canadian Blood Services to use the best science available to provide a safe blood supply. Unbelievably they are promoting the unscientific idea that your blood type affects your personality. Including whether a vegetarian diet is right for you. For example:
So, you’re an A. You already know that having type A blood suggests that you are reliable, a team player and may benefit from a vegetarian diet*. Did you also know that anthropologists believe that type A blood originated in Asia or the middle east between 25,000 and 15,000 BC?
So, you’re a B. You already know that having type B blood suggests that you are independent, a self-starter and may benefit from a wholesome well-balanced diet*. Did you also know that anthropologists believe that type B blood appeared between 15,000 and 10,000 BC in the Himalayas?
The Skeptics dictionary has a good description of this psudoscience.
A pseudoscientific notion dreamed up by naturopath James D’Adamo: one’s diet should be determined by one’s blood type. Like many quacks before him, D’Adamo appealed to intuition for his brainstorm (“over the years, he recognized that each of the 4 blood types thrived on certain foods and physical activities”) and anecdotes rather than controlled studies to support the validity of his ideas. His son, also a naturopath, Peter J. D’Adamo (about whom the rest of this entry is about) is a fruit that did not fall far from the tree. He has written several books, and travels the world promoting the blood type diet.
Our national blood supplier should not be prominently promoting the equivalent of a National Inquirer horoscope on their website. The goal of the “What Type Are You” section is unclear, but it does not inspire much confidence in as scientifically based medical organization.
Via the Association for Science and Reason. The Ottawa Skeptics has an excellent writeup.
