You may know your blood type – but do you know whether or not you're a secretor or a non-secretor? Most people have no idea that this blood typing sub-system even exists, but in truth, knowing which category you fall into can help you to make the most of your health.
The concepts of secretors and non-secretors were first introduced to the public by Dr. Peter D'Adamo's book Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type. In his book, Dr. D'Adamo posits that differences in blood type make people respond differently to various diets and medical treatments, and are the reason why some people are more vulnerable to certain illnesses and maladies than others. Each blood type, he says, has a distinct chemical reaction to lectins – substances found in foods. When a person eats a food containing lectins that are incompatible with his or her blood type, those lectins target a certain area and cause blood cells in that area to clump (or agglutinate), leading to uncomfortable symptoms. Continuing to ingest the offensive food will make the person susceptible to disease in the areas where the agglutination occurs.
Whether you're a secretor or a non-secretor is completely independent of your blood type, but just as important when it comes to understanding any metabolic dysfunctions and immune susceptibilities. Simply put, a secretor is a person whose body secretes its blood type antigens into its fluids – saliva, mucus, etc. A non-secretor does not. (Approximately 80% of the general population are estimated to be secretors.) And while no one blood type is better than the others, it is thought better to be a secretor than a non-secretor. The ability to secrete blood type antigens into your bodily fluids offers enhanced protection against outside factors such as potentially harmful microorganisms and the lectins from the food you eat. Secretors also have a more accomodating intestinal environment in which beneficial probiotic bacteria can thrive, since blood type can be used as a food source for such bacteria. Non-secretors on the other hand, because their bodies don't infuse their fluids with blood type antigens, have tendencies toward:
• Higher rates of oral disease, including more cavities – and, interestingly, habitual snoring
• Digestive problems, such as inflammation and ulcers
• A more prevalent rate of autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis
• Lungs that are more susceptible to environmental factors and cigarette smoking
• A greater risk of diabetes and heart disease
• A greater risk for recurrent urinary tract and Candida (yeast) infections
• An increased association with alcoholism
• More difficulty breaking down dietary fat and properly metabolizing calcium
• An increased intolerance to carbohydrates
Your “secretor/non-secretor” status, in conjunction with your blood type, also determines the viscosity and clotting time of your blood. So you see? Since many of your bodily functions and responses are influenced by your secretor status, knowing which you are can be a valuable tool in determining how to take the best care of yourself – and how to feel better than ever.
Source
Secretor status
Antigens are present in the blood and, in most individuals, in bodily fluids such as saliva. If antigens are present in your bodily fluids, you are known as a ‘secretor’. If they are not present in your bodily fluids, you are a ‘non-secretor’. This fact is important for the diet, so it is important that you find out your secretor status.
Some researchers have found a correlation between Rhesus status and Secretor status. If you are unable to determine your Secretor status, a general rule of thumb is that Rhesus + usually denotes a secretor, and Rhesus – usually denotes a non-secretor. This research has not been sufficiently documented at this stage, so if possible and if available in your country, a test for secretor status should be done at the same time as the test for your blood type.
Secretors are shown as ‘1’ and non-secretors as ‘2’, for example, A1 (secretor) or A2 (non-secretor).
Since Rh neg O has no antigens does that mean we are non-secretors? Janeen in Arizona
ReplyDeleteIt would depend if you are Rhesus O negative homozygous (O-/O-) you may still be O negative and a positive blood type. IE you could be (O-/O+) obviously depending on what your parents are.
DeleteYes, if you have Rh negative blood, there is a high chance of you being a non-secretor.
ReplyDeleteSo how do non-secretors better themselves? It's not like we can change our bloodtype...
ReplyDeleteI don't know about this study, I'm -O and have none of the mention conditions.
DeleteI did heard that bug bites make your immune system stronger. Eating honey is know to lessen allergies specially seasonal ones. They fabricate penicillin from the fungus ants farm in their caves. I been bit by bees, wasps, ants red and black, mosquitoes from many shapes and sizes, a spider or two...
I'm not saying you should try this at home, but I'm strong like a bull cough cough... ha ha just joking, but over all great health!
If you must, eat more honey, and do get bit by a couple average ants, not the giant gladiator kind just normal ones and do not try spiders...
For real, and I don't know, ever since I stopped eating meat I haven't been sick. I stopped at 15 and I am about to be 17 in a few days. I used to get sick like every 2-3 months, bronchitis, menstrual problems (like bleeding for months) and all types of crazy stuff. I had a Dr from India suggest that I try out herbal life and quit the meat and animal product once my blood test came in. We ordered all types of herbs online and I build up my
Deleteimmunity and have been healthy ever since.
Zakiya: Blodtype O people can not be vegetarians. They have the oldest blodtype from when we where hunters and gatherers. If they chose to be vegetarians they are putting their heath at risk with increased cancer chances and many other diseases.
DeleteAlso not true. I am O- and was a vegetarian from age 16 to age 32, and have never been healthier. (I still don't eat much meat - just chicken on very rare occasions)
DeleteI became a vegetarian for a year and started losing my hair. When I started back eating meat it grew back. I am o blood type.
DeleteActually, I am a an O-type blood and fully agree with John Madsen's comment. My experience with vegetarian diet absolutely wreaked utter havoc with my health. I was eating lean whole foods, mostly vegetables of a high variety, occasional leaned baked fish or chicken, (these protein sources once every 6-8 weeks.)I ate spinach for iron. I had minimal but healthy fats. I took supplements and saw my physician regularly. FRom the moment I started this diet; within weeks I grew fatigued. I got cold even in late spring and even in summer. After 6 months the fatigue became bouts of brain fog. I had no energy to complete my excercise classes. Nor for the yoga course I was taking. People noticed my fingernails had a bluish tinge. They said my overall shade was off-hue. They call this pallor. Finally I saw another medical doctor who suggested I go and eat a well done steak high quality preferable organic beefsteak no less than 2- 3 times that month. I replied what about the health benefits of the vegetarian diet I have been attempting? The medical doctor said, "there is a theory that some cannot efficiently handle this sort of diet gastrointestinally, and it may be shown to cause malabsorption of nutrients for some individuals - I have come to observe during my practice." It was then discovered as well that I had grown anemic. I then integrated lean red meats into my diet and avoided convenience foods, too many preservatives and GMO'd foods. Seems the moment I took in the meat, my color came back, I got out and jogged, I slept better and my mental cognition returned to normal. It was not until years later I had blood typing done that determined I was an O neg. Never went back to "vegan" of any subtype. Best thing I ever did. The O neg blood types in this line of relatives lived out robust healthy lives eating meat well into their late 90s. And some longer.
DeleteThis theory is not true, as I am an O+ blood type and a non-secretor.
ReplyDeleteThat is very arrogant of you, read what it says "Some researchers have found a correlation between Rhesus status and Secretor status. If you are unable to determine your Secretor status, a general rule of thumb is that Rhesus + usually denotes a secretor, and Rhesus – usually denotes a non-secretor. This research has not been sufficiently documented at this stage, so if possible and if available in your country, a test for secretor status should be done at the same time as the test for your blood type." No one says it is 100% true. Also you could be an -/+ rather than an +/+ so could be half negative.
DeleteI also am O+ and a non-secretor. I do know of a lot of O- non-secretors on the forums of Dr. D'Adamo's web site. From my personal perspective, the best thing is to be tested-- but if you suffer from many of the health issues listed, you might try using his books (Live Right 4 Your Type is the ideal one) to remove the avoid foods for your blood type, and assume that you are a non-secretor as well. I will say that I have been following the blood type diet for 20 years, and it probably saved my life. It certainly healed many of my health issues.
DeleteThank you churchsmj for setting the record straight!
ReplyDeleteOh Damn.. But if tha case is 0rh+, is it ok to change the meat till Tofu fex...
ReplyDeleteI am 0+, and sick all time.. Even when not sick (last, kidding).. So my test now is to change meat till vegan style...
Thank you all for this, so what can we do if we are a non secretor to better our lives?
ReplyDeleteI'm actually a RH+ Heterozygous (A+/O-) and I'm a non-secretor. So even if you're a positive blood group you can still be a non-secretor if you have a plus/minus blood type.
ReplyDeleteI'm RH Negative -O
ReplyDeleteI suffer with many diseases including autoimmune RA.
Would my Rheumatologist know the answer to this?
I believe people who are Rh- who were give immunizations as children are now suffering with a broad spectrum of disease, I have psoriatic arthritis and idiopathic peripheral neuropathy, I think these immunization had anitibodies in them that our bodies cannot remove and are attacking our system.
DeleteI'm A- and a secretor. I don't have the problems associated with NS so I suspected as much but got the test done to make sure. Now I can go back to the bread I love to eat. Yayyyyyyyy!! I told hubby to get the test because he is A+ and is prone to the NS problems...go figure.
ReplyDeleteMy blood type is A- ...... So am I a non secretor or a secretor.
ReplyDeleteMy blood type is A- ....am I a secretor or a non secretor please?
ReplyDeleteIt is determined through test. Can not be known through blood type.
DeleteWell, some of this is contradictory info from one of the other blogs you wrote, and now I'm confused. First, you said Rh neg types get fewer cancers, have better immune systems, etc, and now it seems that most Rh negs are also NS, which puts them at greater risk for ...cancer, among many other things! So which is it? Or both? (P.S. Rh- must be a recessive trait, as both my parents are Rh+. And everyone on my paternal grandfather's side of the family is a redhead, but my grandmother's genes (dark hair and very fair skin, with light eyes) must have been dominant to the redheaded genes, as it didn't get passed down. I just have (used to have!) red highlights in the sun, but can't take the sun at all - another of the traits your other blog described as being typical of Rh- people. In fact, I was so blown away by the accuracy of your descriptions of O- people that even though I wanted to just dismiss this theory as bizarre, I now am forced to reconsider...)
ReplyDeleteWhere do I say that negs are more likely to get cancer? I don't think I say that anywhere. The source of the information above is linked to, I didn't write it, but it doesn't mention cancer.
DeleteHi. I am A+ and have all the symptoms of NS. I am 37 and have already had two spine surgeries for no reason. They told me I have a spine of 70year old woman. Also I have allergies since I was a teen. As I have major in science I quickly realized that whenever I eat carbohydrates/bread,pasta etc my body shuts down or I get sick. I know my body is fine with lean meat, fruits n veggies n limited instance if cheese. I also cannot process cow milk that well. Hope it helped someone.
ReplyDelete