The TriDoc Podcast, triathlon and health in one place · Dr. Jeff Sankoff

Ep. 167: Blood Type Diet? More Like Blood Type don't/Behind the Scenes of Coaching with Jeff and Juliet

·1 hr 2 min·4 clips

Jeff says Dr. Scott Rizal is promising to cure “all that ails you” with blood type diet rules.

1. The TriDoc Podcast episode centers on blood type diet claims and a coaching philosophy conversation with Jeff Sankoff and Juliet Hockman. 2. Jeff Sankoff is the host, an emergency physician, Ironman finisher, and triathlon coach, and Juliet Hockman is his colleague and medical-mailbag partner. 3. The episode asks whether Dr. Scott Rizal’s blood type diet has any merit and what Jeff and Juliet look for in coaching. 4. Mark Askew sends the blood type diet question through the TriDoc coaching website after hearing Dr. Rizal on The Extra Mile List. 5. Jeff says the diet comes from D. Adamo and a lectin theory that food sugars can make red blood cells clump by blood type. 6. Jeff describes the diet’s evolutionary story, including the claim that blood type O came first and later A, B, and AB types emerged. 7. Jeff says research has not shown that blood type determines whether a person should eat specific foods. 8. Jeff and Juliet name examples from Dr. Rizal’s claims, including beef for type A, chicken for type B, tomatoes for cholesterol, and coffee or avocado rules. 9. They also note that the diet extends beyond food into exercise advice, with type A pushed toward yoga and Tai Chi and type O toward vigorous aerobic exercise. 10. Jeff and Juliet say the diet resembles a more general push toward whole foods, lower processing, and a Mediterranean-style pattern. 11. Jeff cites studies showing no clear benefit from eating according to blood type, while better overall eating patterns did help. 12. Jeff points to a WebMD article by Kathleen Zellman that calls the blood type diet “a gimmicky way to try to get people to eat healthier.” 13. Jeff mentions an ABO genotype blood type diet and cardiometabolic risk factors paper that found no association between blood type and those risk factors. 14. Jeff raises a competing evolutionary hypothesis that AB may have come before O, which would undercut the diet’s original premise. 15. Juliet pushes back on broad anti-chiropractor language and says her own chiropractor has helped her a great deal. 16. Jeff distinguishes musculoskeletal chiropractic care from claims about diabetes, thyroid problems, babies, and other unrelated conditions. 17. The tone in the blood type section is skeptical, fast-moving, and argumentative, with Jeff and Juliet trading examples and corrections. 18. The coaching section becomes reflective and practical, with both speakers comparing their own athlete and coach experiences. 19. Listeners who like evidence-based triathlon training and coaching philosophy will likely enjoy this episode. 20. Listeners looking for a quick endorsement of blood type diets will probably skip this episode.

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