You may have read that it's important to eat certain foods based on your blood type. Depending on whether your blood type is O, A, B or AB, proponents of the blood type diet say there are foods to eat and foods to avoid for optimal health and a longer life. Can eating certain foods based on blood type really help you live longer? The blood type diet was first introduced in 1996 by a naturopathic physician, Peter D'Adamo who alleges that even the spices you put on your food could contribute to better health and should be individualized for your specific blood type. The theory is that certain foods and even the type of exercise you do should be individualized. For instance, if you have type O blood you should eat plenty of meat and fish protein, vegetables and fruits but stay away from legumes - at least so the dietary guidelines say. Recommendations for weight loss include avoiding dairy, corn and wheat and filling up on red meat, broccoli, spinach and olive oil. Type A ind
Image Wikimedia Commons . If you’re looking for an easy and literally sweet way to keep your brain healthy and sharp with aging, keep drinking cocoa. Scientists reported this week in the journal Neurology that the popular beverage boosts brain performance, though the mechanism is not entirely clear yet. This time researchers gave elderly study participants two cups of cocoa a day to see if the chocolate drink could help cognitive performance. Past studies have focused on the health benefits of dark chocolate. Harvard scientists also studied cocoa's benefit for the brain in 2008, finding the drink improved blood vessel health to the brain. In the Harvard study, there was an 8 percent increase in blood flow after one week of consuming the beverage. Another study, published by Dutch researchers in 2006 , found chocolate in all forms, including cocoa, lowers blood pressure. The authors for the Dutch study concluded 2.11 grams of chocolate that was the average d