Sunny Health

In some Asian cultures, blood type is a matter of significant interest, especially when it comes to dating, and “what is your blood type” would be one of the first questions your date would ask, if the information is not already on your public profile. Apparently, like the zodiac sign, certain blood types have specific personalities, compatible blood types, things they are good at, lucky days and so on.

Well, they certainly aren’t wrong about the importance of blood types, though they might have had the wrong focus. Or perhaps this is just a clever means of masking their true intentions of finding out one’s blood type. After all, health matters are highly personal, something you might seriously discuss only if marriage is on the cards.

While there is no scientific evidence that blood type has any bearings on personality, it certain reveals more than a thing or two about one’s health.

According to a research by the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress, people with a non-O blood group have a slightly higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Non-O blood groups are people with A, B and AB blood types. It is thought that A, B and AB blood types may present higher levels of blood-clotting protein, causing arteries to become clogged more easily.




The research was done based on studies involving some 1.3 million people. Findings revealed that 15 in 1,000 people with a non-O blood group suffered a heart attack, compared to 14 in 1,000 people with blood group O. This also brings to mind an earlier study which suggested that people with the rarest blood group - AB - were most vulnerable to heart disease. Their risk of contracting it was 23% more.



Genetic factors have typically played a small role in increasing the risk of certain diseases, but the probability of contracting the disease is not definite. Your lifestyle plays a major role in contracting diseases. Though study author Tessa Cole called for blood groups to be considered in risk assessments for cardiovascular prevention, others believe that giving up smoking and eating healthily should remain the focus for heart disease prevention.

Aside from cardiovascular health, your blood type also possibly sheds light on other health matters:

According to journal Neurology, blood type AB may be more susceptible to cognitive impairment as they age. This means that they are more likely to have memory and thinking problems, and again, clotting factors and proteins in the blood could be an explanation for it.

Those with blood type A have a higher risk of contracting stomach cancer and stomach ulcers compared to blood types B and O (unfortunately that includes AB too), according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. It is hypothesized that blood types AB or A may have greater immune system reaction to the bacteria H. pylori in our guts. The prolific cell activity from it would have been a cause for the cancer.

Blood types O not only have a decreased risk for heart diseases compared to their A and B counterparts, they are also less likely to develop pancreatic cancer, according to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. As with stomach cancer, it is possible that differing intensities of reaction to H. pylori could have been a reason for it.

With regards to influenza, or the common flu, this is what Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, a physician well known for advocating the Blood Type diet (customising diets based on blood type with the firm belief that blood types contribute significantly to one’s state of health), has to say about the different blood types:

•    Blood type A: Overall has a great ability to generate a quick and substantial antibody response against influenza type A(H1N1) and especially A(H3N2). Their antibody response against influenza B is not quite as dramatic.

•    Blood type AB: Relatively poor ability to generate high antibody levels against any of the influenza viruses.

•    Blood type B: Reasonable, but not great ability to generate an antibody response against influenza A(H1N1). Against influenza B virus, blood type B has a significant advantage. The blood type B immune response happens much earlier and persists longer.

•    Blood type O: Relatively effective ability to generate antibody response against influenza A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) viruses. Antibody response against influenza B is not as dramatic as blood type B.

It would be prudent to note that these statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.



Additionally, people with type A blood are more likely to have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their bodies, which means they get affected by stress more easily. O blood types on the other hand succumb to stress more easily. 

With all the luck that Blood Type Os have, perhaps that is why they may donate blood to most major blood types (O- can donate to all blood types) but only accept blood from Type O (O+ can accept blood from O+ and O-, while O- can only accept blood from O-). Life is as fair as can be after all.

Nevertheless, those with blood type AB should not be dismayed. The correlation between blood types and health conditions is a subject that scientists are still exploring and debating over. Hopefully, this article will encourage one in the higher risks groups to take proactive steps to reduce the health risks, such as leading a healthy lifestyle, cutting out on the vices and doing regular health check ups. Certainly, this is not a pass for Blood type Os to be complacent.

Recent changes in laws and policies, as well as the introduction of bike-sharing apps have made cycling more commonplace in Singapore. And as long as safe cycling is practised, this is good for the nation as a whole. According to a five-year study of 250,000 commuters in the UK, published in the British Medical Journal, cycling to work halves the risk of cancer and heart disease. Aside from being good news on a personal level, this would mean a healthier and more productive nation.

The cyclists in the study cycled about 50km per week. The further they cycled, the greater the health benefits. This is in line with existing findings that exercise keeps a myriad of health complications away. After all, cycling is also a wholesome form of exercise, but best of all, it can be worked into your daily routine. You may come up with a hundred and one excuses to drag yourself off to the gym. But if cycling is part of your commute to work or school, surely, you can't skip out on it!

Cycling is as intense as you want it to be; even the elderly and those with joint problems can enjoy it as it remains a low-impact activity if you do not cycle too hard or fast. Nevertheless, if you are unable to cycle, walking is good as well. You would have to walk at about 10 km a week for the health benefits to kick in. Essentially, as long as you work some form of physical routine into your daily routine that's sufficiently intense to get your perspiring and panting. While other personal mobility devices like the e-scooter and kick-scooter are also convenient and quick means of commuting, they expend comparatively less energy and effort. Unless you have mobility issues that impede you from cycling, the bicycle is obviously the healthier mode of transport. It may make you sweaty getting to work, but the satisfaction and increased metabolism you get from the cycling trip will be worthwhile.

Moreover, if you do not wish to own a bike, you can make use of bike sharing mobile apps in Singapore. There are currently three of them - Mobike, ofo and oBike. Renting the bicycles is hassle-free; they can be parked and ridden from just about anywhere (HDB void decks and MRT stations are popular spots to find a bike considering the high levels of activity), making it much more convenient than the conventional bicycle rentals where you had to return them to a specific location.


Currently, it is not possible to cycle all the way to work as current road infrastructures do not support safe cycling. Usually, one would have to cycle to an MRT station and then take the train from there. But the government has been planning for more cycling towns and the implementation of cycling paths. It will not be too far off in the future when everyone will be able to cycle all the way to work or school.

Nevertheless, it would be imperative to don the appropriate safety gear and obey traffic rules. Otherwise, you risk shortening your lifespan rather than prolonging it!

Getting sufficient, good-quality sleep in a fast-paced society is a challenge, more so if it is hampered by nightly disruptions by a full bladder. Many people who suffer from this mild disturbance may shrug it off as a mild disturbance and attribute it to drinking too much water before bedtime, or to ageing. However, it could be an indication of potentially serious health issues. Moreover, frequent disruption of sleep can eventually lead to problems arising from poor sleep quality.

According to a study by the Nagasaki University in Japan, a high salt intake could be the reason for these nightly trips to the loo. While larger studies will have to be conducted to further validate the results, it is no news that a diet high in sodium intake is bad for general health in any case and should be avoided. Certainly, kidneys and excess sodium do not get along with each other, and excess sodium intake is often a recipe for kidney stones and kidney disease.

If you often dine out or consume processed foods (i.e. canned food, preserved food, instants, basically food that was made to be kept and is not fresh like bacon and ham), your sodium intake may well be on the high side. The good news is that reducing sodium intake isn't difficult.

The most obvious tip would be to cut down on the processed foods. Food is usually processed not only for better taste, but also for a longer shelf life. A far-off expiry date is often a pretty good indication that a lot of preservatives have gone into its preservation, which means it would have high sodium content.

Always read the food labels; they will list the sodium content. Compare and contrast products from different brands and get the one with the lowest sodium content. In Singapore, the healthier choice label is a pretty reliable indicator and you may count on it to help you make an informed choice. Nevertheless, the label does state "healthier choice", not "healthy choice". So just because a certain brand of cup noodles has the label does not mean you can make healthy daily meals out of it! It simply means it is healthier compared to other cup noodles.

Taste isn't an accurate indicator of sodium content. A product that isn't particularly salty does not necessarily equate to low sodium levels. Food labels are your best friend!

If you're eating out, do some research on the sodium content of the eatery's dishes. The eatery's website may carry information on the ingredients and nutrition content. With more Singaporeans being health-conscious these days, more eating places are becoming upfront about the contents in their food. There are also some that will highlight healthier dishes or let you choose to have less salt and sugar in your meal.

Do consume more fresh fruit and vegetables, these always have much lower natural sodium compared to meat.

For those who adore salty food, everything may taste bland when you embark on your less-salt diet. However, taste preferences can be quickly unlearned. It takes about 2 months for your taste buds to get used to it. Eventually, you'll start finding your old salty favourites too salty for you, and that's good news for your kidneys, and quite possibly the solution to deep, uninterrupted sleep.