Table of contents:
- Why does someone have blood type O?
- What are some interesting facts about blood type O?
- 1. A universal donor
- 2. Diet for blood type O
- 3. Low risk of developing blood clots
- 4. The risk of female fertility problems
- 5. Low risk of heart disease
- 6. Low risk of developing Alzheimer's
There are four types of blood groups in the world, namely A, B, AB, and O. Which is your blood type can describe how your health, personality, and even the risk of disease in the future. Well, of the four, blood type O is quite special because it is said that they can donate their blood to any blood type. Is that true?
Why does someone have blood type O?
Each blood group has a different antigen. Antigen is a special protein produced by the body's immune system to recognize potentially dangerous foreign cells.
The antigen then combines with the antibodies in the blood plasma to form unique molecular combinations. This combination of antigens and antibodies determines your blood type. Type O blood does not have A or B antigens, but it does have A and B antibodies
In addition, blood group also has an additional antigen called rhesus (Rh factor). If your blood is found to have the Rh factor, it means that your blood is "positive", and it is written with a "plus" sign, such as A +, B +, AB +, and O +.
Conversely, if your blood does not contain rhesus, it means your blood type is "negative" so it is marked with a minus symbol (-), such as A-, B-, AB- or O-.
The antigen is inherited from your father and mother. You can get type O blood if one or both of your parents have O blood.
What are some interesting facts about blood type O?
Here are some interesting facts about blood type O that you need to know:
1. A universal donor
The opinion has always been emphasized that people with blood type O can freely donate to anyone who needs them, so they are often referred to as universal donors. In fact, this assumption is not medically correct.
As explained above, people with type O blood do not have A antigens or B antigens. In theory, type O blood should be able to donate their blood to anyone. However, don't forget about the existence of rhesus. People with blood type O- still have antibodies that can trigger a rejection response in the recipient's body.
Each blood has different antibodies that are designed to recognize only certain blood components. For example, if you have blood type A- (rhesus negative), your antibodies can only recognize blood components from the same blood group A- or from O-.
If you get a donor from O +, while you have a negative rhesus, the body's immune system will detect a positive rhesus as an attack and turn to attack him. As a result, your antibodies will destroy the red blood cells in your body.
This immune attack response will make you experience chills, fever, and a drastic drop in blood pressure after receiving unsuitable blood donors. The wrong blood donor can even cause respiratory and kidney function failure and blood clots which can be fatal.
Even so, in times of urgency and emergency, blood group O- can be an emergency option to save lives in need.
Quoted from the American Red Cross, blood type O tends to be in short supply and has a high demand by hospitals. This is because blood type O rhesus negative is most needed for emergency transfusions and immunocompromised infants.
2. Diet for blood type O
Quoted from Harvard Health Publishing, a good diet for blood type O is:
- High protein foods
- Eat lots of meat, vegetables, fish and fruits
- Cut back on whole grains, beans, and legumes
Meanwhile, if you want to lose weight, you need to pay attention to the following diet:
- Eat lots of seafood, seaweed, red meat, broccoli, spinach, and olive oil
- Avoid wheat, corn, and dairy products.
3. Low risk of developing blood clots
Type O blood has a lower amount of protein. This is quite useful for preventing the formation of blood clots.
However, this does not mean that people with blood O can ignore the symptoms of blood clots. Having a certain blood type does not automatically make you healthier or stronger than others. Everyone has a risk of blood clotting disorders.
4. The risk of female fertility problems
According to a study from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the average blood type O woman has more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels than other blood types. This high amount of FSH levels is associated with a low reserve number of eggs (ovum).
Even so, there are many things you can do to maintain the quality of your eggs and increase fertility. Starting from quitting or avoiding smoking, not drinking alcoholic beverages and alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight with a regular diet and regular exercise.
Apart from genetics, a healthy lifestyle also has a big role to play in increasing egg production.
5. Low risk of heart disease
According to research from the Harvard School of Public Health, people with blood type O have a 23% lower risk of having a heart attack than other blood types.
Even so, heart health must also be considered with a healthy lifestyle. This remains the main thing. Eat foods that are high in fiber and low in fat, avoid smoking and alcohol, and be diligent in exercising every day.
6. Low risk of developing Alzheimer's
A study shows that people with blood type O have a low risk of developing dementia. The study found that type O blood has more volume gray matter in their brain compared to other blood groups.
Gray matter is a sign that plays a role in processing information and memories in the brain. The older you are, the volume gray matter will decrease further.
That is, volume gray matter the higher the information storage process in the brain can last longer as we get older. This is what is thought to help someone avoid diseases related to memory, such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
