KARACHI, Sept 20: It is important that one should take diet in accordance with his or her blood group, a doctor said at a seminar on “A possible association of A, B, O blood groups and diet in various types of diseases.”

The moot was organized by the Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, at its premises on Saturday.

Dr Itqan Farooqui, a KU alumni from the United States, who was the keynote speaker, emphasized the importance of taking diet according to the one’s blood group.

Pointing out various diseases associated with different blood groups, he maintained that various physiological disorders could be minimized by taking appropriate diet which suited the respective blood groups of patients.

Dr Farooqui, who runs a centre for self improvement, said that those with ‘O’ blood group should consume high protein diet and avoid complex carbohydrates, found in wheat bread and shift to simpler carbohydrates like rice, adding that such persons should avoid red meat, however, they could consume small quantity of chicken and fish.

Those with ‘A’ group should not take too much of citrus fruits and avoid too much fats and should take more pulses, vegetables and rice, the doctor said.

Individuals with ‘B’ group should avoid pulses and wheat and consume less rice and oil, he said and added that they could have diary products and fish.

He said that those with ‘AB’ blood group had been advised to avoid eating chicken.

Dr Moinuddin, head of the Department of Hematology, Baqai University, said that at present there were about eight million thalassemia minor patients, whereas the number of patients with thalassemia major was 125,000.

It was pointed out that there were 25 per cent chances of a child, born to parents having thalassemia minor, having thalassemia major.

He pointed out that thalassemia was a genetic defect and that the gene therapy was not possible in Pakistan at the moment.

He suggested that there should be a law in Pakistan that no one with thalassemia major or minor should get married.

The chairperson of the KU Department of Microbiology, Prof Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, on the occasion, discussed the blood borne diseases and the significance of blood screening.—APP