Metabolic typing
Encyclopedia
Metabolic typing is the term for a diet
based upon the concept of metabolic type. Proponents claim that each person has a unique metabolism
, and that therefore the nutrients which are appropriate for one person may be inappropriate for a second, and detrimental for a third. Metabolic typing claims to use common visible symptoms related to the skin, eyes, and other superficial parts of the body to assess different aspects of a person's metabolism and categorize them into broad metabolic types. In addition, some proponents of metabolic typing use tests such as hair analysis
to determine a person's "metabolic type".
A number of somewhat different "metabolic typing" diet plans are currently marketed. The validity and effectiveness of metabolic typing have not been established.
, in the 1960s. Kelley advocated basing dietary choices on the activity of one's sympathetic
and parasympathetic nervous system
s. In 1970, Kelley was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, as he had diagnosed a patient with lung cancer
based on a fingerstick blood test
and prescribed nutritional therapy. He continued to promote a metabolic typing diet through the 1980s. The practice has been further developed by others including Harold Kristol and William Wolcott.
"Metabolic therapy", including administration of laetrile, was promoted for cancer patients by John Richardson in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s, until his arrest for violating the California Cancer Law and revocation of his license by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance.
, along with anyone suffering from symptoms that have yet to be diagnosed, as every branch of alternative medicine, metabolic typing has come under fire by certain people in the traditional medical field.
The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
website notes that "...retrospective reviews of the Gerson, Kelley, and Contreras metabolic therapies show no evidence of efficacy."
Some metabolic typing companies use a battery of blood
and urine tests
performed by reputable laboratories, but interpret the results in an unconventional and medically questionable fashion. During a 1985 investigation into one such firm, an investigator sent 2 separate samples of his own blood and urine for analysis. He received 2 drastically different "metabolic typing" reports and dietary plans. Both plans involved the purchase of dietary supplement
s costing several dollars per day.
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
based upon the concept of metabolic type. Proponents claim that each person has a unique metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
, and that therefore the nutrients which are appropriate for one person may be inappropriate for a second, and detrimental for a third. Metabolic typing claims to use common visible symptoms related to the skin, eyes, and other superficial parts of the body to assess different aspects of a person's metabolism and categorize them into broad metabolic types. In addition, some proponents of metabolic typing use tests such as hair analysis
Hair analysis (alternative medicine)
In mainstream scientific usage, hair analysis is the chemical analysis of a hair sample. The use of hair analysis in alternative medicine as a method of investigation to assist alternative diagnosis is controversial and its use in this manner has been opposed repeatedly by the AMA because of its...
to determine a person's "metabolic type".
A number of somewhat different "metabolic typing" diet plans are currently marketed. The validity and effectiveness of metabolic typing have not been established.
Background
Metabolic typing was introduced by William Donald Kelley, a dentistDentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
, in the 1960s. Kelley advocated basing dietary choices on the activity of one's sympathetic
Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system is one of the three parts of the autonomic nervous system, along with the enteric and parasympathetic systems. Its general action is to mobilize the body's nervous system fight-or-flight response...
and parasympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
The parasympathetic nervous system is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system . The ANS is responsible for regulation of internal organs and glands, which occurs unconsciously...
s. In 1970, Kelley was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, as he had diagnosed a patient with lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
based on a fingerstick blood test
Blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
and prescribed nutritional therapy. He continued to promote a metabolic typing diet through the 1980s. The practice has been further developed by others including Harold Kristol and William Wolcott.
"Metabolic therapy", including administration of laetrile, was promoted for cancer patients by John Richardson in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1970s, until his arrest for violating the California Cancer Law and revocation of his license by the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance.
Effectiveness
Although metabolic typing diets have been promoted to patients with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, along with anyone suffering from symptoms that have yet to be diagnosed, as every branch of alternative medicine, metabolic typing has come under fire by certain people in the traditional medical field.
The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital...
website notes that "...retrospective reviews of the Gerson, Kelley, and Contreras metabolic therapies show no evidence of efficacy."
Some metabolic typing companies use a battery of blood
Blood test
A blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
and urine tests
Urinalysis
A urinalysis , also known as Routine and Microscopy , is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis...
performed by reputable laboratories, but interpret the results in an unconventional and medically questionable fashion. During a 1985 investigation into one such firm, an investigator sent 2 separate samples of his own blood and urine for analysis. He received 2 drastically different "metabolic typing" reports and dietary plans. Both plans involved the purchase of dietary supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
s costing several dollars per day.