O Negative Blood Type

"All men are created equal" is a time tested quotation that inspires many political documents of the United States of America. It is interesting to know whether the nature or the evolutionary forces that shaped man agrees with it or not. When it comes to blood types, nature does not subscribe to the statement, as it has created men with different types of blood flowing through their veins. Does the type of blood decide its bearers personality?

Well, the O negative personality is considered to be a self confident, trend setter and leaders of their tribes. They are found to be independent, competent, and jealous. They are loyal to their friends and dear ones and passionate.

There are some chemical substances, referred to as antigens, on the red blood cells which helps in differentiating the types. Antigens can be made up of carbohydrates, proteins, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. These antigens can be identified using a blood test which is most helpful when a pregnant woman, or an injured person, needs transfusion.

Following are the types that one can find in a blood charts:

• Type A: Presence of antigen A in the red blood cell means that you can not accept type B blood. The antibodies in your body will fight the B cells and will kill them.
• Type B: Tests finding antigen B on the surface of your red blood cells cannot accept type A blood. The antibodies will try to destroy Type A cells.

• Type AB: Your red blood cells have antigen A or B on their surface. Your blood does not contain antibodies to fight and destroy A or B type cells. This fact allows you to accept any variant of blood.

Type O: This does not contain A or B antigens on its red blood cells. However, it contains both A and B type of antibodies. If you have O blood type then you qualify as a universal donor, as your blood is compatible with all other variants. 'O' is the most common blood type in the world.

In addition to the antigens described above, there are other antigens that can be identified.

Along with the antigens A or B, the test tries to detect the presence of yet another antigen, i.e., Rh antigen also known as Rh factor. A person having Rh + factor tagged to his blood type can receive Rh + and Rh - blood. On the other hand, only Rh - blood is donated to a Rh - person.

• Suppose you have type O blood. The presence of the Rh factor on the surface of the red blood cells, marks you as O Rh positive (O Rh +).

The absence of Rh antigen, marks you as O Rh negative (O Rh -) which is one of the rare blood types. A person with O negative can be the universal donor for person with A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+ and O-.

However, they can only receive blood of type O negative. In the USA, it is found that 8% of the Caucasians, 4% of African Americans, 4% of Hispanic, and 1% of Asians have this type.

During the process of childbirth a woman may loose blood, and may need donation or transfusion to replace it. It is when the Rh factor achieves importance. If the mother is found to be of Rh - blood type and the developing fetus to be of Rh + then it may lead to trouble. The antigen on the red blood cells of the fetus, when it mixes in the mother's blood and triggers the production of the antibodies in the mother.

These antibodies, depending on the time it happens, may destroy the red cells in the blood of the fetus, or cause erythroblastosis fetalis. Most often, the fetus that acts as a trigger for the antibody production is spared, but, not the next fetus that has Rh positive blood type. When a woman is found to be a Rh negative blood carrier a Rh immunoglobulin shot can prevent antibody production and may ward off the complications.

Is there any special diet for individuals with O negative blood type? Those with this variant should be careful about what they eat. Even though, their metabolism is designed to utilize the calories efficiently, they find it difficult to use carbohydrates efficiently. This results in increased body fat and hypothyroidism.

For this reason they should go by the rule of thumb, i.e., eat right for your blood type and should stick to O positive compatible diet that includes vegetables, meat, poultry, high protein, meat, fish, and dairy. Their food should be low on beans, legumes, and grains.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.