Catechol

Many people ask why type O’s are not recommended to use St. John’s Wort. Aside from the fact that the two cases of “photosensitization” which have been observed have occurred in this blood type, there is another, more important reason. Type O’s have lower levels of the enzyme MAO, and St. John’s Wort is a MAO inhibitor. This perhaps explains why many type Os on St John’s Wort say they feel “weird” or have disturbing dreams.

An increasing amount of evidence indicates that individuals of differing blood groups have extremely different responses to the same stressor. Equally surprising, the genetics of blood group also appear to alter susceptibility to developing certain neuro-psychiatric disorders.

When type O individuals over-respond to stress they make a lot of adrenaline but don’t eliminate it efficiently, so they will stay in the “fight or flight” mode longer. This is especially true if they do not exercise.

I have however been finding that type O’s with mild to moderate depression do benefit from the amino acid tyrosine (which can boost dopamine levels) and arginine (which is used to recycle nitric oxide in the nervous system). Also, the gene for the enzyme dopamine beta hydroxylase sits right on top of the ABO gene and there are indications that this may cause psychiatric syndromes to be somewhat related to ABO blood group. NAP’s Catechol formula features therapeutic levels of the adaptogen Rhodiola rosea, which helps modulate the effects of excess adrenaline.

Catechol is a blend of synergistic amino acids, vitamins and the herb Rhodiola rosea (Russian Rhodiola). This is a perennial plant with red, pink, or yellowish flowers. Rhodiola is cardio-protective, normalizing the heart rate immediately after intense exercise. It improves nervous system and mental functions such as memory by increasing blood supply to the muscles and brain, and also increases protein synthesis. (4-6)

Catecholamine regulation

Basically, the adrenal glands are an extension of the sympathetic nervous system. In response to stress these glands release several different chemicals into the blood stream. These messengers provide another level of communication between your nervous system, your hormonal system, and your other internal systems to provide further direction as to how they should act in response to stress.

The first classes of the messenger molecules made by the adrenal glands are catecholamines. There are two catecholamines released from the adrenals in response to stress: Epinephrine (commonly called adrenaline) and norepinephrine.

Some of the effects of having these catecholamines released include:

• An increase in heart rate
• An increase in blood pressure
• A decrease in digestive capability
• An increase in arousal or alertness
• An overall shifting in your resources toward fight, flight, exercise, or physical activity

Clearly this response is very useful under some circumstances. But a prolonged duration of time in this mode will come at a cost.

Although blood type A makes more adrenaline in response to stress than the other blood types, they also have the greatest ability to break down or eliminate catecholamine hormones like adrenaline. An O requires a lot more to knock them off kilter and cause them to respond in a very stressful manner. However, once they respond, it will usually also take them longer to normalize or recover from stress. (2) This is partially due to the inability of type O to breakdown catecholamines like adrenaline as quickly as types A or B. It is not that they always have more adrenaline floating around their blood; they do not appear to break down catecholamines as effectively as the other blood types.

An enzyme called monoamine oxidase (or MAO for short) is responsible for, among other things, the breakdown or inactivation of adrenaline and noradrenaline. When measuring the activity of MAO in platelets, research has shown that type O individuals have the lowest activity of this enzyme. (3) The lower activity of this enzyme found in Type O’s will make it harder for them to break down an excess of catecholamines. Again with respect to MAO, we find that A’s and O’s are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Type A’s tend to have the highest activity.

MAO activity is widespread in the body, and is generally thought of primarily as a marker of affective disorders, (such as depression) and interacting with fibrinolysis (the digestion of fibrin clots in the bloodstream). MAO will be revisited in the realm of psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular sections.

1. Rasmusen BA, Christian LL. H blood types in pigs as predictors of stress susceptibility. Science 1976 Mar 5;191(4230):947-8
2. Wilson AF, Elston RC, Siervogel RM, Tran LDLinkage of a gene regulating dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and the ABO blood group locus.Am J Hum Genet 1988 Jan;42(1):160-166
3. Locong AH, Roberge AG. Cortisol and catecholamines response to venisection by humans with different blood groups. Clin Biochem 1985 Feb;18(1):67-69
4. Methods Arato M, Bagdy G, Rihmer Z, Kulcsar Z. Reduced platelet MAO activity in healthy male students with blood group O. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983 Feb;67(2):130-134
5. Maslova L.V. et al The cardioprotective and antiadrenergic activity of an extract of Rhodiola rosea in stress. Eksp Klin Farmakol. (1994) 57(6): 61-6
6. Germano, C. et al Arctic root. The powerful new ginseng alternative . (1999) Kensington Publ.Corp.
7. Petkov, V.D. et. al. Effects of alcohol aqueous extract from Rhodiola rosea L. roots on learning and memory. Acta Physiol Phar-macol Bulg (1986) 12(1): 3-16