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At Verywell, we believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to a healthy lifestyle. Successful eating plans need to be individualized and take the whole person into consideration. Prior to starting a new diet plan, consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian, especially if you have an underlying health condition.
The Metabolic Typing diet centers around the concept that your metabolism—how your body burns food for energy—is unique to you and largely determined by your genetics. The diet suggests that the rate of your metabolism is determined by two inherited factors including the most dominant autonomic nervous system and the rate of cellular oxidation.
The most dominant autonomic nervous system is the energy-burning sympathetic nervous system versus the energy-conserving parasympathetic nervous system. Meanwhile, the rate of cellular oxidation is how quickly your cells turn food into energy. According to the diet creators, these factors determine your metabolic type—protein type, carbo type, or mixed type. And, your metabolic type determines what types of food you should eat.
The Metabolic Typing Diet was introduced in 2001 by Trisha Fahey and William Wolcott with the publication of their book “The Metabolic Typing Diet.” The authors claim that eating according to your metabolic type reduces food cravings, helps you reach your ideal weight, and boosts energy.
"The Metabolic Typing Diet maintains that people have different macronutrient needs based on their metabolism. Experts concur that people have individualized nutrition needs, but disagree with the specific Metabolic Typing personalities and diets, which can be unbalanced."
—Chrissy Carroll, RD, MPH
There is no set meal pattern for the Metabolic Typing Diet. However, what you eat depends on your metabolic type.
There are three different metabolic types—the protein type, the carbo type, and the mixed type. The protein type has a fast metabolism, carb type has a slow metabolism, and mixed type has an average metabolism. People who eat with their metabolic type in mind, will vary their diet based on the speed of their metabolism with protein types need slower digesting foods and carb types need foods that digest quickly. Here is a closer look at each metabolic type.
According to Fahey and Wolcott, protein types have a fast metabolism and need to eat slow-digesting foods like fat and protein. They focus on macronutrient distribution and recommend protein types follow a diet consisting of 45% to 50% protein, 20% fat, and 30% to 35% carbohydrate.
Carbo types have a slow metabolism and need to eat a diet consisting of foods that digest quickly. This means a diet high in carbs and low in fat and protein with 70% to 80% of calories coming from carbs, 5% to 10% from fat, and 15% to 20% from protein.
Mixed types have an average metabolism. They don’t burn calories too slowly or too quickly. According to the Metabolic Typing Diet, people with a mixed metabolic type need 40% to 45% of calories from protein, 50% to 55% from carbohydrates, and 10% to 15% from fat.
What you eat on the Metabolic Typing Diet depends on your metabolic type. However, each diet type encourages eating more whole foods.
Foods high in protein and fat are encouraged for the protein type. The authors of the diet suggest choosing proteins high in purines such as organ meats, red meat, dark-meat poultry, herring, and mussels. Fat should come from eggs, cream, and cheese. Carbs should come from whole grains and vegetables.
Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are the focus of the carbo-type meal plan. The diet recommends carbo types eat a small serving of a low-purine protein with each meal, such as white-meat poultry, haddock, and flounder. Carbo types can also have low-fat dairy products.
Mixed types can eat complex carbohydrates, all types of proteins, and an assortment of fats.
Though the macronutrient content for each metabolic type differs, each plan includes food options from all of the food groups. However, all three types limit refined carbohydrates and added sugars.
The Metabolic Typing diet is a long-term diet based on your inherited metabolic type. However, your metabolic type may change over time and you may need to adjust your eating plan accordingly.
Though there are no specifics about meal timing, the creators of the Metabolic Typing Diet recommend following each metabolic type as outlined in the book. For example, including high or low-purine protein at each meal. The Metabolic Typing Diet also encourages the use of supplements specific to your metabolic type.
The Metabolic Typing Diet encourages protein at each meal for all metabolic types. However, it distinguishes between high-purine proteins and low-purine proteins.
Purines are chemical compounds your cells use to make DNA and RNA. Meat is a source of purines. According to the authors of The Metabolic Typing Diet, purines in protein foods affect the energy-producing processes in the body. High-purine proteins provide energy for protein types but slow down energy production for carbo types.
Most health professionals agree with the basis of the Metabolic Typing Diet that no single diet works for all. However, the strictness of the food plans for the diet types makes it hard to follow long-term.
The Metabolic Typing Diet uses a lot of science to explain how the plan works. Unfortunately, research to support these claims is limited.
The dietary guidelines recommend eating a balanced and varied diet that includes nutrient-rich foods and beverages from all the food groups. The core elements of a balanced eating plan should include:
Though the current guidelines provide macronutrient ratios, the recommendations focus on nutrient density rather than the macronutrient distribution of your diet. Current guidelines provide broad recommendations for macronutrient needs: 10% to 35% of calories from protein, 20% to 35% from fat, and 45% to 65% from carbohydrates.
Macronutrient distribution is an important element of The Metabolic Typing Diet. However, none of the metabolic types fit the recommendations from the dietary guidelines. The protein and mixed types are higher in protein and the carbo type is higher in carbs and lower in protein.
The Metabolic Typing Diet suggests that altering the macronutrients in your to fit your metabolic type can improve energy and health. However, each metabolic type recommends restricting one or more major food groups to fit your metabolic profile. Restricting food groups or macronutrients may lead to nutrient deficiencies. Talk to your primary care provider before making major changes to your diet.
The Metabolic Typing Diet suggests the type of foods you eat affects your health, weight, and energy. While this is true, the metabolic types and the associated meal plans recommended by the Metabolic Typing Diet may not be right for you. Before making any major changes to your diet, consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian for guidance. They can customize a balanced meal plan that fits your goals and needs.
Remember, following a long-term or short-term diet may not be necessary for you and many diets out there simply don’t work, especially long-term. While we do not endorse fad diet trends or unsustainable weight loss methods, we present the facts so you can make an informed decision that works best for your nutritional needs, genetic blueprint, budget, and goals.
If your goal is weight loss, remember that losing weight isn’t necessarily the same as being your healthiest self, and there are many other ways to pursue health. Exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors also play a major role in your overall health. The best diet is always the one that is balanced and fits your lifestyle.
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
By Jill Corleone, RD
Jill is a registered dietitian who's been learning and writing about nutrition for more than 20 years.
