Coffee a Lifesaver

The journal Nature reported on April 1st that a technique using enzymes to convert type A, B, and AB to type O will potentially eliminate the constant shortage of blood. Blood types A, B, and AB carry proteins that cause hyperallergic responses typically resulting in death when given to people with a different blood type. Since blood type O is absent these proteins, anyone can safely be given type O blood. The idea of such antigen-stripping goes back to the early 1980s, when it was discovered that an enzyme in coffee beans removes B antigens from red blood cells.

Coffee to the rescue once again! Now I know why my blood is type O; it's all the coffee I drink!