Billy Bob Thornton, the rugged star of Paramount+’s Landman, has captivated audiences with his gritty roles, but off-screen, he manages a strict eating regimen tied to his uncommon blood profile. At 70, the actor shared on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast how this rarity shapes his daily meals, turning what many take for granted into careful choices.
What Billy Bob Thornton Avoids on His Restricted Diet
Thornton skips wheat, dairy, red meats like pork and beef, and shellfish entirely. He links these limits to fewer digestive enzymes from his blood type, which once left him feeling unwell after meals, a sensation he thought normal growing up.
That changed in the late 1980s when he learned his type and cut them out. Pork and beef, for instance, trigger issues for him, much like dairy does, forcing reliance on alternatives.
What Thornton’s Restricted Diet Allows Him to Eat
This regimen opens doors to options like gluten-free chips paired with dairy-free cream cheese, a snack he craves post-podcast. Blueberries and decaf coffee fuel his mornings, while grapes dipped in spicy Dijon mustard highlight his creative pairings.
Such picks keep energy steady without the crashes he endured before. He sticks to these, proving flavor thrives within bounds.
Billy Bob Thornton wants well known people to be more vulnerable https://t.co/Dj26PDD2O2 pic.twitter.com/dXbiYx1B3m
— Howie Mandel (@howiemandel) May 11, 2026
What Is AB Negative Blood?
AB negative blood features both A and B antigens on red cells but lacks the Rh factor, making it universal plasma donor material yet picky for recipients.
Only about 1% of people worldwide carry it, the scarcest in the ABO system. Thornton calls it “the rarest type in the world,” a fact backed by donor stats showing 1 in 100 matches this profile.
How to Find Out If You Have AB Negative Blood
A quick lab test or home kit reveals your type: prick your finger, mix drops with Anti-A, Anti-B, and Anti-D sera on a slide, then check for clumping.
Agglutination in A and B but not D signals AB negative. Hospitals or blood drives offer free checks too, often during donations.
Does Having AB Negative Blood Carry Health Risks?
This type raises odds for coronary issues, with AB holders facing higher heart attack risks than O types per American Heart Association data.
Clotting disorders and venous thromboembolism also loom larger, alongside elevated pancreatic and stomach cancer chances from bacterial interactions in the gut. Strokes edge up too, tied to clotting tendencies, though lifestyle offsets much of this.
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