Billy Bob Thornton has opened up about a rare condition that he believes is the culprit behind his digestive woes.
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During a May 5 episode of Howie Mandel’s podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff, the Sling Blade actor revealed the unusual reason behind his super-restrictive diet. The topic came up after Mandel, also a spry 70, reminisced about a snack their sons once shared, a culinary adventure that clearly didn’t make it onto Thornton’s approved list.
During the chat, Thornton confessed his diet is “very restricted,” a fact that seemed to practically levitate Mandel’s head in curiosity.
“Well, I’m allergic to wheat, dairy. I have type AB-negative blood, which is the rarest type in the world. It’s, like, less than 1% of the population of the world has it,” Thornton told the veteran comedian.
The Landman actor explained that for him, the rare blood type causes some stomach issues, on top of other unrelated dietary restrictions.
“It means you have less digestive enzymes. That’s one of the things that goes along with it,” Thorton claimed.
Though less than 1% of the US population has AB-negative blood, making it the rarest of them all, science hasn’t exactly co-signed the idea that your blood type dictates your diet. However, Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, famous for his “Blood Type Diet,” suggests that people with type AB blood, like Thornton, often have low stomach acid, potentially linking it to digestive issues.
Billy Bob Thornton Recalls Growing up With ‘A Lot of Allergies’
Thornton, who grew up in Arkansas and Texas, also mentioned he “grew up with a lot of allergies” but still “ate everything.”
“I just assumed everybody felt like s— after they ate. I didn’t know,” he said of his childhood health issues. “But anyway, I can’t have dairy, wheat… can’t eat meat, like, you know, pork or beef or any of that stuff.”
Mandel shot back, “You’ve just listed the entire pyramid,” before asking what, if anything, is left for Thornton to eat.
The All the Pretty Horses director then revealed his surprisingly sparse pre-show meal. Before arriving to film the Howie Mandel Does Stuff episode, he had eaten a “bowl of blueberries” and drank a decaf coffee. “But when I get home, it’s, like, wide open,” he joked of his eating habits.
So what’s on the menu for a big night in?
“I’m going to have some gluten-free chips with some dairy-free cream cheese,” Thornton said. “So, I’m really looking forward to that.”
The conversation turned to food after Mandel recalled a peculiar snack his son, Alex, who is friends with Thornton’s son, William, once had at the Thornton residence: “Bagels, cream cheese, and ketchup.”
“That’s a hillbilly bagel,” Thorton quipped. Alex, who was also on set, confirmed the culinary creation was, in fact, “really good.”
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