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For best digestion and no gas, Types of Beans to Eat Based on Blood Type provides an easy to read chart and a free PDF Printable of it.
Based on the work of Dr. Peter D’Adamo in his book, Eat Right for Your Type, I’m providing this chart and list because there used to be a similar one online, but it’s no longer available.
I find it really helpful to refer to a beans-only chart, and I know it’s helpful for others as well.
For me, switching to the beans that matched my blood type was eye-opening. It also allowed me to start eating beans daily and in larger amounts, which I love.
(The other keys to eating beans daily without any gas issues were for me: Doing a low vitamin A diet, which truly detoxes the liver, repairs bile duct function and improves digestive issues for the long term AND cooking them differently [which I share below].)
Is the blood type diet information accurate
I personally believe that at least some of the Blood Type Diet is accurate, as I’ve seen benefits from applying this bean information, as well as other dietary insights.
Do what works best for your body, as far as you can tell.
If the information in this article is helpful, great! If it makes you feel fearful of eating or too restricted to enjoy your food, then it may not be good for you.
Take what’s beneficial. Leave behind, for now, anything that doesn’t bless you in your health journey.
Food should not add stress. It should be a source of joy!
For many, I hope this information will add more freedom in the form of shedding light for you on what you digest well. I like to think in terms of what I can eat (and not in terms of what I can not).
Basics of the blood type diet as it relates to beans
D’Adamo says in regard to the lectins in beans,
“A chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the foods you eat… We know this because of a factor called lectins. Lectins, abundant and diverse proteins found in foods, have agglutinating properties that affect your blood and the lining of your digestive tract … when you eat a food containing protein lectins that are incompatible with your blood type antigen, the lectins target an organ or bodily system (kidneys, liver, gut, stomach, etc.) and can begin to interact with the tissues in that area.”
Read more about how lectins from beans are destructive to various organs here.
The main message that comes from D’Adamo’s writings on the subject is: Whether or not we feel symptoms now from beans incompatible with our blood type, they are destructive.
He asserts, we will have better long term (and short term) health if we eat beans compatible with our blood type.
What works well for me right now
Personally, I eat a broad variety of beans only occasionally, even if they’re on my Avoid list, because I don’t have any symptoms from one meal, and I’ve been on a great recovery diet already now for years.
But I eat my “Yes” beans (or “Allowed” beans) regularly; they are my daily staples.
This approach gives me food freedom, but also factors in the wisdom of D’Adamo’s research, to prevent long term issues.
If you’re still struggling with more active symptoms or a diagnosis, it might be wise to stick more closely to your blood type recommendations.
Types of BEANS to Eat Based on BLOOD TYPE
For Blood Type A, eat:
- aduki beans
- black beans
- black-eyed peas
- green beans
- lentils
- pinto beans
- red soy beans
Blood Type A, AVOID: chickpeas (garbanzo beans), copper beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, red beans, tamarind beans.
For Blood Type B, eat:
- cannellini beans
- kidney beans
- lima beans
- navy beans
- red beans
Blood Type B, AVOID: aduki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), lentils and pinto beans.
For Blood Type AB, eat:
- green lentils
- navy beans
- pinto beans
- red beans
- red soy beans
Blood Type AB, AVOID: aduki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), fava beans, kidney beans and lima beans.
For Blood Type O, eat:
Some sources say that beans should be avoided by Type Os, completely. But if they’re included, the beans that are best for Os are:
- aduke
- azuki beans
- black-eyed peas
- pinto beans
Blood Type O, AVOID: copper beans, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans and tamarind beans.
Printable PDF
Find your Types of BEANS to Eat Based on BLOOD TYPE FREE Printable PDF options here:
Other tips for making beans digestible
- Be sure to use fresh dried beans — Buy from a seller that has good turnover, so your beans haven’t been sitting on the shelf or in a warehouse for over a year. Old dried beans oftentimes will not cook properly.
- Soak beans for 3 to 6 days. Rinse beans, bowl, and use fresh water daily. Read more here: How to Soak Beans for 4 Days. Three days works great if you also use the tip below!
- Cook beans with baking soda. This is the world’s best kept secret about how to cook beans! Learn more here about how to do it: Pro secret — You’ll add more baking soda than other websites tell you to!
- Skim the foam off the top, after your beans first come to a simmer.
Sarabeth Matilsky says
Thanks for these ideas! Have you heard the anecdote about avoiding baking soda because it โdestroysโ thiamin (B1), a b vitamin in which many of us are functionally deficient? I wonder if it is true.
Megan says
Hi Sarabeth, my pleasure! Yes, I have heard this anecdote, and I will definitely discuss it in the upcoming article. ๐ Blessings!!
Hรฉlรจne says
Looks like they mean pressure cook the beans when they say autoclave at (blank) psi.
I prefer crockpotting for the long gentle simmer (after a 24 hr soak always except for lentils & split peas). I have discovered also that adding at least half the reqd salt doesnโt make them unable to cook either. I love the salt cooked into them and not just sitting on the outside. I wonder how the baking soda would do with salt. There used some warning about b. soda too, with beansโฆdestroys B vitamins? I canโt remember what exactly. Will be interesting to read that future article when itโs done.
Iโm type A and enjoy all sorts of beans but kidney and wonโt eat soy & fava. When I do eat beans; Iโm carnivore mostly. Again, as type A that should be just giving me all sorts of trouble lol I donโt put much credence in the Type Diet; have always loved meat even as a child and did terribly as a veghead even tho I love vegs & fruit, ate wholegrains etc. I still like certain tofu dishes lol but nope, no soy here if I can help it.
Always learning, eh?
Megan says
Hi Helene, I have had good cooking results from using salt when it’s combined with baking soda, so I do recommend that. I will be discussing the issue of B vitamins being lost with the use of baking soda, so thanks for bringing that up. I’m so glad you’ve found that balance of mostly meat with beans added in for fiber, sounds great! Yes, always learning! ๐
Dorothy says
This isnโt the best news since dh is type A and Iโm type B, so some of what would be best for one of us would not be for the other. The chart shows chickpeas as not being good for either of us, but we use some chickpea flour, and eat them in hummus. It doesnโt seem to be an issue, but maybe it is? Weโ eat some canned beans, even though theyโre not the most digestible. I wonder if navy beans are the same as or very similar to great northern beans.
Btw, a family member was trying the Karen Hurd way of eating for a while and I jumped in on it somewhat too. Not sure thatโs the best. Now she tests as being sensitive to or allergic to beans.
Megan says
Hi Dorothy, if the beans and flour don’t seem to be an issue, I’d still enjoy them, in your shoes. I think the Dr. Smith version of Karen Hurd’s insights is the best, as he understands more about all the side issues, so the best of both worlds: eat beans for their fiber and detox aid, but also be aware of vitamin A and copper toxicity etc. Nothing he suggests is one size fits all, so each person can find their own balance and ratio of ingredients. Yes, I think that navy and northern beans are similar when it comes to digestion; I wondered the same thing.
Natacha says
Thanks !!
Megan says
Happy to help!