Edamame’s Health Benefits: The Great Joy of Soybeans

A bowl of edamame, immature green soybeans still inside their pods.

Edamame, or soybeans that are harvested before they’re fully matured, are a delicious food that can be eaten alongside sushi, tossed into salads, rice, or quinoa bowls, or eaten alone as a snack. Popular in both Eastern Asian and Western countries, edamame is packed with nutrients like magnesium, phosphorous, and folate that can benefit your digestion, weight, heart health, and more. Whether a vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, or omnivore, you should consider adding edamame as part of your diet. These beans aren’t only yummy but also very healthy!

The Nutrients Inside The Pods

One cup of cooked edamame (equal to 160 grams) contains 224 calories, 8.06 grams of fiber, and 18.4 grams of protein. The amount of calories accounts for 7% to 11% and the amount of protein accounts for 37% of the recommended daily intake for adults, depending on their age, sex, and activity levels. If you’re a vegetarian, vegan, or pescatarian, edamame is an excellent source of plant-based protein that you can substitute for high-protein animal-based foods in your diet.

This same cup also contains significant amounts of many other nutrients essential to healthy diets. The beans provide 10% DV (daily value) of calcium, 20% DV of iron, 25% DV of magnesium, 37% DV of phosphorous, 20% DV of potassium, 115% DV of folate, and 59% of copper. Women can get 38% DV of vitamin K1, 25% of thiamine, and 19% of riboflavin from one cup, while men can get 50%, 50%, and 22% of these nutrients, respectively. The beans also contain 6 grams of omega-6 and 0.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids, the equivalent of the amounts in 1 ounce of walnuts.

How Eating Edamame Can Boost Health

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Since they contain soy, which has been shown in studies to have positive impacts on various health conditions, these legumes can provide many benefits for your bodily health. Since they’re full of taste-quenching nutrients like protein and fiber, soybeans can satisfy your hunger for longer, discourage you from overeating, promote digestive regularity, and help you maintain a healthy weight. They can also support muscle growth, boost heart health, regulate blood sugar, and reduce cholesterol.

Though more studies need to be conducted before drawing definitive conclusions, many studies have shown that eating soy products like edamame has been linked to improving bodily heath for and reducing the risk of certain diseases in men and women. Due to the high levels of compounds known as isoflavones or plant estrogen in them, soybeans can potentially reduce menopause symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and weight gain. Consuming foods rich in isoflavones has also shown potential in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and osteoporosis in older people. Contrary to findings in some earlier studies, soy products have not been shown to definitively increase the risk of thyroid disease or breast cancer.

Adding Edamame To Your Diet

Though edamame is of course served at many sushi and pan-Asian restaurants in meals or as a separate menu item, you can also purchase frozen edamame in grocery stores or fresh edamame at specialty stores or local farms in your area if available. The legumes have multiple tasty culinary uses: steamed and sprinkled with sea salt or soy sauce as a snack, crushed into a smooth hummus, or added to noodles, quinoa salads, rice bowls, soups, or stews for an extra hint of flavor.

Please note that if you have a soy allergy, you should stay away from or be careful about eating edamame. Even if you aren’t allergic to soy, you should also be moderate in consuming these beans. Eating large amounts of the fiber-filled beans can interfere with thyroid hormone levels, so people have thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism shouldn’t eat too many. The high amounts of fiber can also cause uncomfortable digestive symptoms like bloating and gas if you aren’t already acclimated to a fiber-heavy diet. If you keep your consumption levels in moderation, you should be able to enjoy both the soybeans’ taste and their health benefits.

Final Thoughts

Whether eaten on their own as a snack or mixed into any number of dishes, the immature soybeans known as edamame offer both great taste and various health benefits for your heart, muscles, digestive system, and weight. These legumes have also been linked to slightly reducing the risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and osteoporosis in people who eat them regularly. As long as you remember to eat it in moderation, edamame can make a great addition to your diet.

Disclaimer: This article is intended simply to provide information. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician. Please speak with your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

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