Immature soybeans are also known as edamame beans or vegetable-type soybeans. They can be eaten whole or as snacks, depending on your preference. Here are some health benefits of edamame beans that you need to know.
What is Edamame?
Edamame is essentially soybeans in the pod and is common in East Asian cuisines, though lately, edamame has since found its way into western dishes. A single cup of edamame weighs approximately 160g and has up to 225 calories. That accounts for an estimated 10% of the daily calorie intake for an adult.
Health Benefits of Edamame
Eating edamame beans routinely comes with a number of health benefits. Some of these include:
1. Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer
Edamame has a lot of isoflavones, which are found in plants and act like estrogen in the body. A study done on a group of Asian people showed that eating a lot of edamame regularly lowered their risk of getting breast cancer.
2. Relieves Symptoms of Menopause
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when menstruation naturally comes to an end. Typically, this happens when one is between 45 and 55 years of age. Symptoms of menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, weight gain, dryness in the vaginal area, trouble sleeping, and chills. Research studies have shown that eating edamame frequently does reduce severity of these symptoms remarkably.
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3. Reduced Risk of prostate Cancer
According to a research study, an estimated 13% of all men in the US will have some form of prostate cancer at some point in their life. Luckily, Observational studies have shown that eating soybean products such as edamame can reduce the risk of ending up with this type of cancer among men.
4. Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to lose their mineral density. This makes the bones more fragile and weak. The condition develops over several years and rarely has any presenting symptoms. Most diagnoses are done when one falls or experiences an impact and ends up with a broken fracture. It is common in menopausal and post-menopausal women.
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Some research studies have shown that soy supplements and proteins rich in isoflavones may slow down and even stop the progress of osteoporosis among women in the risk category.
5. Rich Source of Nutrients
Edamame beans are rich in different types of nutrients, including vitamin K1, thiamine, riboflavin, copper, phosphorus, potassium, sugars, magnesium, calcium, fiber, carbohydrates, riboflavin, lipids, iron, and copper. Edamame contains more vitamin K and folate when compared to mature soybeans.
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6. Reduced Cholesterol Levels
Soybean proteins have been shown to reduce the amount of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body by approximately 5%. Even though the effect on cholesterol may seem small, studies have shown that eating soy proteins often lowers cholesterol in the body. In the long term, this is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease.
7. Reduced Risk of Diabetes Mellitus
Edamame is low in carbohydrates. Instead, it is high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. People are more likely to get type 2 diabetes mellitus if they eat foods with lots of carbohydrates. Luckily, edamame has very low amounts of easily digestible carbohydrates and is therefore associated with a reduced risk of diabetes and related health conditions.
8. High in Plant Proteins
Edamame has a significant amount of plant-based proteins needed for optimal growth. That comes in handy, especially for vegans and others who rarely eat animal products.
9. Improved Cell Functions
Edamame is rich in potassium, folate, magnesium, and calcium, which are needed for normal cellular functions. For instance, a cup of edamame has up to 675mg of potassium, a mineral that is needed for normal heart and metabolic functions.
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10. Improved Muscle Building and Repair
Edamame is rich in plant-based proteins, which are needed for muscle building and repair. Being an immature soybean, edamame contains all the essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis. The synthesized proteins are then used in the process of building and repairing muscles.
Wrap Up
You can eat your edamame raw straight out of the pod. For even more flavor, you can add some salt, pepper, and garlic. It also works great as a protein addition to your salad. There are countless ways of eating edamame. Whichever the method you go for, you can be sure to enjoy most of its associated nutritional and health benefits.
