Ever Heard of Edamame?
Soybeans are nutritious plant-based foods that can be eaten by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. It is also versatile and can be easily made into different edible and delicious meals like soybeans, milk, soy oil, or soy protein. They can also be consumed in their natural forms and are also edible even in their mature state. The immature soybean is also known as edamame, which Is our subject of discussion today.
People in Asia have grown so familiar with edamame, and its popularity is beginning to spread to other parts of the world.
Contained in this article are 8 science-backed health benefits of edamame to health.
What is Edamame?
Edamame, in the simplest term, is immature soybeans. Yes, imagine it in your head. Those green-looking, soft, immature peas are highly delicious and nutritious. They are sold with their pods. The pods protect them until they get to their final consumers. This is because the beans are still tender and delicate. Although sometimes, people sell shelled edamame. One way to identify them is by their color. They are green in color and differ from the usual mature soybeans.
People have asked if edamame is healthy for consumption, and the answer is yes. It is absolutely healthy. Read the other parts of the article to find out the health benefits you would be enjoying if you consume edamame.
Health Benefits of Edamame
The following are the top best health benefits of edamame;
High Protein Contents
Protein is an essential nutrient the body needs to carry out some of its functions. It plays an influential role in the provision of optimal health. For vegans and vegetarians who try to avoid animal-based foods that supply most of the protein, human beings should pay attention to edamame and matured soy. This is because they are rich in protein and can supply vegans and vegetarians with enough proteins their bodies would require for effective functioning.
For instance, eating one cup of cooked edamame, which is about 155 grams, can provide the body with 19 grams of protein. In addition, edamame provides enough amino acids for the body to use. Although research has found that they might not be as effective as animal protein, to an extent, they are healthy and nutritious and can provide your body with sufficient protein.
Reduces Cholesterol Levels
One of the major concerns of cholesterol is its ability to put your heart health at risk. Some of the major heart diseases people have suffered from over the years are as a result of cholesterol. Fortunately, different methods have been found to reduce the cholesterol contents in the human body in such an approach that it can no longer pose a risk to their health. One way of ensuring this is by adopting a healthy and balanced diet. In addition, adding about 50 grams of edamame to your diet can help beat down your cholesterol levels by up to 10% while reducing the bad cholesterol by up to 12%.
Eating edamame or mature soy can help reduce your risk of developing heart diseases. Edamame is also packed with fiber and rich in vitamin K, both of which are essential for the body to function properly.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
People who are fond of consuming refined carbs and sugars are putting themselves at risk of developing chronic health conditions. This is because these foods can shoot up their blood sugar levels. It is advised that you stay away from refined carbs and sugar. Although edamame contains carbs just like every other beans. However, according to research, it does not excessively raise blood sugar levels. This is why edamame is safe for even people who have been diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, edamame, according to experts, can conveniently fit into a low-carb diet.
Vitamins and Minerals
Asides from its fiber contents which almost everyone knows about, edamame is also packed with healthy amounts of healthy vitamins and minerals. In fact, some experts have compared the nutritional profile of edamame with soybeans, and the table below explains it all.
Mature soybeans. Edamame
Folate 14% 78%
Vitamin K1 24% 33%
Thiamine 10% 13%
Riboflavin 17% 9%
Iron 29% 13%
Copper. 20% 17%
Manganese 41% 51%
From the table, it is obvious that edamame contains more vitamin K and folate compounds than mature soybeans.
May Reduce Breast Cancer Risks
Isoflavones are plant-based compounds and are highly present in soybeans. Although some researchers have linked this plant compound with a boost in estrogen levels, as well as breast tissue amounts, both of which are risk factors for breast cancer. However, some other researchers have also linked the high consumption of soy or edamame with a slight reduction in the risks of breast cancer. This automatically means foods that contain the plant-based compound isoflavones can help reduce risks of breast cancer in the future.
Eases Menopausal Symptoms
Menopause is a point in the life of women where they no longer menstruate and invariably can no longer conceive. This stage of a woman’s life is characterized by numerous symptoms, ranging from sweating to hot flashes and mood swings. Research has shown that consuming edamame during this period of menopausal symptoms can help reduce the effects of those symptoms by a whopping 25%.
Although, they have also identified that not all women experience the same effects after consuming soy, edamame, or any other food that is rich in isoflavones. For this group of foods and compounds to have effects on a woman’s menopausal symptoms, she must first have the right guy bacteria, as this is what determines if isoflavones and other compounds contained in soy and edamame would have soothing effects on her symptoms.
May Inhibit Prostate Cancer Cell Growth
Prostate cancer, just like breast cancer in women, is one of the most common types of cancer that affect men. According to research, 1 in 7 men can have prostate cancer at some point in his life.
Research has also shown that as much as edamame and its plant-based compounds can help women prevent breast cancer, so also can it help men prevent prostate cancer. Consuming soy products or edamame daily for men can reduce their risks of developing prostate cancer by up to 30%.
May Prevent Bone Loss
Bone loss is a condition that is characterized by fragile or brittle bones. They are always at higher risks of breaking upon any slightly severe pressure. This condition is also known as osteoporosis. Older and aged people are more at risk of developing this bone condition.
Research has shown that consuming soy products or edamame can help beat down the risks of osteoporosis in people, especially aged people and women at their post-menopausal stage.
For women in their post-menopausal stage, the isoflavones content in edamame can help them reduce osteoporosis if they consume soy products imor edamame every day for 2 years.
However, some researchers have disputed this claim, stating that after carrying out a survey on few women at their post-menopausal stage, they showed no improvement in their bone mineral density after consuming soy products and edamame for 1 year. More research is needed to confirm the bone health improvement of edamame and soy products.
How Do I Cook and Eat Edamame?
Just like other kinds of beans, you can cook edamame in different ways. Although, due to its soft nature, it can be used more like a veggie for salad than a proper beans that can be cooked and eaten. You can also cook the beans with its pod and pop the beans out of the pod before eating them.
Cooking edamame can be easy. Since it is a soft kind of beans, it does not require as much water and heat as other kinds of beans. You can boil edamame for up to 4 or 5 minutes to get it properly prepared and ready to eat.
In addition,. Edamame can be microwaved, steamed, or pan-fried. Whichever one works best for you would provide as much nutrient as the other ways of cooking it.
Some experts have presented different recipes for preparing or cooking delicious edamame. Some of these recipes include;
- Edamame avocado dip
- Edamame puree with cheese on toast
- Garlic edamame
In conclusion, edamame is premature soybeans. Despite its premature nature, edamame is highly nutritious and can be delicious. It also supplies the body with health benefits, sometimes even better than mature soybeans.
