Edamame, or fresh green vegetable soybeans, differ from field, or dried, soybeans in several ways. They are different varieties of soybeans with slightly different nutritional and cooking qualities. Edamame are eaten fresh or from a frozen state like other vegetables. Field soybeans are used to make tofu and other soy products. Although both varieties contain soy protein and plant chemicals known as isoflavones, which may reduce symptoms of menopause and also reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases that tend to develop in women after menopause, they differ in the amount of isoflavones they supply in the diet.
Isoflavones
Many plant foods contain phytochemicals, or plant chemicals, that help you stay healthy and prevent disease. The important phytochemicals in edamame are called isoflavones. The isoflavones in edamame are also known as phytoestrogens or plant estrogens, because when they are consumed, they act like a weak form of the hormone estrogen in the body. This hormonelike activity may help reduce some of the side effects of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, and also help lower the risk of developing heart disease, breast cancer and the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, though these benefits have not yet been clearly proven.
Edamame Nutrition
One-half cup of edamame contributes 11 g of protein and 130 mg of calcium to the diet, as well as significant amounts of iron, potassium and the B vitamin folate, according to the Washington State University Cooperative Extension. The same amount of edamame supplies 12 mg of isoflavones.
Benefits
A scientific review published by the North American Menopause Society in a 2011 issue of "Menopause" summarized the known benefits of soy protein and soy isoflavones for menopause. These experts found that soy isoflavones are mildly effective in reducing menopause symptoms but there is no solid evidence showing they reduce bone loss in all women. A diet that includes soy foods appears to reduce the risk of breast and endometrial cancers and may also have cardiovascular benefits. The Food and Drug Administration allows food label claims that 25 g of soy protein a day, when eaten as part of a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Considerations
The isoflavone content of edamame is much lower than that of mature soybeans used to make tofu and other soy products, according to an analysis performed by scientists at Rutgers University. There are no recommended amounts of isoflavones for menopause, however, and more studies are needed to clearly determine the actual role of soy foods such as edamame in diminishing symptoms of menopause and preventing the onset of diseases related to this stage of a woman's life.
References
- Oregon State University; Soy Isoflavones; December 2009
- "Menopause"; The Role of Soy Isoflavones in Menopausal Health"; July 2011
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Analysis of Isoflavones in Edamame; Q Wu, et al.; May 2004
- Washington State University Cooperative Extension; Edamame; Gayle Povis Alleman, et al.; 1999
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Food Labeling: Health Claims; Soy Protein and Coronary Heart Disease; October 1999
