Edamame (Green Soybeans): Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Edamame are soybeans picked while they are still young and green. They come from the soybean plant, Glycine max, a member of the legume (bean) family, and the part eaten is the green bean inside the pod. [1] [3] People eat them for plant protein and fiber, and because soy foods have been studied for cholesterol and heart health. This page keeps the whole food apart from soy protein or isoflavone supplements, and apart from hype. For the bigger picture on soy, see Soy foods.

Read this first

• Soy is a major food allergen. The FDA lists soybeans among the nine major allergens. For trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, or any serious whole-body reaction after eating, call 911 (or your local emergency number). [4] [5]
• Evidence in one line: in trials, swapping other protein for soy protein lowered LDL ("bad") cholesterol by a small amount. Those trials used soy protein in many forms, not edamame in particular. [6]
• Thyroid medicine: a 2023 review found only case reports of soy getting in the way of levothyroxine tablets, plus one small crossover trial that found no difference. If you take thyroid medicine, ask your prescriber or pharmacist. [11]
• Pregnancy: NCCIH says soy in amounts larger than normally eaten as food may be unsafe in pregnancy. [3]
• Gas and bloating are common with beans. [3] [12]

What is in it (USDA values)

The values below are for green soybeans, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, shelled (USDA FoodData Central item 169283, SR Legacy). [1] The serving column is the USDA household portion of 1 cup of shelled beans, 180 g. [1] Frozen, unprepared edamame (item 168410) has 109 kcal, 11.22 g protein and 4.8 g fiber per 100 g, and its 1 cup portion is 118 g. [2]

% Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, growing place, freezing and cooking. The serving figures are the 100 g values multiplied by 1.8. USDA lists no vitamin K value for the cooked item; for frozen, unprepared edamame it lists 31.4 mcg per 100 g. [1] [2]

Plant compounds: soybeans contain isoflavones, plant compounds that NCCIH describes as similar in structure to estrogen. [3] A lab analysis of 30 soybean varieties found total isoflavones of 0.02% to 0.12% in edamame types and 0.16% to 0.25% in types grown for tofu. [10] That is laboratory chemistry. It does not tell us what edamame does in the body.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement. The soy protein trials above compared soy protein with other protein, so the result describes a swap, not an add-on. [6] NCCIH separates soy foods from soy protein and isoflavone supplements, and says the effect may differ by product. [3] We did not read a trial that fed people edamame specifically and measured cholesterol, heart attacks or cancer. We did not check who paid for each review; the LDL analysis lists one author at a soy nutrition institute and public research funding. [6]

How much is a normal serving

The USDA household portion is 1 cup of shelled cooked edamame (180 g), which has about 254 kcal. [1] The NHS counts 80 g of pulses and beans as one portion of 5 A DAY, and says they only count once a day however much you eat, because they have fewer nutrients than other fruit and vegetables. [13] These are pieces of information, not a prescription. Edamame are often sold in the pod, and the weight of pods is higher than the weight of the beans inside, so check whether a package weight includes pods.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Allergy. Soybeans are one of the major allergens that US labels must name. [4] MedlinePlus lists soy among the most common food allergies, mostly in children, and says to call 911 or the local emergency number for serious or whole-body reactions, especially wheezing or trouble breathing. [5] See Food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Thyroid tablets (levothyroxine). A 2023 narrative review found mainly case reports of soy affecting tablet absorption, one randomized crossover study with no difference, and too little data on liquid forms. The authors thought any effect likely has little clinical impact. [11] Ask the prescriber or pharmacist; do not change a medicine on your own.
• Antidepressants called MAOIs. NCCIH names tofu and soy sauce, which are high in tyramine, as linked to dangerously high blood pressure with MAOIs. [3] It does not name edamame. Ask a pharmacist if you take an MAOI.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. NCCIH says soy in amounts greater than those commonly found in foods may be unsafe in pregnancy, and little is known about larger amounts while breastfeeding. [3] See Foods in pregnancy: what official bodies advise.
• Warfarin. MedlinePlus says people on warfarin should keep vitamin K intake steady from day to day. [15] Its list of vitamin K foods does not name soybeans, but USDA reports vitamin K in frozen edamame. [2] [15] We did not read a study of edamame and warfarin. Ask your care team and see Foods and medicine interactions.
• Digestion. NCCIH lists bloating, constipation, diarrhea and nausea as possible side effects of soy. [3] NIDDK names legumes, including beans, among foods that can cause gas, and says some people have more gas with a lot of fiber. [12]
• Salt. The USDA values above are for edamame cooked without salt. [1] The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg a day, so salted edamame will differ. [14] Read the label.
• Kidney disease. USDA lists 539 mg of potassium per 100 g of cooked edamame. [1] Whether that matters depends on your stage of kidney disease; see Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Frozen edamame are common in stores. USDA lists them separately from cooked beans, so the numbers on the package may differ from the table above. [2]
• CDC says Listeria infection is more dangerous for pregnant people, newborns, people 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems, and gives food tips for those groups. [16] We did not find a Listeria warning specific to edamame in the sources we read. Follow the package directions for heating.
• Some products are lightly salted or seasoned. Check the label for sodium and for allergens.

Related pages

• Soy foods
• Tofu
• Foods for cholesterol and heart health
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Beans: gas, FODMAPs and digestion
• Foods and medicine interactions