Is It Safe To Eat Edamame During Pregnancy?

Oct 27, 2024

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Consuming edamame in moderation during pregnancy can have many health benefits.

Moloko Mehlape is a registered dietitian in private practice with around nine years of experience in the field. Her special interest lies in nutrition education, sports nutrition, weight, and chronic disease management. She is a philanthropist passionate about making a positive impact in public health through nutrition. Read full bio of Moloko Mehlape

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Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children. Read full bio of Swati Patwal

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Edamame is a healthy, proteinaceous food known for its amazing health benefits. Hence, many expectant moms consider consuming edamame during pregnancy. While it is a great source of nutrients and proteins, you may have certain concerns about its safety for you and your baby.

Read on as we tell you whether it is safe to consume edamame during pregnancy, its nutritional value, potential health benefits, possible side effects, and how to consume it.

Edamame refers to soybeans that are not fully ripe. Edamame is harvested when the beans are yet to reach their full maturity. It is widely eaten in Japan but has recently become a popular snack food across many other parts of the world. Since edamame is less mature than soybeans, there are differences in the nutritional content of both foods. However, you can eat both edamame and soybeans during pregnancy as both are nutrient-rich and healthy sources of protein.

Edamame is a healthy legume that can help satisfy your daily requirement for many nutrients. 100g of frozen and prepared edamame provides the following main nutrients (1):

Edamame is rich in iron, calcium, vitamin C , and vitamin A.

It is also a good source of manganese, potassium, copper, phosphorus, riboflavin, vitamin K, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. Hence, this low-calorie, low-fat food is particularly beneficial for expecting and nursing mothers.

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Pregnant women can safely eat one serving of edamame a day. However, there are some concerns regarding soy consumption during pregnancy. Therefore, if you are pregnant, include soy products in your prenatal diet only after getting your doctor’s approval. Also, it is best to consume organic soy products during pregnancy.

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The research on the health benefits of edamame or soybeans is ongoing. However, it is said to be good for cardiac health, bone health, cognitive function, and visual memory. It also provides relief from menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and protection against some cancers due to its high antioxidant content (2).

Further, eating soy products during pregnancy is generally quite safe (3). Here are some health benefits of eating edamame during pregnancy:

Edamame is a good vegetarian protein source that can provide several vitamins and minerals. Plant-based protein sources are healthier meat alternatives since they don’t contain saturated fats that increase the risk of heart diseases. Pregnant women who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet can regularly eat edamame to meet their daily protein intake requirements. It is also a good source of calcium for women with lactose intolerance.

All legumes are rich in nutrients but low in calories. The body processes the carbohydrates in legumes at a steady pace; therefore, the consumption of legumes helps keep hunger pangs at bay and also helps in weight management. A small serving of legumes such as edamame offers a generous mix of carbohydrates and numerous antioxidants (4).

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Edamame is a good source of folate (a type of B-vitamin). Though folate is naturally found in foods, it is also added to the diet as folic acid. Folate minimizes the risk of birth defects in fetuses and reduces the risk of premature labor. All forms of soybeans are good sources of this essential vitamin for pregnant women and women planning for pregnancy (4) (5).

Edamame is also a rich source of fiber, which can help maintain good digestive health and prevent constipation, which is common among pregnant women.

In addition, the fiber content of this legume could help in blood sugar control when consumed as a part of a well-balanced diet. This property of edamame could be particularly helpful for women with gestational diabetes.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gestational diabetes affects two to ten percent of pregnant women in the US annually. Managing sugar levels through effective lifestyle changes and eating a well-balanced diet containing high-fiber foods like edamame may help prevent sugar spikes.

Eating edamame is good for your health and your fetal development but may have some side effects, including:

Pregnant women with soy allergies should not consume edamame or soy in any form. However, pregnant women who are not allergic to soy must also not take soy supplements without their doctor’s approval. Some signs of soy allergy are nausea, hives, itching, diarrhea, and flushed skin (2).

Pregnant women who are on blood-thinning drugs must monitor their consumption of soy products. Soy is rich in vitamin K, which enables blood clotting and may work against blood-thinning medicines (6).

All soy products, including edamame, contain large quantities of plant estrogen such as isoflavones. Though the research is inconclusive and insufficient, some studies suggest that neonatal exposure to isoflavones can have negative effects on reproductive development later in life (7).

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Pregnant women are at risk of consuming genetically-modified soy instead of organic soy. Crops that are genetically-engineered may have food safety issues and may increase the risk of fertility problems and affect reproductive health. Genetically-modified and conventional soy receive herbicide treatment containing a substance called glyphosate, which may increase the risk of miscarriages (8) (9).

Edamame is available in frozen form in most grocery and health food stores. You can buy shelled edamame or ones still in their pods. Here are some ways you can incorporate edamame in your meals during pregnancy.

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1. Can edamame be eaten by pregnant women with high blood pressure?

Consuming edamame, which contains good cholesterol, may help manage hypertension and fluctuating blood pressure. Thus, you may consume edamame if you have high blood pressure (2). However, it is not uncommon for soy to interfere with the action of certain medications. Thus, consult your doctor first if you are on hypertension medications.

2. Can edamame be eaten by pregnant women with kidney problems?

Pregnant women with kidney problems should consult with their healthcare professional before consuming edamame or any other food, as their dietary needs and restrictions may vary depending on the severity and type of kidney problem.

3. Can edamame be eaten by pregnant women with thyroid problems?

Moderate consumption of edamame by pregnant women with thyroid problems may be safe. Soy may affect thyroid function in women with existing thyroid problems (11). Therefore, consult your doctor before having edamame if you have thyroid problems.

4. Can edamame be eaten by pregnant women with celiac disease?

Edamame is gluten-free and can be safely consumed by pregnant women with celiac disease (12). Do check before purchase if edamame is not stored with other foods containing gluten.

Edamame is loaded with proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, and several other vitamins and minerals. Eating a serving of edamame during pregnancy every day may provide you with adequate protein and folate. However, since edamame is a less mature soybean, its consumption may cause soy allergies or reproductive problems. If you are allergic to soybeans or soy products, talk to your doctor before consuming edamame. If your doctor asks you to avoid eating edamame, consume other sources of proteins such as kidney beans, lentils, or chickpeas during pregnancy.

Edamame is another name for green soybeans that are picked while young. These are recommended in pregnancy diets due to their high protein and nutritional qualities. The following infographic provides a few ways edamame can be included in your daily meals.

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Discover the truth about soy as a healthy food. Learn the myths and facts about this popular food and how it affects your health with this video.

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