Edamame: Nutrition, Benefits, Protein & How to Eat It

Edamame (ed-uh-MAH-may) is soybeans picked young, while the fuzzy pods are still green and the beans inside are soft and sweet.810 People in Japan have been eating it since at least 1275.8 And yes, it's good for you, because edamame is a complete plant protein with more than the daily value for folate in a cup, plus solid amounts of manganese, copper, vitamin K and magnesium.1

Every cup covers the basics: protein to build and keep muscle, fiber for your gut and folate for every new cell your body makes.1 Where edamame really stands out is the menopause years. When hot flashes and night sweats start, your body is adjusting to a new hormone pattern, and the root cause I work on first is the blood sugar and cortisol swings that come with falling estrogen.7 The right plate steadies blood sugar and builds the muscle and bone that estrogen used to protect, and edamame brings protein, fiber and minerals to that plate, plus plant isoflavones that ease hot flashes.72

With soy, the form matters, and as I said in a Q&A on my show, "I don't think all soy is bad, but I think processed soy isn't ideal."11 Organic edamame is the whole bean, cooked and eaten the way it has been for centuries. Talking with Dr. David Jockers, I put the bigger principle this way: "It's food as medicine for different people, and this is where personalized medicine comes into play."12

Did you know?

• The word edamame first appears in writing on July 26, 1275, in a note from the Japanese Buddhist teacher Nichiren thanking a parishioner for the edamame he left at the temple.8

• Edamame means branch beans in Japanese, from eda, branch, and mame, beans, and English speakers have used the word since 1951.10

• A cooked cup of edamame carries about 28 mg of isoflavones, roughly what older adults in Japan eat in a whole day.1314

Advertisement

What is edamame?

You'll find edamame three ways: fresh in the pod during summer, frozen in the pod, and frozen already shelled, which goes by its Japanese name, mukimame. The fuzzy pods themselves are tough, so you pop the beans out and leave the pods on the plate.

Edamame is one of the legumes, the bean family that includes lentils, chickpeas and black beans, and it's eaten as a vegetable. Scripture honors this family of foods, too: when Daniel asked for a simple diet in the king's court, he said, "Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink" (Daniel 1:12).16 In the King James English, pulse means the edible seeds of plants like beans and lentils, the same word we still use for pulses.

A short history of edamame

The word edamame first shows up in Japan in 1275, in Nichiren's thank-you note.8 In China, a famine herbal from 1406 is the earliest document known to describe eating green soybeans and their young pods, and a 1620 garden book names them maodou, "hairy bean," for their fuzzy pods.8 The first large-seeded vegetable soybean reached America in 1890, a variety named Edamamé, introduced from Japan by Charles C. Georgeson, who had been a professor of agriculture there.8

Edamame nutrition facts (per cup)

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central FDC ID 168411 (edamame, frozen, prepared) at the record's 1-cup weight of 155 grams; % Daily Value uses FDA adult label values.1

That cup covers more than a full day of folate, all of it the natural food form, which your cells use every time they copy their DNA and divide.1 Low folate has been linked to low mood: in a U.S. national survey of 2,948 people aged 15 to 39, those with a history of major depression had less folate in their blood and red blood cells than people who'd never been depressed.17

Most of edamame's carbohydrate is fiber: of the 13.8 grams in a cup, 8.1 are fiber and 2.3 are starch, for about 5.7 grams of net carbs, and its 8.1 grams of fat are mostly unsaturated, including 0.55 grams of the plant omega-3 ALA.1 Soy isoflavones support steadier blood sugar as well: in a 2-year trial of 80 postmenopausal women (65 finished), all on the same Mediterranean diet and exercise plan, the women who also took a daily soy isoflavone extract saw fasting glucose, insulin and insulin resistance fall compared with those who didn't.18

Edamame protein: a complete plant protein

Edamame is a complete protein, and USDA lists all nine essential amino acids in a cup, including 1.16 grams each of leucine and lysine.1 Animal protein still sits at the top of my list, and beans, lentils and chickpeas are my plant picks.19 Edamame's protein adds up fast: in my menopause protocol, I recommend 30 grams of protein at every meal, and a cup of edamame gets you more than halfway there.71

Cup for cup, edamame carries a little more protein than cooked lentils (17.9 grams), black beans (15.2) or chickpeas (14.5), with fewer calories: 188, against 227 for black beans, 230 for lentils and 269 for chickpeas.1202122 Those beans bring more fiber, 15.6 grams a cup for lentils, 15.0 for black beans and 12.5 for chickpeas, so they all belong in your week alongside edamame and the other plant-based protein foods.202122

Isoflavones and other compounds beyond the label

The nutrition label leaves out what makes soy distinctive, its isoflavones. USDA's isoflavone database measured 17.92 mg of isoflavones per 100 grams of cooked green soybeans, edamame included (four samples, ranging from 13.79 to 19.30), which works out to about 28 mg in a cooked cup and 14 mg in a half cup.13 Older adults in Japan eat about 25 to 50 mg of isoflavones a day, so a cup of edamame lands in the same range.14 The same cup carries 9.1 mg of gamma-tocopherol and 5.5 mg of delta-tocopherol, two forms of vitamin E, and 2,511 micrograms of lutein and zeaxanthin, the carotenoids that collect in the eye.1

How edamame works in your body

The menopause transition changes how your body holds itself steady, because once progesterone is gone and estrogen is falling, blood sugar has lost two of its stabilizers, and cortisol, the one left, is the hormone behind hot flashes and 3 a.m. wake-ups.7 That's why I start with blood sugar and sleep, before any hormone support, and as I wrote in the protocol, "This is the order I use with patients: prepare the receiver, then complete the handoff."7

The first 30 days set the table, and my protocol is plain about alcohol: "Cut alcohol completely for 30 days. It's the #1 hot-flash and 3am trigger in every food log I've reviewed."7 Protein comes next, and as my protocol notes, "Women who move to 30 g of protein within an hour of waking often see night sweats fall within two weeks, before any supplement has had time to work."7 That's where edamame fits, since a cup brings protein toward that target and fiber toward the 30 grams a day my Hormone Balance for Women protocol calls for, alongside a daily bowel movement, which that protocol treats as non-negotiable because your gut is one of the routes your body uses to clear estrogen.123

Then the isoflavones do their part as phytoestrogens, plant compounds that give your estrogen receptors a gentle signal without pushing your own estrogen up.24 In a 12-week Swedish trial of 60 postmenopausal women (51 finished), in which neither the women nor the researchers knew who got isoflavones and who got placebo, the women taking 60 mg of isoflavones a day saw their hot flashes ease 57% and their night sweats 43% from where they started.24 Their estradiol and FSH stayed the same, and breast and uterine biopsies showed no change in hormone receptors or in a marker of cell growth.24

Edamame benefits

The cards below start with menopause, where edamame does its main job, and then move to your heart, your bones and breast health.

Edamame in Japan and in Chinese medicine

Japan and China were eating green soybeans long before anyone measured an isoflavone, and in both places they were more than a snack.

In Japan, edamame has been on the table for more than seven centuries as part of a whole way of eating, and I've described the difference this way: "In Japan, there are far fewer symptoms and a diet that's much healthier: a lot of miso, a lot of edamame, a lot of seaweed, a lot of fish. These things are going to help with the symptoms."43 The Japanese hot-flash and heart studies on this page found the same pattern in women eating soy foods.3033

In China, a 1620 garden book describes maodou in the terms of the Bencao, the materia medica, the classic texts of Traditional Chinese Medicine: sweet in flavor, neutral and non-toxic, used to stop bodily pain, eliminate water (reducing edema, in the chronicle's gloss), dispel heat in the stomach and reduce bad blood.8 Each of those properties appears in the profile below, from the same entry.8

In Chinese medicine terms, the dryness and heat of the menopause years often point to a yin deficiency: the body losing its ability to cool and moisten itself.44 The yin-building foods I've named for this bring coolness and moisture to your body: coconut yogurt, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, soy and flax, all cooling foods in that tradition.45

How to buy edamame: why organic matters

When you buy edamame, buy organic. In The Biblio Diet, organic soybeans, edamame included, sit on the eat list, nonorganic soybeans sit on the avoid list, and one note covers every food: buy organic when possible.9 As I've said, "It's so important it's organic, natural, nonprocessed soy."45

That rule matters even more with soy, because herbicide-tolerant varieties made up 96% of U.S. soybean acres in 2025, according to the USDA, a figure for the soybean crop as a whole, and certified organic production prohibits genetic engineering, so the organic seal is how you know with edamame.4647 In my Hypothyroidism Protocol, I tell people to choose organic grains and soy to dodge glyphosate, and organic edamame does that for you.48 Our guide to organic foods explains the seal.

• Organic seal. Certified organic edamame is grown without genetic engineering.47

• Bright green pods or beans. Fresh pods should be plump and green; frozen bags should be free of ice clumps.

• One ingredient. Plain edamame, or edamame and salt, is all you need on the label.

• Whole beans over isolate. Soy protein isolate and processed soy are on the cut list in my menopause and hormone protocols, so look for the whole bean.723

Fresh, frozen or shelled

Fresh edamame shows up at farmers markets and Asian groceries in summer. Frozen edamame is the everyday choice, and the USDA numbers on this page are for frozen edamame, prepared.1 Frozen in the pod makes a hands-on snack; frozen shelled beans, or mukimame, go straight into salads, soups and stir-fries.

Edamame pasta, roasted edamame and other products

Edamame pasta and noodles are usually made from edamame flour, and dry-roasted edamame is the whole bean roasted crisp. Fermented soy, such as miso, natto and tempeh, stays my first pick among soy foods,45 and our guide to fermented foods covers it. For edamame products, read the label: the best versions list one ingredient, organic edamame or organic edamame flour, and are built on the whole bean, the form of soy I recommend, rather than on soy protein isolate.7

How to cook and eat edamame (plus recipe ideas)

Edamame is eaten cooked, and the method hasn't changed much since that 1620 Chinese garden book: boil the pods until the beans are done and pop them out, or shell them first and cook them in lightly salted water, or roast them, and serve them as a snack.8 From frozen, steam or boil edamame until the beans are tender and bright green, drain and salt them, and eat them warm or cold.

Roasted edamame and other snacks

Roasted edamame makes one of the better high-protein snacks you can keep in the pantry, since it's the whole bean with nothing taken out. Pair a handful with fruit, the way the 1620 text served green soybeans with tea or fruit.8

How much edamame should you eat?

For comparison, the trials used a median 54 mg of isoflavones a day as supplements for hot flashes, a half cup of cooked whole soybeans a day inside a plant-based diet, and 25 grams of soy protein a day for cholesterol, about what's in 1⅓ cups of edamame.2341 A half cup of cooked edamame carries about 14 mg of isoflavones and 9 grams of protein.131

Edamame side effects and who should go lighter

For most people, organic edamame is simply good food. A few people do better with less of it, or with a different kind of soy.

Low thyroid. In my Hypothyroidism Protocol, unfermented soy is on the foods-to-avoid list while you're healing the gland, so if your thyroid is low, the soy I'd reach for is fermented organic soy such as miso, natto or tempeh.48 Across 18 trials of soy supplements, the thyroid hormones free T3 and free T4 didn't change, while TSH rose slightly (0.248 mIU/L).49 Soy can lower how much levothyroxine you absorb: in one documented case, a woman who drank a soy protein shake right after her dose needed unusually high doses until she separated the two.505152 Take levothyroxine on an empty stomach, keep soy foods several hours away from the dose, and if your soy intake changes a lot, have your doctor recheck your TSH.

Estrogen dominance. "Of the thousands of women I've treated over the years, the most common hormone pattern I've seen is also the one most often missed: too much estrogen relative to progesterone," as I wrote in my Hormone Balance for Women protocol.23 Soy has a time and a place, and on my show I've said, "If you're already estrogen dominant and you're in your 20s, you don't really want to do a lot of that."12 If that's you, keep edamame an occasional side and lean on the fiber, cruciferous vegetables and ground flaxseed in that protocol.23

After breast cancer. Whole soy foods are fine for most survivors, and my protocol draws one line: "Concentrated isoflavone supplements are different; ask your team."36 Get your isoflavones from food like edamame.

Soy allergy. In a survey of 40,443 U.S. adults, 0.6% had a convincing soy allergy, about 1.5 million people.53 If you react to soy, leave edamame out, read labels for soy ingredients and know the food allergy symptoms, such as trouble breathing or a swelling throat, that need emergency care.

Kidney stones. Edamame is one of the soy foods above 10 mg of oxalate per serving, along with tempeh and soy nuts, though it also carries phytate, which helps block calcium stones.54 As I've written, oxalates aren't harmful in small amounts, but overdoing high-oxalate foods can contribute to kidney stones in people prone to them.29 If you form calcium-oxalate stones, keep portions moderate, rotate edamame with lower-oxalate foods and drink plenty of water.

Gas and bloating. Like other beans, edamame can bring gas while your gut gets used to it. Start with a half cup, chew well and build up.

Interaction check: Moderate. Thyroid medication: follow the levothyroxine timing above. Blood thinners: a cup of edamame carries 41.4 micrograms of vitamin K, and in one case report soy milk lowered INR in a man on warfarin, so on warfarin, keep your vitamin K foods steady from week to week and tell your doctor before you add a lot of soy.155

The bottom line

Edamame: frequently asked questions

References

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Edamame, frozen, prepared. FDC ID 168411 (SR Legacy, NDB 11212; 1 cup = 155 g). Accessed October 22, 2026.
2. Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, Kurzer MS, Messina M. Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2012;19(7):776-90. doi:10.1097/gme.0b013e3182410159
3. Barnard ND, Kahleova H, Holtz DN, Znayenko-Miller T, Sutton M, Holubkov R, et al. A dietary intervention for vasomotor symptoms of menopause: a randomized, controlled trial. Menopause. 2023;30(1):80-87. doi:10.1097/GME.0000000000002080
4. Blanco Mejia S, Messina M, Li SS, Viguiliouk E, Chiavaroli L, Khan TA, et al. A Meta-Analysis of 46 Studies Identified by the FDA Demonstrates that Soy Protein Decreases Circulating LDL and Total Cholesterol Concentrations in Adults. J Nutr. 2019;149(6):968-981. doi:10.1093/jn/nxz020
5. Zhang X, Shu XO, Li H, Yang G, Li Q, Gao YT, et al. Prospective cohort study of soy food consumption and risk of bone fracture among postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(16):1890-5. doi:10.1001/archinte.165.16.1890
6. Shu XO, Zheng Y, Cai H, Gu K, Chen Z, Zheng W, et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival. JAMA. 2009;302(22):2437-43. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.1783
7. Axe J. Perimenopause & Menopause: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (p. 12, blood sugar, cortisol and hot flashes in the transition, and 30 g of protein within an hour of waking; p. 15, the four-phase roadmap and the order used with patients; p. 16, Phase 1 Stabilize: alcohol, protein at every meal and the flash-and-sleep log; Phase 3 Support (days 30-75): organic tempeh or edamame 2-3x weekly on the eat-freely list; Phase 4 Protect: bone and strength training; p. 22, Top 10 menopause foods, #6 organic tempeh or edamame, 1/2 cup, 2-3x weekly, and soy protein isolate on the cut list).
8. Shurtleff W, Aoyagi A. Chronology of Green Vegetable Soybeans and Edamamé (Including Maodou) Worldwide, A.D. 1275 to 2001. Soyfoods Center, Lafayette, California; 2001. Accessed October 22, 2026.
9. Axe J, Rubin J. The Biblio Diet. Hachette Book Group; 2025. ISBN 9781546008439. Food lists ("Beans and legumes (soaked or pressure-cooked are best)": organic soybeans (edamame) on the eat list; tofu and nonorganic soybeans (edamame) on the avoid list; "Note: Buy organic when possible").
10. Merriam-Webster. Edamame (etymology: Japanese, from eda branch + mame beans; first known use 1951). Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Accessed October 22, 2026.
11. Axe J. Natural Sunscreens, EMF Exposure, & the Best Dairy Alternatives | Q&A. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe, solo Q&A: processed soy and soy milk vs natto, tempeh and miso at 39:29-39:51, "I don't think all soy is bad" at 39:47; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-HsQGa7aOo&t=2387s).
12. Axe J, Jockers D. The Natural Healing Swaps Doctors Rarely Talk About | Dr. David Jockers. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe speaking: estrogen dominance in your 20s at 45:31; food as medicine for different people at 45:56; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFgUkzIL4ZU&t=2731s).
13. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. USDA Database for the Isoflavone Content of Selected Foods, Release 2.0. Nutrient Data Laboratory; September 2008 ("Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (includes edamame)": total isoflavones 17.92 mg/100 g, n = 4, range 13.79-19.30).
14. Messina M, Nagata C, Wu AH. Estimated Asian adult soy protein and isoflavone intakes. Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(1):1-12. doi:10.1207/s15327914nc5501_1
15. Massey LK, Palmer RG, Horner HT. Oxalate content of soybean seeds (Glycine max: Leguminosae), soyfoods, and other edible legumes. J Agric Food Chem. 2001;49(9):4262-6. doi:10.1021/jf010484y
16. The Holy Bible, King James Version. Daniel 1:12. Project Gutenberg eBook #10.
17. Morris MS, Fava M, Jacques PF, Selhub J, Rosenberg IH. Depression and folate status in the US Population. Psychother Psychosom. 2003;72(2):80-7. doi:10.1159/000068692
18. Llaneza P, González C, Fernández-Iñarrea J, Alonso A, Díaz F, Pérez-López FR. Soy isoflavones improve insulin sensitivity without changing serum leptin among postmenopausal women. Climacteric. 2012;15(6):611-20. doi:10.3109/13697137.2011.631062
19. Axe J. Top 3 Benefits of Protein (Why You Should Double Your Protein Intake). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (Dr. Axe, solo episode: animal protein ranked first; beans, lentils and chickpeas as plant protein; soy and wheat protein called lower quality).
20. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. FDC ID 172421 (SR Legacy; 1 cup = 198 g). Accessed October 22, 2026.
21. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. FDC ID 173757 (SR Legacy; 1 cup = 164 g). Accessed October 22, 2026.
22. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. FDC ID 173735 (SR Legacy; 1 cup = 172 g). Accessed October 22, 2026.
23. Axe J. Hormone Balance for Women: The 90-Day Healing Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (p. 3, A personal note; Phase 1: one to two bowel movements daily, 30 g of fiber, cruciferous vegetables and ground flaxseed, and soy protein isolate and processed soy on the avoid list).
24. Cheng G, Wilczek B, Warner M, Gustafsson JA, Landgren BM. Isoflavone treatment for acute menopausal symptoms. Menopause. 2007;14(3 Pt 1):468-73. doi:10.1097/GME.0b013e31802cc7d0
25. Leonard LM, Choi MS, Cross TL. Maximizing the Estrogenic Potential of Soy Isoflavones through the Gut Microbiome: Implication for Cardiometabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2022;14(3):. doi:10.3390/nu14030553
26. Welty FK, Lee KS, Lew NS, Zhou JR. Effect of soy nuts on blood pressure and lipid levels in hypertensive, prehypertensive, and normotensive postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(10):1060-7. doi:10.1001/archinte.167.10.1060
27. Asbaghi O, Yaghubi E, Nazarian B, Kelishadi MR, Khadem H, Moodi V, et al. The effects of soy supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cytokine. 2020;136:155282. doi:10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155282
28. Axe J. Women NEED to Know This Before Getting on HRT. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2026 (Dr. Axe, solo episode: organic soy and flaxseeds as the two foods to pick at 31:05; clinical hormone testing at 34:58; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcPa3Wnl_CI&t=1865s).
29. Axe J, Cole W. Heal Your Cells. Avery; 2026. ISBN 9798217181353 (p. 81, antinutrients and oxalates; p. 335, Foods for Hormonal Health, women's hormones in menopause: flaxseeds and organic soybeans).
30. Nagata C, Takatsuka N, Kawakami N, Shimizu H. Soy product intake and hot flashes in Japanese women: results from a community-based prospective study. Am J Epidemiol. 2001;153(8):790-3. doi:10.1093/aje/153.8.790
31. Anderson JW, Johnstone BM, Cook-Newell ME. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N Engl J Med. 1995;333(5):276-82. doi:10.1056/NEJM199508033330502
32. Ma L, Liu G, Ding M, Zong G, Hu FB, Willett WC, et al. Isoflavone Intake and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in US Men and Women: Results From 3 Prospective Cohort Studies. Circulation. 2020;141(14):1127-1137. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.041306
33. Kokubo Y, Iso H, Ishihara J, Okada K, Inoue M, Tsugane S. Association of dietary intake of soy, beans, and isoflavones with risk of cerebral and myocardial infarctions in Japanese populations: the Japan Public Health Center-based (JPHC) study cohort I. Circulation. 2007;116(22):2553-62. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.683755
34. Lambert MNT, Hu LM, Jeppesen PB. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of isoflavone formulations against estrogen-deficient bone resorption in peri- and postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;106(3):801-811. doi:10.3945/ajcn.116.151464
35. Ma DF, Qin LQ, Wang PY, Katoh R. Soy isoflavone intake inhibits bone resorption and stimulates bone formation in menopausal women: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2008;62(2):155-61. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602748
36. Axe J. The Breast Cancer Support Protocol: A Root-Cause Approach. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (p. 24, FAQ "Is soy safe for me?"; references 6-7, Shu 2009 and Nechuta 2012).
37. Nechuta SJ, Caan BJ, Chen WY, Lu W, Chen Z, Kwan ML, et al. Soy food intake after diagnosis of breast cancer and survival: an in-depth analysis of combined evidence from cohort studies of US and Chinese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;96(1):123-32. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.035972
38. Wu AH, Yu MC, Tseng CC, Pike MC. Epidemiology of soy exposures and breast cancer risk. Br J Cancer. 2008;98(1):9-14. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604145
39. Yamamoto S, Sobue T, Kobayashi M, Sasaki S, Tsugane S. Soy, isoflavones, and breast cancer risk in Japan. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003;95(12):906-13. doi:10.1093/jnci/95.12.906
40. Wei Y, Lv J, Guo Y, Bian Z, Gao M, Du H, et al. Soy intake and breast cancer risk: a prospective study of 300,000 Chinese women and a dose-response meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35(6):567-578. doi:10.1007/s10654-019-00585-4
41. Bajerska J, Łagowska K, Mori M, Reguła J, Skoczek-Rubińska A, Toda T, et al. A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of the Effects of Soy Intake on Inflammatory Markers in Postmenopausal Women. J Nutr. 2022;152(1):5-15. doi:10.1093/jn/nxab325
42. Wu SH, Shu XO, Chow WH, Xiang YB, Zhang X, Li HL, et al. Soy food intake and circulating levels of inflammatory markers in Chinese women. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(7):996-1004, 1004.e1-4. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.04.001
43. Axe J. How to Manage Menopause Symptoms & Balance Hormones Naturally. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe, solo episode: menopause in Japan, miso, edamame, seaweed and fish at 22:38; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lecihw0QW_c&t=1358s).
44. Axe J. How to Reverse 'Irreversible' Diseases (Cancer, Autoimmune & Chronic Illness). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe, Health Optimization Summit talk: yin deficiency and yin-producing foods at 53:30-53:53; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9coegIlXngQ&t=3218s).
45. Axe J. 6 Things Disrupting Women's Hormones (and How to Balance Hormones Naturally). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2025 (Dr. Axe, solo episode: organic soy and edamame in menopause at 38:56; yin-building foods at 43:16; organic, natural, nonprocessed soy at 47:29; YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9fLgt6Czpk&t=2336s).
46. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Recent Trends in GE Adoption (Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States). Updated 2025 (herbicide-tolerant soybeans 96 percent of U.S. soybean acreage in 2025). Accessed October 22, 2026.
47. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 7 CFR 205.105, Allowed and prohibited substances, methods, and ingredients in organic production and handling (excluded methods prohibited). Accessed October 22, 2026.
48. Axe J. The Hypothyroidism Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol. 2026 (Phase 1 The Thyroid Reset: soy protein isolate on the avoid list and "choose organic grains/soy to dodge glyphosate"; section 13, Thyroid foods ranked: unfermented soy among the foods that harm).
49. Otun J, Sahebkar A, Östlundh L, Atkin SL, Sathyapalan T. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effect of Soy on Thyroid Function. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):3964. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40647-x
50. Messina M, Redmond G. Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: a review of the relevant literature. Thyroid. 2006;16(3):249-58. doi:10.1089/thy.2006.16.249
51. Bell DS, Ovalle F. Use of soy protein supplement and resultant need for increased dose of levothyroxine. Endocr Pract. 2001;7(3):193-4. doi:10.4158/EP.7.3.193
52. Wiesner A, Gajewska D, Paśko P. Levothyroxine Interactions with Food and Dietary Supplements-A Systematic Review. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2021;14(3):. doi:10.3390/ph14030206
53. Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, Jiang J, Blumenstock JA, Davis MM, et al. Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(1):e185630. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630
54. Al-Wahsh IA, Horner HT, Palmer RG, Reddy MB, Massey LK. Oxalate and phytate of soy foods. J Agric Food Chem. 2005;53(14):5670-4. doi:10.1021/jf0506378
55. Cambria-Kiely JA. Effect of soy milk on warfarin efficacy. Ann Pharmacother. 2002;36(12):1893-6. doi:10.1345/aph.1C160
56. Reed KE, Camargo J, Hamilton-Reeves J, Kurzer M, Messina M. Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies. Reprod Toxicol. 2021;100:60-67. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.12.019
57. Hamilton-Reeves JM, Vazquez G, Duval SJ, Phipps WR, Kurzer MS, Messina MJ. Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: results of a meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2010;94(3):997-1007. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.04.038
58. Applegate CC, Rowles JL, Ranard KM, Jeon S, Erdman JW. Soy Consumption and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):. doi:10.3390/nu10010040

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

Read the full bio →

This article is for educational purposes. See our medical disclaimer.