The Top Tofu Health Benefits

Curious about the top tofu benefits? Here, we go through the biggest tofu health benefits. Find out why this soy protein is so good for you.

Is eating soy foods good for you? What are the effects of soy? Read on for answers to all your burning questions about soy and tofy

If you’ve ever been curious about soy, you probably did what most people do when they have a burning question: Do a search on Google.

But if you simply type “soy” into the search bar, you’ll see many articles about the health risks of soy.

Turns out, many myths about soy and tofy exist. To help you decide if soy products like tofu, tempeh, and edamame are smart additions to your diet or a plant-based pregnancy, I’m giving you all the science-backed facts right here in this blog post.

So keep on scrolling to find out which beliefs about soy are actually misconceptions, plus the top tofu benefits and why I choose to incorporate soy into my own diet.

Types of soy proteins

Tofu is just one type of soy protein. Here are a handful that you might encounter at the grocery store.

Tofu

Tofu is a tasty meat alternative. Half a cup of extra-firm tofu provides 22 grams of protein, making it an excellent source. You can grill tofu, add it to stir-fries, and toss it into a homemade vegetable soup. 

Edamame

These are soybeans and are a complete source of protein, with 17 grams of protein per cup! They’re also a good source of immunity-helping vitamin C.

I like to eat them lightly salted, and I also add them to my high-protein smoothie with vanilla bean.

Soy burgers

Soy is a complete source of protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids, which your body requires from food because it is not able to produce those amino acids itself.

A review study in The Journal of Nutrition and Disease shows that soy protein may help lower cholesterol levels—it can help to significantly decrease “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Tofu benefits

Turns out, many tofu benefits exist. Let’s walk through a few.

Not everyone is destined to become a vegetarian. But eating more vegetarian meals is a more doable change that can increase health in a variety of ways.

Better blood sugar control

People following vegetarian diets may see a reduction in blood sugar levels. This could potentially lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss

Vegetarian eating may even help reduce calorie intake by decreasing consumption of fat and cholesterol while increasing fiber.

Now, a study in Appetite shows that eating soy daily may help with weight loss. In the study, overweight and obese women were instructed to eat about 3 ounces of edamame (aka soy beans) daily.

After three months, the soy consumption led to the women losing a significant amount of weight and waistline inches. Awesome, right?

No significant changes were observed in a control group, the study showed, indicating pretty awesome tofu benefits.

Complete protein

Soy is a complete protein, which means it contains all the essential amino acids and is processed more easily by the body.

And the study authors suggest that protein may control hunger very effectively, possibly more so than other macronutrients such as fat or carbs—and that eating protein sources low in saturated fat, such as soy, may boost weight loss.

This protective effect is so interesting, as it suggests that consuming soy may reduce the risk of obesity! Talk about amazing tofu health benefits!

Sources

• A 12 Week Dietary Intervention of Soya Beans (Edamame) Results in Reductions in Weight, Body Mass Index, Abdominal-Girth and Depth in Overweight and Obese Women, Appetite

I’d love to hear from you! What do you think about these top tofu benefits?