Are Edamame and Soybeans the Same Thing?
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What’s the Difference Between Soybeans and Edamame?

What’s the Difference Between Soybeans and Edamame?
Everyday Health
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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While edamame and soybeans are both legumes from the same plant family, they aren’t exactly the same. Edamame are soybeans that are harvested when they're immature and still tender and green, while soybeans are left to mature and harden.

 There are also some differences in their use and nutrition.

Differences Between Edamame and Soybeans

Soybeans are a member of the legume family. They're traditionally eaten in Asia and have become popular on other continents, too. Soybeans look like green beans, except they are flatter and a duller shade of green, with fine hairs on the pods.

The difference between edamame and soybeans is that edamame are grown for direct consumption by people. They are harvested when they are young and served fresh, often steamed while still encased in their pod.

 You eat them shelled. The tender, soft green seeds make a nutritious snack or main vegetable.

Soybeans that are left to ripen turn into hard, dry beans, which are typically yellow but can be black or brown. Mature soybeans cannot be eaten raw. They must be cooked or fermented.

Soybeans are mostly used for oil in many processed foods, such as salad dressing, margarine, and baked goods. They're also used to make soy products, such as tofu, soy flour, soy sauce, miso, soy milk, and soy burgers. Whole soybeans can be soaked and dry roasted for a soy nut snack, or cooked and added to soups, sauces, and stews.

Nutritional Content: Edamame vs. Soybeans

Soy offers many health benefits — most importantly, high-quality protein. Soybeans contain all of the essential amino acids, making them a robust plant-based protein source. Shelled edamame provide 12 grams (g) of protein.

 For comparison, the same amount of mature raw soybeans contains 36.5 g of the daily value (DV) for protein.

 The numbers for soybeans are much higher because edamame is harvested when the plant is still immature, lowering the nutrient density.

Edamame and soybeans have a relatively low carbohydrate count. If you're following a low-carb diet, edamame contain only 9 g of carbs. They also contain important omega-3 fats but are low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol. Per 100 g, edamame has 5 g of total fat; raw mature soybeans have 20 g.

Essential Minerals and Vitamins

When a plant is harvested impacts the vitamin and mineral density. The DVs for key minerals in soybeans and edamame are as follows:

  • Calcium Soybeans, 21 percent; edamame, 8 percent
  • Iron Soybeans, 87 percent; edamame, 29 percent
  • Potassium Soybeans, 38 percent; edamame, 11 percent
  • Magnesium Soybeans, 67 percent; edamame, 20 percent
  • Zinc Soybeans, 44 percent; edamame, 10 percent
  • Copper Soybeans, 184 percent; edamame, 45 percent
  • Manganese Soybeans, 109 percent; edamame, 36 percent
  • Phosphorus Soybeans, 56 percent; edamame, 20 percent
  • Selenium Soybeans, 32 percent; edamame, 13 percent

Both forms of soy are nutrient dense in their vitamin B content, but soybeans are a better source of B vitamins than edamame. The DVs for B vitamins per 100 g of soybeans and edamame are as follows:

  • Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Soybeans, 73 percent; edamame, 13 percent
  • Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Soybeans, 67 percent; edamame, 22 percent
  • Vitamin B5 Soybeans, 15 percent; edamame, 4 percent
  • Vitamin B6 Soybeans, 22 percent; edamame, 14 percent
  • Vitamin B9 (Folate) Soybeans, 94 percent; edamame, 14 percent

In addition, soybeans and edamame contain small amounts of vitamins A, E, and K.

Health Benefits of Edamame and Soybeans

Both forms of this legume may offer wellness benefits. Since they are rich in vitamins and minerals, they may protect against cell damage and reduce inflammation.

Digestive Health

Soybeans and edamame are good sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is beneficial to your digestion and can help keep bowel movements regular.

 A 1/2 cup of raw soybeans contains 9 g of fiber, and edamame contains 5 g.
Because the fiber in soybeans cannot be digested, it remains intact, traveling through your intestines and colon, adding bulk and water to your digested food. By softening your stool and keeping your digestive system working properly, fiber may help alleviate constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Heart Health

The high-fiber content in soybean products and edamame has other health benefits, too. It may contribute to lowering cholesterol, which is important for the health of your blood vessels and cardiovascular system. Fiber can reduce the absorption of circulating cholesterol into your bloodstream. In fact, 5 to 10 g or more of soluble fiber a day may decrease your LDL ("bad") cholesterol, so a serving of edamame or soybeans may get you there.

In addition to fiber, many other beneficial compounds in edamame and soybeans may have protective effects on your heart, such as antioxidants like vitamins C and E, isoflavones, lecithins, and saponins.

Bone Health

Soybeans and edamame contain several minerals that are associated with healthy bones. Although calcium is most often associated with bone health, other minerals found in soy can keep your frame strong and healthy, helping prevent progressive bone diseases like osteoporosis:

  • Copper
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
Research suggests that certain soy compounds, known as isoflavones, can help prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women. One small study found that women who took supplements containing soy isoflavones had better bone mineral density in their spine, neck, and hips.

The Takeaway

  • While edamame and soybeans come from the same plant, they differ in how they are harvested and consumed. Edamame are harvested young and served fresh, while soybeans are mature and need to be cooked before consuming.
  • Because mature soybeans grow longer, they have a higher density of nutrients than edamame. But both are good sources of protein, fiber, minerals, and B vitamins.
  • Both edamame and soybeans may offer significant health benefits, including improving digestive, heart, and bone health.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. What is Edamame? Edamame Nutrition and More. U.S. Soy. February 26, 2024.
  2. The Soy of Gardening Includes Edamame. University of Missouri Extension. March 27, 2025.
  3. Uses of Soybeans. NC Soybean Producers Association.
  4. Edamame, frozen, prepared. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  5. Soybeans, Mature Seeds, Raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. April 1, 2019.
  6. Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet. Mayo Clinic. December 11, 2024.
  7. Dietary Fiber — Is it Good for IBS? International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.
  8. Cholesterol: Top Foods to Improve Your Numbers. Mayo Clinic. May 2, 2024.
  9. Angeles JGC et al. Legumes as Functional Food for Cardiovascular Disease. Applied Sciences. June 12, 2021.
  10. Minerals. Royal Osteoporosis Society.
  11. Barańska A et al. The Role of Soy Isoflavones in the Prevention of Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Clinical Medicine. August 10, 2022.
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