Edamame and green peas: good protein, thin evidence

In a randomized trial of 36 men given a single 30 g protein meal from green peas, soft cheese or Mankai duckweed, several essential amino acids rose similarly over 3 hours. Branched-chain amino acids rose more after the cheese, and the peas served only as a comparison food. In 10 healthy young women given a pea-protein infant formula, removing phytic acid raised iron absorption from 20.7% to 33.1%, and doubling the vitamin C raised it from 14.8% to 22.1%. That formula was a protein isolate, so it shows which levers matter for pea iron without measuring a plate of peas. We found no trial of whole edamame or whole green peas on any health outcome. Where the two foods clearly differ is protein. In US survey data a cup of cooked edamame (160 g) gives about 18.5 g, more than twice the 8.2 g in a cup of cooked frozen green peas.

How much is actually in it

• Vitamin C in prepared frozen edamame ranges from 1.2 to 18.3 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 4 USDA samples, while potassium sits between 423 and 573 mg. — USDA Foundation Foods edamame, frozen, prepared (n = 4 samples) Evidence E source
  Vitamin C mean 11.36 mg (1.2-18.3); potassium mean 519.5 mg (423-573); iron mean 2.33 mg (1.92-2.85)

What a real portion looks like

• A cup of cooked edamame (160 g) gives about 18.5 g of protein in US survey data, more than twice the 8.2 g in a cup of cooked frozen green peas. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = 2 food codes) Evidence E source
  Edamame 11.54 g protein/100 g, 1 cup 160 g = 18.5 g; green peas frozen cooked 5.14 g/100 g, 1 cup 160 g = 8.2 g

What your body absorbs

• In 36 men given 30 g of protein from green peas, soft cheese or Mankai duckweed, several essential amino acids rose similarly over 3 hours, while branched-chain amino acids rose more after cheese. — 36 men after 3 days of stable diet and a 12 h fast, single iso-protein (30 g) test meal (n = 36) Evidence B source
  Histidine, phenylalanine, threonine, lysine, tryptophan: no difference between groups (p > 0.05); BCAA change higher for cheese (p < 0.05)
• Removing phytic acid from a pea-protein formula raised iron absorption from 20.7% to 33.1% in 10 women, and doubling vitamin C raised it from 14.8% to 22.1%. — healthy non-anemic young women, stable-isotope iron absorption, n 10 per comparison (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption 20.7% to 33.1% after dephytinisation (P < 0.0001); 14.8% to 22.1% with Fe:ascorbic acid 1:4.2 (P < 0.0001)
• Eating 11 oz (300 g) a day of green peas for 4 days raised plasma beta-carotene by 26%, while spinach with ten times more beta-carotene did not raise it at all. — 69 volunteers, incomplete block design, 300 g/d vegetable meals for 4 days each (n = 69) Evidence C source
  Plasma beta-carotene +26% (95% CI 2.6 to 54) after green peas; no change after spinach

What cooking and storage change

• Fermenting green peas into tempe gave the highest meglutol level among tested foods, 21.8 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g). — legume and tempe samples analyzed by GC-MS Evidence D source
  Meglutol 21.8 ± 4.6 mg/100 g in green pea tempe
• Canned green peas with added salt carry 77 to 288 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 8 USDA samples. — USDA Foundation Foods peas, green, sweet, canned, sodium added (n = 8 samples) Evidence E source
  Sodium mean 207.4 mg (77.2-288.0); fiber mean 5.95 g (4.8-7.6); protein mean 4.73 g
• By the USDA retention table for vegetables cooked from frozen and drained, 70% of folate and 80% of vitamin C remain, while iron and zinc keep 95%. — USDA retention factors for the group Vegetables and Vegetable Products, which covers edamame and green peas Evidence E source
  Folate 70%, vitamin C 80%, potassium 90%, thiamin 90%, iron 95%, zinc 95%

What it does to your health

• Observational data from 258 adults at risk of metabolic syndrome link higher edamame and mung bean intake with lower fasting glucose. — 258 adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome, cross-sectional (n = 258) Evidence C source
  Direction only in abstract: inverse association with fasting plasma glucose
• In 504 adults with type 2 diabetes, green pea intake showed only a weak inverse correlation with diastolic blood pressure (R = -0.092). — 504 adults with type 2 diabetes, Sabzevar Persian Cohort, cross-sectional (n = 504) Evidence C source
  R = -0.092, P = 0.039 for diastolic BP

Safety, limits and interactions

• A US case series describes 6 children with allergic reactions to green peas or pea protein, with pea-specific IgE from 6.1 to 73.4 kU/L, some needing epinephrine. — 6 children aged 2 to 15 years seen in a US allergy clinic (n = 6) Evidence D source
  Hives, vomiting, angioedema; epinephrine in 2 cases; pea IgE 6.10 to 73.4 kU/L; 3 of 6 also peanut allergic
• In 1000 Egyptian patients with G6PD deficiency, green peas triggered hemolysis in 44 cases, far fewer than fava beans at 326. — 1000 patients with G6PD deficiency anemia, pediatric hematology unit, 2011-2016 (n = 1000) Evidence D source
  Green pea 44 (4.4%) vs fava beans 326 (32.6%), falafel 194 (19.4%), chick pea 108 (10.8%)
• A 20-month-old girl with Down syndrome and FPIES to milk and soy later reacted to green peas and miso, so peas were removed from her diet. — one 20-month-old girl with Down syndrome and severe FPIES (n = 1) Evidence D source
  FPIES symptoms after green peas and miso; symptom-free after elimination

What people believe that the data does not support

• Allergists warn that pea protein is often seen by patients as an allergen alternative, although it can cause anaphylaxis and may cross-react with peanut. — 6 children with pea allergy, US case series discussion (n = 6) Evidence D source
  3 of 6 patients had concomitant peanut allergy

Who this works differently for

• A classroom nutrition program raised preschoolers' consumption of edamame samples more than in classrooms without it. — 3-5 year olds in low-income preschools, 308 intervention and 215 comparison children, one school year (n = 523) Evidence C source
  Greater change in edamame consumption in intervention group (P = 0.001)

What is still unknown

• UK tables list boiled frozen edamame at 15 ug folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), while 4 USDA samples average 185 ug, a twelvefold gap that neither source explains. — CoFID 2021 code 13-667 and USDA Foundation Foods edamame, frozen, prepared (4 samples) (n = 1 record + 4 samples) Evidence E source
  Folate 15 ug (CoFID) vs 185.3 ug (USDA, range 126.6-255.0); protein 12.2 g (CoFID)

The bottom line

The composition figures swing widely. Four USDA samples of prepared frozen edamame ranged from 1.2 to 18.3 mg vitamin C and from 423 to 573 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g). For folate the references disagree twelvefold. UK tables list boiled frozen edamame at 15 ug per 3.5 oz (100 g), the four USDA samples average 185 ug, and neither source explains the gap. Canned green peas with added salt carried 77 to 288 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 8 USDA samples. Cooking frozen vegetables and draining them keeps about 70% of folate and 80% of vitamin C, by a 1975 USDA group factor never measured on these two foods. In a feeding study of 69 volunteers, 11 oz (300 g) of green peas a day for 4 days raised plasma beta-carotene by 26% (95% CI 2.6 to 54). Spinach with ten times the beta-carotene did not raise it at all, though the abstract does not say the meals were randomized. Fermenting green peas into tempe gave 21.8 mg of meglutol per 3.5 oz (100 g) in a lab analysis, and we found no human test of what that means. The health links are observational and weak. In 258 adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome, higher edamame and mung bean intake went with lower fasting glucose, in cross-sectional questionnaire data whose abstract gives no size. In 504 adults with type 2 diabetes, green pea intake correlated with diastolic blood pressure at R = -0.092, a weak link among many foods tested. A classroom program in low-income preschools raised how much children aged 3 to 5 ate of offered edamame samples, across 523 children whose comparison classrooms were not randomized. Who should be careful. Pea allergy exists and can be serious. A US case series describes 6 children aged 2 to 15 with reactions to green peas or pea protein, including hives, vomiting and swelling, and 2 of them needed epinephrine. The authors warn that patients often treat pea protein as a safe alternative, although it can cause anaphylaxis. Three of the 6 children were also allergic to peanut. A 20-month-old girl with Down syndrome and FPIES to milk and soy later reacted to green peas and miso and was taken off peas. Edamame are young soybeans, so they are soy for anyone who must avoid it, and we have no card on soy allergy itself. In G6PD deficiency, a record review of 1000 patients at an Egyptian pediatric hematology unit named green peas as the trigger of hemolysis in 44, against 326 for fava beans, going by what patients reported. We have no card on these foods in pregnancy or with medicines.

Sources

1. edgp-r5-13 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Edamame, frozen, prepared (Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 11.36 MG mean, range 1.2-18.3 (median 12.97); Potassium, K 519.5 MG mean, range 423.0-573.0; Iron, Fe 2.33 MG mean, range 1.92-2.85; 4 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29
2. edgp-r5-15 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 41420020 Edamame, cooked (fdc 2707436): Protein 11.54 g/100 g, 1 cup 160 g, 1 pod 2 g, Quantity not specified 80 g; FNDDS 75224022 Green peas, frozen, cooked, no added fat (fdc 2709960): Protein 5.14 g/100 g, 1 cup 160 g = 8.2 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food codes 41420020 and 75224022 · checked 2026-09-29
3. edgp-r5-01 · RCT
   36 men, subjected for 3 days to a stable diet and subsequent overnight (12 h) fast, were randomized to consume one of three iso-protein (30 g) based test-meals (soft cheese, green peas, Mankai). ... Although branched-chain-amino-acids (leucine/isoleucine, valine) increased significantly by Mankai within 3 h (p < 0.05 vs. baseline), the change was relatively higher for cheese as compared to Mankai or peas (p < 0.05 between groups).
   Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
4. edgp-r5-02 · RCT
   Geometric mean Fe absorption increased from 20.7 (+1 SD 41.6, -1 SD 10.3) % to 33.1 (+1 SD 58.6, -1 SD 18.7) %; (P < 0.0001; n 10) after enzymic degradation of virtually all phytic acid. Doubling the molar ratio Fe:ascorbic acid from 1:2.1 to 1:4.2 in the infant formula with native phytic acid content also increased Fe absorption significantly (P < 0.0001; n 10)
   Br J Nutr, 2001 · checked 2026-09-29
5. edgp-r5-03 · controlled clinical trial
   Consumption of the spinach-supplemented meal did not affect plasma levels of beta-carotene, although the beta-carotene content was 10-fold those of broccoli and green peas, which induced significant increases in plasma beta-carotene levels (28 (95% CI 6.4, 55)% and 26 (95% CI 2.6, 54)% respectively).
   Br J Nutr, 1999 · checked 2026-09-29
6. edgp-r5-10 · laboratory analysis
   Green pea tempe was identified to contain the highest meglutol concentration (21.8 ± 4.6 mg/100 g).
   Food Chem, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
7. edgp-r5-14 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Peas, green, sweet, canned, sodium added (Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Sodium, Na 207.4 MG mean, range 77.2-288.0 (median 215.5), 8 samples; Total dietary fiber 5.95 G mean, range 4.8-7.6; Protein 4.734375 G mean, range 4.0-5.3125
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29
8. edgp-r5-16 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:3789 VEG,OTHER,CKD FROM FRZN(BLD,DRAIND), group Vegetables and Vegetable Products: folate_total_ug 70% retained, vitamin_c_mg 80%, potassium_mg 90%, thiamin_mg 90%, iron_mg 95%, zinc_mg 95%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, Retn_Code 3789 · checked 2026-09-29
9. edgp-r5-08 · cross-sectional
   Cross-sectionally, higher mung bean and edamame intakes are consistently associated with lower FPG, while ormosia, black bean, and soybean associated with lower INS and HOMA-IR.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. edgp-r5-09 · cross-sectional
    Green peas intake was also inversely associated with DBP (R = -0.092, P = 0.039).
    PLoS One, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
11. edgp-r5-04 · case series
    He was taken to the emergency department, where he was treated with epinephrine and antihistamines, with complete resolution of his symptoms. His pea-specific serum IgE level was 8.75kU/L.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
12. edgp-r5-06 · retrospective case series
    Diets were the most common precipitating factor of hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency (834 patients; 83.4% of studied cases) especially fava beans (326 patients; 32.6%) and falafel (194 patients; 19.4%) which were the most common precipitating food products causing hemolysis followed by chick pea (108 patients; 10.8%), broad bean (76 patients; 7.6%), green pea (44 patients; 4.4%)
    Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
13. edgp-r5-07 · case report
    After discharge, she exhibited an FPIES symptom as a consequence of ingesting green peas and miso; hence, we recommended the elimination of peas, in addition to soy, milk, and egg yolk, from her diet.
    JMA J, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
14. edgp-r5-05 · case series
    The newfound popularity of pea protein in the food industry necessitates its careful consideration as a nonobvious allergen that can cause anaphylaxis, especially because it is regarded as an allergen alternative by the patient community.
    J Allergy Clin Immunol Glob, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
15. edgp-r5-11 · quasi-experimental
    Analyses showed that the change over time in consumption of the three vegetable samples varied by intervention status with greater change occurring among children within the intervention group (edamame: P = 0·001; cauliflower: P ≤ 0·0001 and red pepper: P ≤ 0·0001).
    Public Health Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
16. edgp-r5-12 · CoFID 2021 and USDA Foundation Foods, dataset
    CoFID 13-667 Beans, edamame, frozen, boiled in unsalted water: Folate 15 ug, Protein 12.2 g, Energy 142 kcal, Iron 2.73 mg, Potassium 497 mg per 100 g; USDA Foundation Edamame, frozen, prepared: Folate, total 185.3 UG mean, range 126.6-255.0 (median 179.9), 4 samples
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 13-667; USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-29