Edamame and lima beans: the soy bean and the fiber bean

The strongest number on this page is about soy protein, which edamame contains. By a meta-analysis of 43 controlled trials in adults with LDL of 110 to 201 mg/dL, a median 25 g of soy protein a day for six weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 4.76 mg/dL (95% CI 2.80 to 6.71 lower). These were trials of soy protein, and whole edamame was not what they tested, so the result does not translate into a portion of edamame. On the plate the two beans differ in a simple way. Per 100 g boiled in the UK food tables, edamame has 142 calories and 12.2 g protein. Butter (lima) beans boiled from dried have 105 calories, 8.1 g protein and 11.2 g fiber, nearly twice the 5.9 g in edamame. Green lima beans may differ from the dried ones in those tables.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g boiled in UK food tables, edamame has 142 calories and 12.2 g protein, while butter (lima) beans have 105 calories, 8.1 g protein and nearly twice the fiber. — UK composition tables, boiled without salt Evidence E source
  Edamame: fiber 5.9 g, iron 2.73 mg, potassium 497 mg; butter beans (dried, boiled): fiber 11.2 g, iron 1.93 mg, potassium 447 mg

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey a cup of cooked edamame weighs 5.6 oz (160 g) and a cup of lima beans cooked from frozen weighs 6.3 oz (180 g). — US food survey portion weights Evidence E source
  Edamame cooked (41420020): 1 cup 160 g, unspecified 80 g; lima beans from frozen (75204012): 1 cup 180 g, unspecified 90 g

What your body absorbs

• Laboratory data suggest lima beans had the highest iron availability of ten legumes tested, at 9.5. — 10 legumes, in vitro digestion Evidence D source
  Fe availability lima beans 9.5 (SEM 0.1); groundnuts 1.3
• In 7 healthy men, folate added to lima beans was absorbed as well as folate in water, while orange juice cut polyglutamyl folate uptake by about a third. — 7 healthy men, single doses (n = 7) Evidence C source
  Urinary d2/d4 folate ratio about 1.0 with lima beans; about 33% lower with orange juice (P < 0.05)

What cooking and storage change

• USDA retention factors for vegetables cooked from frozen and drained keep 70 percent of folate and 80 percent of vitamin C. — Vegetables group, cooked from frozen, boiled and drained Evidence E source
  Code 3789: folate 70%, vitamin C 80%, potassium 90%, thiamin 90%, iron 95%, magnesium 95%

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 43 trials found a median 25 g of soy protein a day for 6 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 4.76 mg/dL. — adults with LDL 110-201 mg/dL, 43 trials, median 6 weeks Evidence A source
  LDL -4.76 mg/dL (95% CI -6.71 to -2.80); total cholesterol -6.41 mg/dL (95% CI -9.30 to -3.52)
• In 8 healthy volunteers, 25 g carbohydrate portions of traditional foods including lima beans all had glycemic indices between 16 and 40. — 8 healthy adults, single test meals (n = 8) Evidence B source
  GI range 16 (acorns) to 40 (corn); lima bean value within range
• Among 258 adults at risk of metabolic syndrome, higher mung bean and edamame intake was linked to lower fasting glucose. — 258 adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome, China (n = 258) Evidence C source
  Lower FPG with higher edamame intake; size not given in abstract

Safety, limits and interactions

• Pooled European data put food challenge confirmed soy allergy at 0.3 percent and self-reported soy allergy at 0.5 percent. — 93 European studies, all ages Evidence C source
  Challenge-verified 0.3% (0.1-0.4); self-reported lifetime 0.5% (0.3-0.7)
• Across 40 studies, soy allergy affected 0 to 0.5 percent of the general population but averaged 2.7 percent in allergic children. — 40 prevalence studies Evidence C source
  General population 0.27%; referred 1.9%; allergic children 2.7%
• EFSA uses an acute reference dose of 20 micrograms of cyanide per kg body weight, set in its opinion on cyanogenic glycosides in raw apricot kernels. — EU consumers Evidence E source
  ARfD 20 ug/kg bw cyanide
• Among 1026 Tehranian pregnant women, eating legumes at least 3.3 times a week before pregnancy was linked to lower odds of gestational diabetes, while green lima beans and other starchy vegetables were not. — 1026 pregnant women aged 18-45, Tehran (n = 1026) Evidence C source
  Legumes OR 0.38 (0.19-0.74); other starchy vegetables incl. green lima beans: no association
• In 2369 US children and adolescents, each standard deviation higher score on one dietary pattern was linked to 37 percent higher urinary levels of the phthalate metabolite MCOP. — 2369 US children and adolescents aged 6-19, NHANES 2011-2016 (n = 2369) Evidence C source
  MCOP +37.2% (95% CI 30.3 to 44.4) per SD of pattern score

What people believe that the data does not support

• US rules allow a heart claim that diets low in saturated fat that include 25 g of soy protein a day may reduce heart disease risk. — US food labels Evidence E source
  Authorized health claim, 25 g soy protein per day
• The EU did not authorize a claim that isolated soy protein lowers blood cholesterol and heart disease risk. — EU health claim application Evidence E source
  Non-authorized

What is still unknown

• USDA lab samples of prepared frozen edamame ranged from 5.55 to 6.97 g fiber and 423 to 573 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g), and USDA has no comparable sample set for lima beans. — USDA Foundation Foods analytical samples, 4 samples Evidence E source
  Fiber 6.233 g (5.55-6.97); potassium 519.5 mg (423-573); magnesium 72.75 mg (67.8-76.6); folate 126.6-255.0 ug

The bottom line

The rules on soy and the heart differ by country. US labels may say that diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 g of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. The FDA proposed withdrawing that claim in 2017, and it was still in force on the date we checked. The EU refused a similar cholesterol claim for isolated soy protein. Lima beans have a few small studies of their own. Laboratory digestion of ten legumes found lima beans had the highest iron availability, at 9.5, and edamame was not among those tested. In a non-randomized trial in 7 healthy men, labeled folate added to lima beans was absorbed about as well as in the control, while orange juice cut the ratio by about 33 percent. The beans' own folate was not studied. In 8 healthy volunteers, 25 g carbohydrate portions of traditional foods that included lima beans all had low glycemic indices between 16 and 40, with no separate value for lima beans in the abstract. Among 258 Chinese adults with or at risk of metabolic syndrome, eating more edamame was linked to lower fasting glucose in a cross-sectional analysis that gives no size. A cup of cooked edamame weighs 5.6 oz (160 g) in US survey tables and a cup of lima beans cooked from frozen weighs 6.3 oz (180 g). Four USDA samples of prepared frozen edamame ranged from 5.55 to 6.97 g fiber and 423 to 573 mg potassium per 3.5 oz (100 g), and USDA has no matching sample set for lima beans. By USDA group factors from 1975, vegetables cooked from frozen and drained keep 70 percent of their folate and 80 percent of their vitamin C. Who should be careful. Pooled European data put food challenge confirmed soy allergy at 0.3 percent (0.1 to 0.4). Across 40 studies, mostly of soy formulas, soy allergy averaged 0.27 percent in the general population and 2.7 percent in children who already had allergies. Lima beans carry linamarin, a cyanogenic glycoside. EFSA uses an acute reference dose of 20 micrograms of cyanide per kg of body weight for these compounds, set in an opinion on raw apricot kernels that does not mention lima beans. How much a portion of lima beans contributes, and how preparation changes it, are things our cards do not answer. This page cannot tell you which lima beans or which way of cooking them is safe, and nothing here supports eating them raw or undercooked. In pregnancy, among 1026 women in Tehran, eating legumes at least 3.3 times a week before pregnancy was linked to lower odds of gestational diabetes (OR 0.38, 0.19 to 0.74). The starchy vegetable group that included green lima beans showed no link, and lima beans were not assessed alone. We have no cards on medicines for either bean.

Sources

1. edlb-daily-r8-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 13-667 Beans, edamame, frozen, boiled in unsalted water: Energy 142 kcal · Protein 12.2 g · AOAC fibre 5.9 g · Iron 2.73 mg · Potassium 497 mg; CoFID 13-663 Beans, butter, dried, boiled in unsalted water: Energy 105 kcal · Protein 8.1 g · AOAC fibre 11.2 g · Iron 1.93 mg · Potassium 447 mg
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 13-667 and 13-663 · checked 2026-10-02
2. edlb-daily-r8-03 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2707436 Edamame, cooked: 1 cup 160 g · Quantity not specified 80 g; FNDDS 2709848 Lima beans, from frozen, no added fat: 1 cup 180 g · Quantity not specified 90 g
   USDA FNDDS (FoodData Central), fdc_id 2707436 and 2709848 · checked 2026-10-02
3. edlb-daily-r8-11 · in vitro
   The highest Fe availability among legumes was for lima beans (9.5 (sem 0.1)) while for Zn and Ca, the highest availability was for kidney beans (49.3 (sem 4.5)) and pigeon peas (75.1 (sem 7.1)), respectively.
   Br J Nutr, 2010 · checked 2026-10-02
4. edlb-daily-r8-13 · clinical trial
   High relative bioavailability of the polyglutamyl folate was reflected by ratios of urinary d2/d4 folates of approximately 1.0 for control, tomato, lima bean and citrate buffer trials, whereas the ratio of urinary d2/d4 folates when subjects consumed orange juice was approximately 33% less than the control ratio (P < 0.05).
   J Nutr, 1996 · checked 2026-10-02
5. edlb-daily-r8-04 · reference dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:3789 VEG,OTHER,CKD FROM FRZN(BLD,DRAIND): folate 70% · vitamin C 80% · potassium 90% · thiamin 90% · iron 95% · magnesium 95%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 3789 · checked 2026-10-02
6. edlb-daily-r8-05 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Soy protein at a median dose of 25 g/d during a median follow-up of 6 wk decreased LDL cholesterol by 4.76 mg/dL (95% CI: -6.71, -2.80 mg/dL, P < 0.0001; I2 = 55%, P < 0.0001) and decreased TC by 6.41 mg/dL (95% CI: -9.30, -3.52 mg/dL, P < 0.0001; I2 = 74%, P < 0.0001) compared with non-soy protein controls.
   J Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-02
7. edlb-daily-r8-12 · RCT
   Equivalent carbohydrate portions (25 g) of the foods were fed to eight healthy Caucasian volunteers. The calculated glycemic indices (GIs) (mean +/- SEM with glucose as the standard) were all low, ranging from 16 +/- 2 for acorns to 40 +/- 5 for corn.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1990 · checked 2026-10-02
8. edlb-daily-r8-14 · 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 2026-10-02
9. edlb-daily-r8-08 · prevalence meta-analysis
   The point prevalence of food challenge-verified allergy were as follows: cow's milk (0.3%, 0.1-0.5), egg (0.8%, 0.5-1.2), wheat (0.1%, 0.01-0.2), soy (0.3%, 0.1-0.4)
   Allergy, 2023 · checked 2026-10-02
10. edlb-daily-r8-09 · prevalence meta-analysis
    The 40 studies identified established weighted prevalence of soy allergies of 0 to 0.5 % (0.27) for the general population, 0.4 to 3.1 % (1.9) for the referred population, and 0 to 12.9 % (2.7) for allergic children.
    Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, 2014 · checked 2026-10-02
11. edlb-daily-r8-10 · agency opinion
    In 2016, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) published a scientific opinion on the acute health risks related to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides (CNGs) in raw apricot kernels in which an acute reference dose (ARfD) of 20 μg/kg body weight (bw) was established for cyanide (CN).
    EFSA CONTAM Panel, Cyanogenic glycosides in foods other than raw apricot kernels, EFSA Journal 2019;17(4):5662 · checked 2026-10-02
12. edlb-daily-r8-15 · cohort
    For legumes, higher consumption was negatively associated with GDM; OR for those who consumed ≥3.3 servings/week was 0.38 (95% CI 0.19-0.74), also an association that did not change appreciably after adjustment for confounding factors. There was no significant association with the consumption of total starchy or other starchy vegetables with GDM.
    Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2018 · checked 2026-10-02
13. edlb-daily-r8-16 · cross-sectional
    A one SD increase in this food pattern score was associated with a 37.2% higher monocarboxyoctyl phthalate (MCOP) concentration (95% CI: 30.3, 44.4).
    Environ Res, 2022 · checked 2026-10-02
14. edlb-daily-r8-06 · regulation
    (2) Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of [name of food] provides ____ grams of soy protein.
    21 CFR 101.82, Health claims: Soy protein and risk of coronary heart disease · checked 2026-10-02
15. edlb-daily-r8-07 · EU claim register
    POL-HC-6237 Isolated soy protein Protein-rich soybean component has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol; blood cholesterol lowering may reduce the risk of (coronary) heart disease. -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6237, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
16. edlb-daily-r8-02 · reference dataset
    FDC Foundation Edamame, frozen, prepared: Fiber, total dietary 6.233 G, range 5.55-6.97, 4 samples · Potassium, K 519.5 MG, range 423.0-573.0 · Magnesium, Mg 72.75 MG, range 67.8-76.6 · Folate, total 185.3 UG, range 126.6-255.0; lima beans: no Foundation record
    USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-10-02