Edamame: A Controversial Health Food

Edamam-YAY! Edamame, what is it?

Have you seen this beautiful legume that has recently been added to the farm stands? Edamame is a type of immature soybean that’s often found in Asian cuisines. It has actually been grown in China for over 7,000 years but has been introduced and used in American cuisine for just over a century. If you follow health food news, you may have seen that soy products have received a controversial rap over the last several years.

The main reason for this is that if they’re grown here in the U.S. they are often genetically modified to withstand heavy application of glyphosate, a dangerous herbicide that is also found in Round-Up. Conventional farms apply this toxic chemical with abandon, with very little consideration given to the negative health outcomes for the water systems, soil systems, or human consumers. Glyphosate has been linked to cancer (most commonly Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), liver and kidney damage, reproductive and developmental issues, and so much more. Due to this, health advocates have cautioned against conventionally grown soybeans as they have been found to retain high levels of glyphosate residues, along with the many other chemicals applied throughout the conventional growing processes. However, Woodside Farms is not a conventional farm. We are a certified naturally grown farm (you can read more on that here) therefore, grow and utilize organic practices. Our variety of edamame grown here is from organic seed - it’s called the Midori Giant if you want to read up on it.