Discover the incredible tofu benefits! This versatile vegan protein not only adapts to any flavor but also offers numerous health advantages. Learn why tofu should be your go-to for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Need more plant protein in your life? Tofu is a versatile vegan food that can take on basically any flavor while also offering a bunch of health benefits despite the controversy around eating soy.
Here’s why you’ll want to startcooking with tofufor breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
15 tofu benefits
Whether you add it to soup, stir-fry, or your morning scramble, here are 15 benefits tofu can bring to the table:
So what exactly is tofu?
Tofu is made out of soybeans in a process similar tocheese making. Legend has it that tofu was created by accident about 2,000 years ago in China, but it’s now produced all over the world.
So how the heck do soybeans turn into those tofu blocks? Basically, soybeans are made intosoy milk, which is curdled using a coagulant called nigari. This is salt extracted from seawater, which provides minerals and helps the tofu hold its shape. After it’s curdled, the soy milk is pressed into blocks to make tofu’s classic shape.
You can likely find both plain and seasoned tofu in most grocery stores.
How’s it soy good for you? 15 benefits of eating tofu
Adding tofu to your diet may offer a bunch of health benefits. Here’s what research has to say about how these potential benefits stack up.
1. It’s nutritious
Tofu is an extremely nutrient-dense food full of essential vitamins and minerals.
Eating one-quarter of a block of hard tofu (122 grams) will give you:
You’ll also get small amounts of riboflavin, thiamine, niacin,vitamin B6, choline,selenium, andmanganese.
2. May help with heart health
While research is still lacking in this area, a few studies have linked soy to reduced risk ofheart diseaseand benefits for overallheart health. One2017 reviewfound that eating soy-based foods may reduce risk factors for heart issues by loweringblood pressure,blood sugar, andinflammation.
This could be because tofu contains isoflavones, which are a type of plant estrogen (akaphytoestrogen).
3. May keep bones healthy
Bone loss is especially common for women going throughmenopause, thanks to a lack ofestrogen.
A2011 reviewfound that bone mineral density increased when women consumed 39 grams of soybeans and 8 milligrams of isoflavones every day. But the author notes that it’s unclear whether soy foods alone help bone health or whether those foods are simply part of overall eating patterns that contribute to bone health.
4. May reduce symptoms of menopause
Eating tofu may also help with other menopause side effects, such as hot flashes.
A2021 studyfound that when postmenopausal women ate 1/2 cup of cooked soybeans every day for 12 weeks, their total hot flashes and moderate-to-severe hot flashes decreased. By the end of the study period, some women reported no hot flashes.
But we still need more studies to find out more clearly whether eating soy products like tofu can help with this menopause symptom.
5. May support your immune system
You may think upping yourvitamin Cintake will help yourimmune system, but don’t forget about the mineralzinc.Researchsuggests that zinc deficiencies are linked to prolonged illness and a lack of immune response.
Throw tofu in the mix and you’ll get about2 milligrams of zincin one-quarter of a block of tofu — that’s about18 percentof the recommended daily intake for adult males and 22 percent for adult females.
6. May reduce risk of certain cancers
No, tofu isn’t the cure forcancer. But, itmighthelp reduce your risk certain types of cancer. We still need more research on this, but here’s what some studies have to say.
Studies suggest that Asian women who eat a lot of soy-based foods on the reg have about a30 percentlower risk of developingbreast cancer. But researchers theorize that these benefits are more likely to occur in people who have been eating soy since childhood.Eating tofu is also linked to decreased risk of digestive cancers like stomach cancer. One2016 reviewnotes that high soy intake may reduce the risk of digestive system cancer by 7 percent. And a2013 studyfound a 61 percent decrease in stomach cancer in men with high intakes of tofu.
7. May reduce type 2 diabetes risk
While there isn’t super strong evidence that tofu can help preventtype 2 diabetes, research has found an association between isoflavones (which are in tofu) and decreased risk of diabetes.
One2017 reviewnoted that postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (a condition that increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes) had improvements in fasting blood sugar levels,insulinlevels, and insulin sensitivity after taking daily isoflavone supplements.
8. May help with skin health
Your skin takes a hit every day from bacteria and UV radiation, but eating more tofu might help reduce the damage.
A2015 reviewnoted that soybeans may help reduce inflammation, boost collagen production, and protect againstUV radiation. But we still need more studies to find out whether these effects are legit.
9. May help with brain function
Is tofu the key to ahealthy noggin? Probably not, but it might help.
According to a2014 review, phytoestrogens found in soy-based foods may help prevent diseases that affect memory and cognitive function, such as Alzheimer’s disease.While the research is a bit conflicting, a2020 reviewalso linked soy isoflavones with cognitive function improvement.
Participants who consumed soy isoflavones performed better than the control group on brain tests that assessedattention, language,memory, and spatial and executive functions.
10. May aid weight loss
Adding a soy-based protein like tofu to your plate may help youlose weightandbuild muscle💪🏻.According to a2020 review, soy foods contain branched-chain amino acids, which help regulate weight, build muscle (and prevent muscle loss), and improve athletic performance.
The researchers also noted that soy protein can help reducebody weightand body mass index in postmenopausal women.
11. May help with kidney health
Your kidneys help filter your blood and remove waste from your body. And withouthealthy kidneys, you’re at risk of a bunch of health probs. While eating tofu isn’t going to magically cure kidney problems, it may help with side effects.One2014 reviewfound that soy protein intake reduced serum creatinine, phosphorus, and triglyceride levels in people with chronic kidney disease. Lowering these levels may help increase kidney function.
12. May lower cholesterol levels
Not allcholesterolis bad — it’s the type and amount that matter.
The “bad” type of cholesterol (LDL) sticks to the inside of your arteries and blocks blood flow. And when high LDL is combined with hightriglycerides(the most common type of fat in your body), it can put you at risk for health complications such as heart disease and high blood pressure.Tofu to the rescue! A2019 reviewof more than 40 trials noted that people who consumed 25 grams of soy protein per day saw a 4.76-mg/dL decrease in LDL cholesterol and a 6.41-mg/dL decrease in triglycerides after 6 weeks.
13. May help prevent anemia
Eating tofu may help you ward off iron deficiencyanemiabecause soybeans are a good source ofnon-heme iron(the type found in plant foods).
A2019 studyfound that adolescent girls with anemia experienced a significant decrease in rates of anemia and iron deficiency after they drank 100 milliliters of sprouted or regular soy milk daily for 6 months.
14. Provides all essential amino acids
The molecules that bind together toform proteinare calledamino acids. Our bodies can produce many of them but can’t produce thenine essential amino acids. So, it’sessentialthat we get these nine from the food we eat.Most plant-based protein sources don’t contain all nine essential amino acids, but soy-based foods do. Tofu meets the essential amino acid requirements recommended by theWorld Health Organization,meaning it’s a high qualityplant protein.
15. Contains omega-3 fatty acids
Another important nutrient we need isomega-3 fatty acids. While there are manytypes of omega-3s, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the only omega-3 that we must get from food.The good news is that certain plant-based foods, such as tofu, are good options to help you reach your recommended intake of ALA. Cooked soybeans contain about0.4 gramsof omega-3 fatty acids per 100 grams, which is25 percentof the daily requirement for adult males and 36 percent for females.
Does sprouted tofu have more health benefits?
Sprouted tofu is made the same way as regular tofu, except that the soybeans are germinated and grow little sprouts.
According toresearch from 2014, sprouted tofu can provide more protein and less fat while also reducing antinutrients (plant compounds that can affect our ability to absorb certain nutrients).
No fu for you: Who should avoid tofu?
While tofu is generally safe to eat, it may come with some risks in certain circumstances:
Fortunately, the evidence for these outcomes is pretty weak. If you’re concerned about adding tofu to your diet, talk with a healthcare professional first.
Let’s eat! The how-to on eating tofu
Want to give tofu a try but unsure how to cook it? Another benefit of tofu is that it has a neutral flavor and can take on any spice or marinade you combine it with.
A simple strategy is toadd it to soups. (Did you know those floating white cubes inmiso soupare tofu?) Try making some soup at home by following oursimple tofu and kimchi soup recipe.
If you’re ready to get more advanced with your tofu, try one (or more!) of these41 tofu recipesthat range from burgers to pizza and even breakfast.
The tofu takeaway
Eating tofu will give you essential nutrients and potentially reduce your risk of serious health conditions, including anemia, heart disease, and diabetes. It’s also super easy to cook, since it absorbs flavors that work for almost any meal.
Eating tofu is considered safe for most people, and there’s no solid evidence that the phytoestrogens found in tofu can harm your body.
But if you have estrogen-sensitive breast tumors or thyroid issues and are worried about eating tofu, check in with a healthcare pro before chowing down.
