Here’s What Eating Tempeh Every Day Could Do To Your Body
As we learn more about the detrimental effects of a diet high in meat, not to mention the environmental impact of huge factory farms, many of us are looking for tasty plant-based alternatives to add to our diets.
Tempeh is a great choice because it’s super nutritious. A fermented soy product, tempeh is loaded with vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, and antioxidants. The firm texture and slightly nutty taste are appealing to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, and it can be used in all sorts of dishes.
So what would happen if you made tempeh a daily habit? We’ll explore the many physical improvements you’re likely to experience.
Better Gut Health
Tempeh is a fermented product, but unlike some others (kimchi, kombucha) it does not contain a significant amount of probiotics. That’s because the culture used for fermentation is removed via pasteurization before the tempeh is sold.
However, tempeh does contain prebiotics, a type of fiber that feeds the healthy bacteria in your digestive system. Eating tempeh regularly can therefore help to keep your gut microbiota in balance, leading to efficient digestion and less digestive discomfort.
Prebiotics may also boost the development of short-chain fatty acids in your colon. One of these is butyrate, which serves as the main source of energy for cells in the colon. A healthy colon is a huge factor in regularity and ease of passing stool.
One of the more interesting claims about gut health is that it can actually impact your cognition and memory!
Fewer Food Cravings
The only way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn. An unfortunate side effect of that process is hunger. You may be troubled by cravings for unhealthy food even if your body is fully nourished.
One strategy for warding off these hunger signals is eating a diet high in protein – and tempeh fits the bill. One cup offers 31 grams of healthy, plant-based protein. Including tempeh in your daily diet will help you feel full after meals and avoid the snacking that can derail any diet.
More than that, some studies indicate that diets high in protein jump-start a process called thermogenesis, which boosts metabolism. The end result is that your body burns through even more calories as food is digested.
Lower Cholesterol & Triglycerides
High cholesterol is a huge health crisis due to our fatty and highly processed Western diets. Left unchecked, high cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Tempeh, however, can naturally lower cholesterol due to its isoflavones. These beneficial plant compounds have been found to lower the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood stream as well as total cholesterol, which includes the HDL or “good” type.
Isoflavones have additionally been found to reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood. Triglycerides are a different type of fat that’s stored as a potential source of energy between meals. It’s just as easy to store too many triglycerides as cholesterol, and they also play a part in hardening the arteries, damaging the pancreas, and raising your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Greater Disease Protection
Foods that are high in antioxidants provide significant disease protection, improving every system in the body. That’s because they can bind with and neutralize free radicals that otherwise damage healthy cells. Cellular damage plays a role in every disease known to man, so preventing it however you can leads to a longer, healthier life.
Free radicals are a byproduct of breathing oxygen and are also present in the atmosphere, so it’s impossible to avoid them completely. However, you may not be surprised to hear that we also eat a lot more in the form of fatty fast food, charred meats, and refined carbohydrates.
That’s why it is so important to eat plenty of foods rich in antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables are a great source, and because it is made from soybeans, so is tempeh.
Stronger Bones
The milk industry would have you believe that its product is the best way to get enough calcium to maintain strong bones throughout your life. In reality, there are many plant-based sources of calcium, and tempeh is one of them.
Calcium in the diet can help preserve bone density as we age, warding off a condition called osteoporosis. But it’s not just important for older adults; some studies show that increasing calcium intake can help children and adolescents develop stronger bones as they grow.
Tempeh contains about 184 mg of calcium per cup. That’s not as much as milk at 305 mg per cup, but the calcium in tempeh is absorbed just as easily and doesn’t come with the fat and specific proteins that make dairy products difficult to digest.
There are lots of great reasons to eat tempeh every day, with just a couple of caveats. People who are allergic to soy should avoid tempeh all together, while those with thyroid conditions may be wise to limit their intake. Otherwise, you can feel good about adding this vegetarian staple to your diet on a daily basis.
