5 Benefits of Eating Tempe for Health, Do You Know? All pages
KOMPAS.com – Tempe is a food that we generally find everyday in Indonesia.
These high protein foods are very easy to process into a variety of delicious dishes to help meet our daily nutritional needs.
Tempe is a food made from soybeans which are fermented or broken down by organisms.
According to Healthline, besides soybeans, tempeh can also be made from other legume varieties, such as wheat or a mixture of soybeans and wheat.
Tempe can be an alternative source of protein, especially for people who don’t eat meat.
These foods are high in protein, vitamins and minerals, and low in sodium and carbohydrates, making them a healthy food source.
As an illustration, 84 grams of tempeh contain about 162 calories, 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of total fat.
Tempe is also believed to be a good source of calcium. A total of 166 grams of tempeh can contain about two-thirds of the calcium obtained from a glass of milk.
Meanwhile, according to BBC Good Food, tempeh is also a good source of fiber with around 9 grams of fiber content for every 100 grams of tempeh.
This amount is almost a third of the recommended daily fiber intake according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is 25 grams.
The following five things further explain why tempeh is believed to be a healthy food source:
1. Contains prebiotics
Tempeh is rich in prebiotics, which are a type of fiber that “feeds” the beneficial bacteria in the body.
Tempeh has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and can improve cognition and support digestive health.
Also read: Prebiotics and Probiotics, These Have Different Benefits
2. High in protein
A total of 166 grams of tempeh contains about 31 grams of protein.
Numerous studies have shown that a high-protein diet can stimulate thermogenesis, which triggers an increase in body metabolism and helps burn more calories, after each meal.
Eating lots of protein can also help us control our appetite and increase feelings of fullness, thereby reducing the chances of snacking and hunger.
This is of course very useful for maintaining an ideal and healthy body weight.
Also read: 5 Vegetable Food Choices with Meat-Equivalent Protein Content
3. Helps lower cholesterol levels
Tempe is made from soybeans which contain natural plant compounds, isoflavones.
Soy isoflavones are often associated with lowering cholesterol levels in the body.
A review that looked at 11 studies found that soy isoflavones were able to significantly lower total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL).
Although most studies have focused on the effects of soy isoflavones and soy protein on blood cholesterol, there is one study that has specifically focused on tempeh.
An animal study in 2013 examined the effects of tempeh on mice with liver damage.
Researchers found that tempeh had a protective effect on the liver and was able to reverse liver cell damage.
In addition, tempeh also causes a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Also read: 3 Main Causes of High Cholesterol, Do You Know?
4. Lowering oxidative stress
Numerous studies have also shown that soy isoflavones have antioxidant properties and can reduce oxidative stress.
Antioxidants work by neutralizing free radicals, atoms which are highly unstable and contribute to the development of chronic disease.
The accumulation of free radicals can be linked to a number of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Numerous studies have found that isoflavones can reduce markers of oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant activity in the body.
Other studies have found that including soy isoflavones in our daily diet can have a beneficial effect against several diseases associated with oxidative stress.
Also read: Beware, 8 Stress Symptoms That Are Often Unconsciously
5. Improve bone health
Tempe is also a good source of calcium. Calcium is a mineral that is responsible for keeping bones solid and strong.
Adequate calcium intake can prevent the development of osteoporosis or conditions related to bone loss.
Although dairy products are the most common source of calcium, a number of studies have shown that the calcium in tempeh is well absorbed by the body, just like the calcium in milk.
So, tempeh can be an excellent alternative to increase calcium intake.
Also read: Easy Ways to Enough Body Calcium Needs