Are Mung Beans Good for You?

Mung beans are a staple of many kinds of Asian cuisine. They’re versatile: we can incorporate them in soups, salads, or stir fry dishes. It, therefore, isn’t surprising to see Filipinos enjoying munggo as soup or mongo as the main component of their favorite hopia. Many families also have the tradition of serving munggo on Fridays. 

People might be surprised to learn that these little beans can yield such positive returns. In this article, we’ll talk about the different mung beans benefits. 

What are mung beans?

Mung beans (Vigna radiata L) are one of the traditional soy foods people mainly in East Asia consume. It has been used both as a nutritional food and as herbal medicine. They are generally small, green beans that belong to the legume family. Other seed coatings are brown, black, and yellow in color.

These little beans are an  excellent source of protein, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and significant amounts of bioactive compounds. These compounds include polyphenols, polysaccharides, and peptides. Thus, they are actually food associated with good health.

Mung bean is an important grain legume in South, East, and Southeast Asia. These areas produce up to three million metric tons of seed consumed directly as dhal, porridge, and bean sprouts, or processed into high-value noodles.

Mung bean sprouts are popular since they are a source of minerals and vitamins, require little cultivation area and resources, and can be harvested after a short time period. They are marketed fresh, canned, or processed. 

Mung beans benefits

Mung beans have been documented to improve several health conditions. Among them are hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. These beans can also help prevent cancer and melanogenesis while having the ability to prevent damage to the liver.

The concentration and properties of the active compounds present in the mung bean are the primary source of these health benefits. Vitexin and isovitexin are identified as the major polyphenols. Meanwhile, the peptides show higher bioactivity in the mung bean. These bioactive components also give the mung bean anti-inflammatory, anticancer, lipid regulation metabolism, and antimicrobial properties,

Other bioactive components include amino acids, polysaccharides, carotenoids, tocopherols, and tocotrienols. 

Mung bean fractions contain a significant amount of different hydroxybenzoic acid, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, and stilbenes. These contribute to the antioxidant activities of the mung bean. The presence of anthocyanins in mung beans, though, are dependent upon the color of the seed coat. 

Additionally, mung beans are high in folate, iron, and protein. Pregnant women are advised to eat plenty of foods rich in folate for the optimal growth and development of their babies. Therefore, pregnant women can enjoy mung beans benefits as well.

Mung Beans Benefits: Versatile and Easy to Cultivate

Besides the various mung beans benefits, note that these little beans are versatile. Like mentioned earlier, you can incorporate them in various dishes. 

On top of this, they are very easy to cultivate. In fact, they have been a consistent part of grade school experiments. And finally, mung beans sprout in just a matter of days. 

In other words, it’ll be easy for you to harness the different mung beans benefits for your health!  

Key takeaways

The versatile legume that is the mung bean is a staple of food in South, East, and Southeast Asia. Usually seen as small, green beans, it is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, nutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

Aside from the many ways it can be prepared and consumed, mung beans also have several benefits connected to human health. It has properties that make it an antidiabetic, anticancer, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial, among others. These also have several agricultural uses that have only begun to be explored in recent years.

For more on nutrition facts, click here.