9 Best Health Benefits of Mung Beans

If you’ve never heard about mung beans before, no one would blame you. In fact, outside of the native regions it can be found growing – India, Pakistan, China and Korea, most persons have no idea that these beans even exist.

However, not because it is still relatively unknown does that mean you can’t learn about them now! With a taste naturally described as sweet, eating it in order to experience its benefits on health shouldn’t be that difficult.

Here are some of the ways consumption of mung beans can benefit your health:

Nutrition (Per Cup,202g)

Calories – 212
Total Carbohydrate – 38.7g 13% RDI
Dietary Fiber – 15g 61% RDI
Total Fat – 0.8g 1% RDI
Protein – 14g 28% RDI
Vitamin K – 5.5mcg 7% RDI
Thiamin – 0.3mg 22% RDI
Riboflavin – 0.1mg 7% RDI
Niacin – 1.2mg 6% RDI
Vitamin B6 – 0.1mg 7% RDI
Folate – 320mcg 80% RDI
Pantothenic Acid – 0.8mg 8% RDI
Calcium – 54.5mg 5% RDI
Iron – 2.8mg 16% RDI
Magnesium – 97mg 24% RDI
Phosphorus – 200mg 20% RDI
Potassium – 535mg 15% RDI
Zinc – 1.7mg 11% RDI
Copper – 0.3mg 16% RDI
Manganese – 0.6mg 30% RDI
Selenium – 5mcg 7% RDI

9 Amazing Health Benefits of Mung Beans

1. Reduces LDL Cholesterol

Mung beans are naturally rich in fiber, a nutrient well known for its ability to help reduce cholesterol levels. Interestingly, however, this is not the only mechanism by which mung beans help lower cholesterol, as antioxidants found within also contributes to this property, even though the reasons are not very clear.

One method that has been postulated for its actions is based on the antioxidant compounds inhibiting free radical action on LDL, which then decreases its aggregation on blood vessel walls as atherosclerotic plaques. Being a legume, mung beans fit right in with the rest of the legume family in terms of their cholesterol reducing property.

2. Promotes Blood Glucose Control

You know the drill by now – foods high in fiber are an excellent way of slowing the absorption of glucose into the blood, helping your body better handle this macronutrient.

In addition to this, however, mung beans are also high in protein, that have a further blood glucose stabilizing effect, and possess two novel antioxidants by the name of vitexin and isovitexin which themselves possess mild hypoglycemic action.

They are also believed to help improve insulin sensitivity, so that a greater efficiency of glucose utilization is achieved. One important note – be careful if currently using prescription antidiabetic medications, as the synergistic effect between the two can cause unsafe drops in blood sugar.

3. Promotes Weight Loss

Foods that are high in protein are excellent for supporting weight loss since this macronutrient group inherently has the highest thermic effect of all the food groups. This results in a greater number of calories being used to facilitate digestion of the beans.

But that is far from the only way mung beans may help bring about weight loss. In addition to this, foods that are good sources of fiber and protein play critical roles in the suppression of the hormone that triggers hunger – ghrelin.

Coupled with the fact that this combo also increases satiety and the release of fullness signaling hormones, it means that you will be consuming less calories over the course of the day.

People that regularly consume legumes on average report 30% less hunger pangs than persons who rely on staples such as whole wheat products.

4. Slows The Aging Process

Consumption of a diet rich in plant-based materials supports the overall health and wellness of your skin, thanks to the abundance of natural antioxidant compounds that you can find in them.

Mung beans, in addition to many effective antioxidant compounds, also contain copper, a trace mineral that is very important in helping to preserve the health and beauty of your skin.

Copper deficiency can inevitably lend a hand to accelerated aging, making it a great idea to consume mung beans which are naturally rich in this mineral.

5. Helps Control Blood Pressure

When it comes to mung beans ability to regulate blood pressure, the presence of copious amounts of magnesium is to thank. Magnesium, similar to potassium, helps regulate blood vessel tone so that the vessels dilate sufficiently under the right circumstances.

Blood vessels that are hypertonic are prone to excessive narrowing, a scenario that lends itself to the development of high blood pressure. Magnesium helps to maintain blood vessel flexibility, so that they more efficiently adapt to changes in blood volume, or neurotransmitters and hormones that may elicit a biochemical change to tone.

6. Reduces Cancer Risk

While there is no way to absolutely eliminate your risk of cancer, diets that are higher in plant-based foods significantly cuts your relative risk of developing the debilitating disease.

Mung beans have a spectrum of antioxidant compounds and vitamins which are critical to the neutralization of reactive oxygen species and other damaging free radicals. By lending a hand to the stabilization of these molecules, their propensity for causing cellular and DNA damage is greatly reduced.

7. Supports A Healthy Pregnancy

Mung beans are a rich natural source of dietary folate, absolutely critical to successful outcomes of pregnancy.

Prenatal diets that are low in folate or synthetic folic acid increase the unborn child’s risk of birth defects significantly, or can impair normal cognitive development.

Dietary folate is also preferred over folic acid supplements, thanks to improved absorption of this critical vitamin.

8. Can Relieve Symptoms Of PMS

Prior to the onset of the menstrual cycle, every woman knows the drill. From the bloating, to the cramping, or mood swings, it’s about to go down.

While there is no way to avoid it completely per se, consumption of mung beans can help to make your suffering a bit more tolerable.

The presence of magnesium and numerous B vitamins can help to ease cramping, mood swings, and especially headaches that are common place. Consumption of magnesium is advocated as an effective natural management technique for controlling the frequency or severity of migraines.

9. Improves Immunity

Mung beans help to bolster your immune system from two fronts; by virtue of its antimicrobial properties, and the fact that it contributes to the nourishment of the probiotic bacteria found in your digestive tract.

Fun fact – a significant portion of your immune system actually comprises the probiotic bacteria found residing in your digestive tract. This is why, for example, following a period of antibiotic usage which kills bacteria nonspecifically, you will hear often times that your immune system is suppressed.

Chances are you probably never understood what that meant until now. You need to ensure the integrity of these bacterial cultures is maintained, or you open up yourself to host of opportunistic infections.

Conclusion

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, will you be getting more mung beans in your diet? Also of important mention is the fact that mung beans, like all other legumes, contain anti-nutrient compounds which may interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients.

However, the amount of these anti-nutrient compounds is significantly less that other legumes, and can be further reduced by soaking the beans in water overnight prior to consumption. This minimizes any loss of nutrition you are likely to experience, and enables you to enjoy the beans without reservation.