Know2eat

Mung beans

Vigna radiata

What mung beans has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About mung beans

A small green pulse grown across South and East Asia, eaten whole, split and skinned as dal, sprouted as bean sprouts, or milled into the starch used for glass noodles. The USDA reference entry is for the raw dry seed, not for sprouts or cooked dal.

Also known as Moong dal, Green gram, Mung dal

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthWeight ManagementHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Some small trials report a lower post-meal glucose rise when mung beans replace refined starch, in line with the broader pulse literature. The mung-specific evidence is thin and the studies are short.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Limited evidence

Has been studied for fullness as part of the pulse literature, where protein and fibre together raise satiety ratings. Trials naming mung beans specifically are few and mostly single-meal.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited. A handful of small human trials report modest LDL and triglyceride changes, and the wider pulse literature points the same way, but mung beans have not been tested often enough to stand on their own.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Mung beans

Ask about Mung beans

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories347 kcal17%
Protein23.9 g48%
Total fat1.15 g1%
Carbohydrate62.6 g23%
Fibre16.3 g58%
Total sugars6.6 g—
Water9.05 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.348 g2%
Monounsaturated fat0.161 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.384 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.357 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A6 µg1%
Vitamin C4.8 mg5%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.51 mg3%
Vitamin K9 µg8%
Thiamin (B1)0.621 mg52%
Riboflavin (B2)0.233 mg18%
Niacin (B3)2.25 mg14%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.91 mg38%
Vitamin B60.382 mg22%
Folate625 µg156%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline97.9 mg18%
Minerals
Calcium132 mg10%
Iron6.74 mg37%
Magnesium189 mg45%
Phosphorus367 mg29%
Potassium1246 mg27%
Sodium15 mg1%
Zinc2.68 mg24%
Copper0.941 mg105%
Manganese1.03 mg45%
Selenium8.2 µg15%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene68 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.32 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Mung beans, mature seeds, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174256).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • sproutedReduces phytate

    Germinating mung beans activates endogenous phytase and markedly lowers phytate, improving in-vitro iron and zinc availability. Vitamin C also rises during sprouting.

  • boiledReduces lectins and trypsin inhibitors

    Ordinary boiling inactivates the lectin and protease-inhibitor fraction of the raw seed, which is why dal is cooked to collapse rather than served al dente.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Raw sprouts and foodborne infection

    Mung bean sprouts are grown in warm, humid conditions that also suit Salmonella and E. coli, and seed contamination is not removed by rinsing. Sprouts have caused large outbreaks, and public-health advice in several countries is that pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone immunocompromised should eat them cooked rather than raw.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAPs and IBS

    Whole mung beans carry the usual pulse oligosaccharides and commonly cause bloating in irritable bowel syndrome. Skinned split mung dal, thoroughly soaked and cooked, is often better tolerated than the whole bean.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    Phytate in the dry seed reduces iron and zinc absorption from the meal. Sprouting lowers it substantially, which is one reason sprouted mung is a traditional preparation rather than merely a fashionable one.