Know2eat

Urad beans

Vigna mungo

What urad beans has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

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

About urad beans

A small black-skinned Indian pulse, sold whole, split with the skin on, or skinned to a creamy white split dal. Its unusually mucilaginous starch is what makes idli and dosa batter ferment and rise. The USDA reference entry is for the raw dry seed.

Also known as Black gram, Urad dal, Mungo bean, Black lentil

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthGut & Digestive 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

Evidence is limited. Urad shares the low post-meal glucose response documented for pulses generally, but almost all of that research is on the category rather than on black gram in particular.

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

1 source

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

Gut microbiome

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

There is not enough human research to say how urad affects the gut microbial community. Its fermentable fibre and resistant starch make the question a reasonable one, but it has not been answered in people.

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 Urad beans

Ask about Urad 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
Calories341 kcal17%
Protein25.2 g50%
Total fat1.64 g2%
Carbohydrate59 g21%
Fibre18.3 g65%
Water10.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.114 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.085 g—
Polyunsaturated fat1.07 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.072 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A1 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.273 mg23%
Riboflavin (B2)0.254 mg20%
Niacin (B3)1.45 mg9%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.906 mg18%
Vitamin B60.281 mg17%
Folate216 µg54%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium138 mg11%
Iron7.57 mg42%
Magnesium267 mg64%
Phosphorus379 mg30%
Potassium983 mg21%
Sodium38 mg2%
Zinc3.35 mg30%
Copper0.981 mg109%
Manganese1.53 mg66%
Selenium8.2 µg15%
Other measured compounds
Ash3.36 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: Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174259).

% 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.

  • fermentedReduces phytate and oligosaccharides

    The natural lactic fermentation of urad and rice batter for idli and dosa lowers phytate and part of the gas-forming oligosaccharide fraction over several hours, and raises some B vitamins.

  • soakedReduces oligosaccharides

    Soaking and discarding the water removes some of the raffinose-family sugars responsible for gas.

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

    Purines and gout

    Urad is among the higher-purine pulses, and Indian dietary advice for gout has long singled it out. Pulse purines appear far less strongly linked to gout attacks than meat and alcohol are, but people with frequent attacks sometimes find their own thresholds worth respecting.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAPs and IBS

    Whole urad is high in fermentable oligosaccharides and heavy on the gut. Skinned split urad, soaked with the water discarded and cooked thoroughly, is the more tolerable form.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytate and mineral absorption

    Phytate binds iron and zinc within the meal. The overnight soak and long ferment used for idli batter reduces it appreciably, which is a real advantage of the traditional preparation.