People typically eat the sprouts of the mung bean, and the plants are used for livestock forage. The sprouts have a high protein content and contain smaller amounts of several vitamins and minerals. Most of all mung beans consumed in the United States are imported; the crops grown here are mainly from Oklahoma. Mung beans are considered a legume and are closely related to the adzuki bean.
History
In the U.S., 15 to 20 million pounds of mung beans are consumed every year, most of which is imported. Mung beans are commonly cultivated in Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. According to the University of Wisconsin, India has been growing them since ancient times. In the United States, the mung bean was called chickasaw pea.
Plant Information
Mung beans can either come from a vine or from an upright plant. Both are annuals and will grow 1 to 5 feet in length. Mung beans have trifoliate leaves and light yellow flowers that cluster at the tip of the plant. The mature pods can be yellow-brown to black in color and are generally 5 inches long with 10 to 15 seeds inside. Mung bean plants like warm temperatures and sandy, nutrient rich soil with good drainage. Excessive humidity, rainfall or drought can reduce yields or promote diseases on the plant.
Uses
Mung beans are a staple in Chinese cuisine where they use the whole bean or its sprouts. In Europe, the beans are commonly referred to as green gram. In the United States, they are simply called bean sprouts and are commonly served in salads and sandwiches.
Medicnal Uses
Dr. Leung, who specializes in Chinese herbs, states that the mung bean is commonly eaten in China for therapeutic reasons. It is used to treat heat rash, heatstroke, food poisoning and mumps. It is also used as a poultice to treat skin conditions such as acne, boils and burns. Consuming mung bean sprouts may also lower cholesterol and provide protection against diabetes according to research conducted by Y. Yao, F. Chen, M. Wang, J. Wang and G. Ren and published in the October 2008 issue of "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."
Nutritional Data
Sprouted mung beans contain small amounts of many vitamins and minerals. A cup of raw sprouted mung beans will provide 31 calories, 3 g of protein, 1.9 g of dietary fiber, 14.6 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, 43.7 mg of omega-6 fatty acids, 21.8 iu of vitamin A, 13.7 mg of vitamin C, 34.3 mcg of vitamin K, 0.1 mg of thiamin, 0.1 mg of riboflavin, 0.8 mg of niacin, 0.1 mg of vitamin B6, 63.4 mcg of folate, 0.4 mg of pantothenic acid, 15 mg of choline, 13.5 mg of calcium, 0.9 mg of iron, 21.8 mg of magnesium, 56.2 mg of phosphorus, 155 mg of potassium, 6.2 mg of sodium, 0.4 mg of zinc, 0.2 mg of copper, 0.2 mg of manganese and 0.6 mcg of selenium.
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