Nutrients in Bean Sprouts

Bean sprouts are the young plants that emerge from the seeds of Phaseolus aureus, or the mung bean, a vegetable frequently used in Asian cooking. You can buy mung bean sprouts frozen, canned or fresh. You can also grow your own sprouts. Besides mung beans, many other types of plant can be grown and eaten as sprouts, including: alfalfa, cabbage, clover, fenugreek, mustard, radish, sesame, sunflower, adzuki beans, chickpeas, lentils, green peas, wheat, rye and triticale.

Vitamin C

Mung bean sprouts are a good source of vitamin C, with 1 cup of raw sprouts providing 23 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a nutrient that is important for the synthesis of collagen -- a protein abundant in the body's connective tissues. Deficiencies in vitamin C are associated with impaired healing of flesh wounds, tooth loss and bruising.

Fiber

Vegetable fiber is the indigestible material found in plants. Fiber impacts the body's physiology by providing bulk to stools, maintaining normal blood sugar levels and reducing the risk of heart disease. A diet high in fiber may help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels as well. A 1-cup serving of mung beans provides 7 percent of the recommended daily intake of fiber.

Iron and Calcium

The body needs iron for processes such as cellular respiration, oxygen storage, immune system function and energy production. A 1-cup serving of mung bean sprouts provides 5 percent of the recommended daily value for iron. Each serving of mung bean sprouts also provides about 1 percent of the recommended daily value for calcium. Calcium is important for maintaining healthy bones, mediating muscular contraction, sending nerve impulses and regulating the secretion of hormones from glands.