What Are The Health Benefits Of Green Mung Beans?

The green mung bean, a legume originating in India, is also known as green gram, golden gram and chop suey bean. Cooks often sprout green mung beans and use the sprouts in stir-fries and salads. The cooked mature bean, mixed with grains or vegetables, makes a hearty side dish or a nourishing entree. Both the sprouted and mature bean are nutrient-rich additions to your diet and offer a number of health benefits.

Low in Calories

Whether you're eating the mature green mung bean or its sprout, both are low-calorie food choices, although the mature bean is higher in calories. A 1/2 cup serving of the cooked mature mung bean contains 106 calories, while the same size serving of its sprout contains just 16 calories. Including these low-calorie foods in your diet will help satisfy your appetite while keeping you within your daily calorie goals.

Good Source of Fiber

The green mung bean is also a good source of fiber, the mature bean more so than its sprout. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked green mung bean contains 7.7 g of fiber, and a 1/2 cup serving of the green mung bean sprout has 1 g of fiber. One serving of the cooked mature bean meets 31 percent of your daily value for fiber. Including more fiber-rich foods such as the green mung bean in your diet offers a number of health benefits. Fiber takes longer for your body to digest, aiding in hunger control and weight management. Fiber lowers blood cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of heart disease. Fiber also adds bulk to stool, improving bowel movements.

Source of Iron

Although they contain only small amounts of iron, mung beans contribute modestly to dietary iron intake. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked mature mung beans contains 1.4 mg of iron, meeting 8 percent of your daily value, and the same size serving of sprouts contains 0.5 mg of iron, meeting 3 percent of your daily value. Iron is an essential mineral necessary for cell growth, oxygen transportation and biochemical reactions in the body. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world. Poor iron intake can leave you feeling fatigued and weak.

High in Folate

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin necessary for the production of new cells, DNA and RNA. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked mature green mung beans contains 161 mcg of folate, meeting more than 40 percent of your daily requirement. Mung bean sprouts are not as high in folate, but still provide 32 mcg per 1/2 cup serving. Adequate intakes of folate is especially important for women of childbearing age because it helps prevent birth defects in unborn children.