Mung Beans Organic

Description

What is a Mung Bean?
Mung beans are small green legumes. Legumes are simple dry fruits that are formed in pods belonging to either the Leguminosae or Fabaceae family. Other examples of sprouting seeds in this family are radish, alfalfa and clover. These are also available through Healthforce and the Living Foods brand.

Once sprouted, Mung Beans can be eaten raw and unlike many other beans, mung beans are gentle on the digestive tract.

Why sprout Mung Beans?
Eating Raw Mung beans is common especially in a lot of Asian cultures where they are used in soups, meals and even desserts.
When sprouted, Mung Beans change from a raw food to a living food with the following benefits –

Vitamin A is tripled
Vitamic C increases by 45 times
Vitamin K increases by 61 times
Folate and Choline doubles

Mung beans are rich in the following nutrients :

• protein
• vitamin C
• folate
• iron
• zinc
• potassium
• magnesium
• copper
• manganese
• phosphorus
• thiamine

Mung beans are also high in fibre, low in saturated fat, low in sodium, and contain no cholesterol. Because of the wide range of nutrients contained in mung beans, they offer a whole host of health benefits. They are great for the immune system, the metabolism, the heart and other organs, cell growth, protection against free radicals, and diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

The folate that is contained in mung beans helps to lower the risk of heart disease, fights birth defects, contributes to normal cell growth, helps in the metabolism of proteins, and is essential for the formation of red blood cells and for healing processes in the body. Another B vitamin, thiamine, is needed to ensure that the nervous system functions properly. It is also important for releasing energy from carbohydrates. Manganese is a trace mineral that is key for energy production and antioxidant defences. It is also necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and can be helpful for the brain and nerves.

Magnesium helps the veins and arteries to relax, lessening resistance and improving the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Research has shown that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with a heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, a lack of magnesium promotes free radical damage to the heart. The body requires copper in order to absorb iron and copper is also involved in the metabolism of protein. Iron helps to build resistance to stress and disease and it is essential for the formation of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to every cell in the body. It is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. Potassium is necessary for maintaining the acid-alkaline balance in the blood and for muscle contraction and a normal heartbeat. Zinc is a well known immune system booster and can be helpful in fighting male infertility. Zinc aids healing processes in the body, growth and tissue repair.

Like all legumes, mung beans are very high in fibre – more so than fruits and vegetables and even better than whole grains. The soluble fibre in mung beans captures cholesterol in the intestines, keeps it out of the bloodstream, and carries it out of the body.