Nutrition Corner: Cool Off With Mung Beans

Your summer vacation may be over, but the heat from summer still lingers. Some of the internal heat may be from the barbecued food and alcohol you might have indulged in, perhaps leaving you with a few unwanted pounds (Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone!). Even if you resisted temptations this summer the beginning of autumn is a chance to cool off, do a little detox, and refresh with some mung beans.

Originally from India and consumed all across Asia for thousands of years, the mung bean is a nutritional powerhouse that helps clear out toxins from the body. Traditionally, it’s been used in China as a natural diuretic for such applications as treating food poisoning, diarrhea and dysentery, edema, heat stroke, high blood pressure, and to clear out the liver. It can be cooked for soups and desserts, sprouted for salads, and enjoyed as noodles.

Modern research has shown that, like all beans, this legume is high in protein, while differing from some of its relatives by producing a lot less flatulence in the GI tract. Mung beans are also rich in essential amino acids — such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine — as well as flavonoids. They have been shown to help reduce inflammation, as well as blood glucose levels, while offering antioxidant effects.

All in all, mung beans can make a fine addition to an otherwise healthy and tasty diet.