The Nutrition and Health Benefits of Moong Dal

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Moong Dal or mung beans are a type of lentil that belongs to the legume family. This lentil is native to India, China, and Southeast Asia. Moong dal is often used in savory and sweet dishes alike. Mung beans are also preserved and fermented as condiments and flavorings. Wondering what the nutritional and health benefits of moong dal are? In today’s post, we are listing down the surprising benefits of eating moong dal regularly:

High in Protein

Mung beans are loaded with high-quality protein. A cup of mung beans contains about 3.16 grams of protein. Unlike meat proteins, protein from mung beans contains less cholesterol and saturated fat.

A serving of mung beans is very filling. Mung beans take longer to be digested by the body. Because it is slow-burning, mung beans help stave off hunger pangs. When you don’t feel famished, you are more likely to make better food choices.

Packed with Fiber

Did you know mung beans are also high in fiber? Dietary fiber helps reduce the risk of heart disease and digestive issues. The fiber content of mung beans helps alleviate hunger pangs and curb cravings. It also keeps the digestive system healthy. Fiber binds with fat and purge toxins in the colon for easy elimination.

Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease

Mung beans have the uncanny ability to reduce the risk of heart disease. In a study published in the journal Human and Experimental Toxicology, researchers found that this lentil is effective at lowering bad cholesterol oxidation. As a result, a diet rich in mung beans helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Low Glycemic

Lentils like mung beans are low glycemic foods. This means moong dal does not raise the blood sugar level, making it an ideal food for diabetics.

In a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found that diabetic mice afflicted with type 2 diabetes exhibited a significant reduction in blood sugar level and plasma C-peptide after taking mung bean extracts every day for five weeks.

Plasma C-peptide is a type of insulin indicator released by the body. The same study also found that mung beans help decrease triglyceride level among lab animals with type 2 diabetes.

Reduces the Risk of Cancer

In a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers found that mung beans have the ability to suppress the growth of cancer cells. This lentil also suppressed the growth of cervical and liver cancer cells by triggering apoptosis  or programmed cell death.

A Harvard School of Public Health study also found a link between breast cancer and phenolic-rich foods. Researchers concluded that eating mung beans twice per week decreases the risk of breast cancer by up to 24%.

Mung beans are packed with slow-burning starch and insoluble fiber. As these compounds undergo bacterial fermentation in the large intestines, butyrate is produced. Butyrate is a type of short-chain fatty acid that protects the colon from cancer. It works by preventing DNA damage and cutting off the blood supply of tumors. Studies show that eating mung beans daily reduces the risk of colon cancer by up to 42%.