Mung beans: low glycemic, but treat the sprouts with care

In a randomized crossover trial of 20 people with irritable bowel syndrome without constipation, noodles made from mung bean starch produced 2356 ppm-min of breath hydrogen over 8 hours against 4120 for wheat noodles, about 43 percent less and close to rice. Bloating scores after the two noodles (2.3 against 3.0) did not differ significantly in this small single-center trial. Tested for blood sugar, whole mung beans had a glycemic index of 13 in Filipino volunteers with and without diabetes, though the abstract does not say how many ate them. In a single-meal test in 10 healthy young adults in Taiwan, mung bean noodles scored 28 against 82 for brown rice. The real caution is the sprout. Raw mung bean sprouts have caused repeated Salmonella outbreaks, and the FDA tells children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weak immunity to avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK data give 140 mcg folate per 3.5 oz (100 g) for dried raw mung beans and 35 mcg after boiling, a larger fall than water uptake alone explains, while USDA lists 625 mcg for raw seeds. — CoFID 2021 codes 13-096 and 13-664, USDA SR Legacy FDC 174256, per 3.5 oz (100 g) Evidence E source
  Folate raw 140 vs boiled 35 mcg (4x) while protein 23.9 vs 8.6 g (2.8x); USDA raw folate 625 mcg, copper 0.941 mg, fiber 16.3 g

What a real portion looks like

• In US survey data, one cup of cooked mung beans weighs 6.5 oz (185 g) and one ounce of dry beans yields 72 g cooked. — USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Mung beans, cooked, FNDDS code 41108010 Evidence E source
  1 cup 185 g; 1 oz dry yield 72 g; quantity not specified 92 g

What your body absorbs

• Infants aged 10 to 12 months digested about 84% of indispensable amino acids from mung bean protein against about 63% measured earlier in adults, yet the DIAAS stayed at 50%. — 6 apparently healthy infants aged 10-12 mo, India, dual stable isotope method (n = 6) Evidence C source
  True IAA digestibility 83.6% +/- 23.0% in infants vs 63.2% in adults; DIAAS 50%
• The same infant study concludes that a legume to cereal ratio of 1 to 2 is needed for plant complementary foods to meet infant protein needs. — 6 infants aged 10-12 mo, India (n = 6) Evidence C source
  DIAAS 50% for mung bean protein; 1:2 legume-cereal mix required

What cooking and storage change

• In 18 healthy adults, native starches rose significantly in glycemic response after cooking, but mung bean starch made into cooked noodles stayed as low as raw starches. — 18 healthy subjects randomly assigned to three starches under one form of conditioning (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Cooking increased plasma responses (p < 0.01); cooked mung bean noodles similar to raw products; in vitro hydrolysis at 30 min vs glycemic area r = 0.95
• Seven Salmonella outbreaks from raw mung bean sprouts in the US, Canada and the Netherlands in 2000-2002 traced back to growers who did not disinfect seeds at recommended strength. — outbreak investigation 2000 with two case-control studies plus review of six outbreaks 2000-2002 (n = 7 outbreaks) Evidence C source
  None of the growers disinfected seeds at recommended concentrations

What it does to your health

• In 10 healthy young adults, mung bean noodles had a glycemic index of 28 and an insulinemic index of 38, the lowest of five Chinese starchy foods tested. — 10 healthy subjects aged 20-30 years, Taiwan, 50 g available carbohydrate portions (n = 10) Evidence B source
  GI 28 +/- 0.5, GL 7 +/- 0.2, II 38 +/- 0.3 for mung bean noodles vs brown rice GI 82, II 81
• In Filipino testing of local legumes in non-diabetic and diabetic volunteers, mung beans had a glycemic index of 13, within the 6 to 13 range reported for all legumes tested. — non-diabetic and diabetic human subjects, Philippines, 6 to 10 local legumes Evidence B source
  GI 13 for mung beans, 6 for chickpeas (all legumes < 55)
• In 258 adults at risk of metabolic syndrome, higher mung bean intake was associated with lower fasting plasma glucose. — 258 MetS-susceptible adults, cross-sectional analysis with food frequency questionnaires (n = 258) Evidence C source
  Inverse association with FPG, size not given in abstract

Safety, limits and interactions

• In the largest Salmonella Newport outbreak reported in Germany, eating sprouts carried 18 times higher odds of infection, traced to mung bean sprouts from one Dutch producer. — 50 notified adult S. Newport cases vs 45 S. Enteritidis controls, Germany 2011; outbreak n=106 plus 20 Dutch cases (n = 95) Evidence C source
  OR 18.4, 95% CI 2.2-150.2 for sprout consumption
• Two Japanese patients with birch pollen allergy reacted to mung bean sprouts through the PR-10 allergen Vig r1, a pollen-food cross-reaction. — a teenage female and a male in his twenties, Japan, both IgE positive to birch, Gly m4 and Bet v1 (n = 2) Evidence C source
  Lip swelling and oral discomfort; positive prick-to-prick test
• A 2025 systematic review lists six allergenic protein sequences in mung beans, from the PR-10 protein Vig r1 to vicilin-type seed storage proteins. — 100 papers on toxicology and allergenicity of alternative protein sources Evidence D source
  Six allergen sequences Vig r1 to Vig r6
• In a 2025 US Salmonella outbreak of 12 cases in 11 states, two of the four patients who ate sprouted beans reported eating frozen sprouted mung beans, and the product was recalled. — US patients, illness onset October 2024 to June 2025, 11 states (n = 12) Evidence E source
  12 cases, 4 hospitalized, 0 deaths; recall of Deep-brand frozen sprouted moong (mung) beans from 2025-07-16; outbreak over (CDC, updated 2025-09-25)

What people believe that the data does not support

• The only mung bean entry in the EU register of health claims, estrogenic support during menopause, is non-authorized. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, snapshot 2026-09-21 Evidence E source
  0 authorized, 1 non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In a randomized crossover trial of 20 people with non-constipation IBS, mung bean noodles produced about 43% less breath hydrogen over 8 hours than wheat noodles, similar to rice. — 20 non-constipation IBS patients (13 F, 46 +/- 11 y), Bangkok, two noodle meals per test day, 1-week washout (n = 20) Evidence B source
  8 h AUC H2 wheat 4120 vs mung bean 2356 vs rice 2267 ppm-min; CH4 1617 vs 943 vs 946 ppm-min (p < 0.05 wheat vs others)
• In the same IBS crossover trial, bloating scores after mung bean noodles did not differ significantly from wheat noodles (2.3 vs 3.0), while wheat did differ from rice. — 20 non-constipation IBS patients, Rome III, Bangkok, blinded to noodle type (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Mean 8 h bloating score wheat 3.0 +/- 0.6 vs mung bean 2.3 +/- 0.5, p > 0.05; satiety 3.4 vs 2.9, p > 0.05
• In an 8-week randomized trial in underactive vegetarians, 18 g/day of mung bean protein raised average strength by 2.9% while controls lost 2.6%, with no difference in lean mass. — 25 completers (11 supplement, 14 control) of 37 underactive vegetarian and vegan adults 18-55 y, Phoenix, Arizona (n = 25) Evidence B source
  Average % change grip, flexor and extensor strength +2.9 +/- 7.2% vs -2.6 +/- 7.3%, p = 0.05; LBM and absolute strength did not differ
• FDA advises children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity to avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind, mung bean sprouts included. — children, older adults, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems Evidence E source
  Avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts

What is still unknown

• Texturized mung bean protein caused no adverse signs in rats, but the review finds no quantitative data on how processing changes mung bean antinutrients. — rat toxicity study cited within a 2025 systematic review Evidence D source
  No changes in plasma biochemistry, organ weights or histology

The bottom line

In Germany in 2011, the largest Salmonella Newport outbreak reported there was traced to mung bean sprouts from one Dutch producer. Compared with patients who had a different Salmonella type, those who ate sprouts carried odds of infection 18 times higher, with an interval from 2.2 to 150 that shows how few cases it rested on. Seven earlier outbreaks in the US, Canada and the Netherlands in 2000 to 2002 traced back to growers who did not disinfect seeds at the recommended strength. A 2025 US outbreak reached 12 people in 11 states and put 4 in hospital. Exposure data existed for only 6 of the 12, and two of the four who had eaten sprouted beans named frozen sprouted mung beans, which were recalled. Allergy reports are few. Two Japanese patients with birch pollen allergy got lip swelling from mung bean sprouts through a protein called Vig r1, and a lab review lists six allergenic proteins in the bean without any figure for how common reactions are. For babies, the authors of the one study we have, in 6 infants in India, estimate from its protein quality score that a 1 to 2 mix of legume and cereal is needed to cover protein needs at 10 to 12 months. We found nothing on medicines and no pregnancy study beyond the FDA sprout advice. Cooking matters for starch and folate. In a 1989 trial in 18 healthy adults, cooking significantly raised the blood sugar response to native starches, while cooked mung bean noodles stayed as low as the raw starches, with no size given for the noodles. UK tables give 140 micrograms of folate per 3.5 oz (100 g) of dried raw beans and 35 after boiling, a fourfold drop, while protein falls only 2.8 times as the beans take up water. USDA lists 625 micrograms for the raw seed, more than four times the UK figure, so the raw value depends on which table you read. A cup of cooked beans weighs 6.5 oz (185 g), and an ounce of dry beans gives 72 g cooked. For protein the data are thin. Six infants aged 10 to 12 months digested about 84 percent of the essential amino acids in mung bean protein, with a wide spread between babies, and its protein quality score stayed at 50 percent. In 25 inactive vegetarians given 18 g a day of mung bean protein powder for 8 weeks, average strength rose 2.9 percent against a 2.6 percent loss in controls, at p = 0.05, with 12 dropouts and no change in lean mass. In 258 adults at risk of metabolic syndrome, eating more mung beans went with lower fasting glucose, with no size given. The EU turned down a claim that mung beans give estrogen-like support in menopause, which means the evidence fell short when assessed.

Sources

1. mgb-daily-r1-17 · reference dataset
   CoFID 13-096 Beans, mung, whole, dried, raw | protein 23.9 g | iron 6.00 mg | folate 140 ug | copper 0.47 mg || CoFID 13-664 Beans, mung, whole, dried, boiled in unsalted water | protein 8.6 g | iron 1.66 mg | folate 35 ug | copper 0.3 mg || USDA SR Legacy 174256 Mung beans, mature seeds, raw | folate 625 ug | copper 0.941 mg | fibre 16.3 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0; USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy FDC 174256 · checked 2026-09-29
2. mgb-daily-r1-18 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2707389 Mung beans, cooked | 1 cup = 185 g | 1 oz dry, yield after cooking = 72 g | Quantity not specified = 92 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
3. mgb-daily-r1-07 · observational study
   These values in infants were higher than those determined earlier in adults (83.6% compared with 63.2% and 103.5% compared with 85.2% for mung bean and spirulina protein, respectively).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
4. mgb-daily-r1-08 · observational study
   The estimated DIAAS remains low at 50%. In plant-based complementary foods, a ratio of 1:2 of a legume-cereal mix is required to meet protein requirement in infants at this age.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
5. mgb-daily-r1-05 · randomized trial
   Cooking significantly (p less than 0.01) increased plasma responses. However, cooked mung bean noodles gave metabolic responses similar to those of raw products.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1989 · checked 2026-09-29
6. mgb-daily-r1-10 · outbreak investigation
   None of the growers disinfected seeds at recommended concentrations.
   Epidemiol Infect, 2009 · checked 2026-09-29
7. mgb-daily-r1-03 · glycemic index trial
   Among the five starchy foods, brown rice evoked the highest GI and GL at 82 ± 0.2 and 18 ± 0.2, followed by taro (69 ± 0.4, 12 ± 0.2), adlay (55 ± 0.4, 10 ± 0.2), yam (52 ± 0.3, 9 ± 0.0) and mung bean noodles (28 ± 0.5, 7 ± 0.2), respectively.
   World J Gastroenterol, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
8. mgb-daily-r1-04 · glycemic index trial
   Legumes are low-GI foods ( < 55), ranging from 6 (chickpeas) to 13 (mung beans).
   Br J Nutr, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
9. mgb-daily-r1-15 · cross-sectional study
   Cross-sectionally, higher mung bean and edamame intakes are consistently associated with lower FPG, while ormosia, black bean, and soybean associated with lower INS and HOMA-IR.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
10. mgb-daily-r1-09 · case-control study
    In multivariable logistic regression analysis, only sprout consumption was significantly associated with S. Newport infection (odds ratio: 18.4; 95% confidence interval: 2.2-150.2).
    Euro Surveill, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
11. mgb-daily-r1-12 · case report
    Mung beans belong to the PR-10 family because they contain the allergenic component, Vig r1. A cross reaction to mung bean may occur in a patient with birch allergy as in the present cases.
    Arerugi, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
12. mgb-daily-r1-13 · systematic review
    For mung beans, six allergenic sequences have been identified.
    Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29
13. mgb-daily-ws11-19 · outbreak investigation
    Four of six cases with information available reported eating or likely eating sprouted beans. Of those four cases, two reported eating frozen sprouted mat (moth) and moong (mung) beans before becoming ill.
    U.S. FDA, Outbreak Investigation of Salmonella: Deep-Brand Frozen Products (July 2025), updated 2025-09-25 · checked 2026-09-29
14. mgb-daily-r1-16 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-7611 Mung bean (Vigna Radiata) Phytoestrogens are commonly used by women who cannot / do not want to use HRT during menopause. PB is a source of phytoestrogens. PB is a source of oestrogenic support during menopause and beyond. Oestrogenic support during menopause years and beyond which helps maintain wellbeing and quality of life. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7611, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
15. mgb-daily-r1-01 · randomized crossover trial
    Beginning at the fifth hour after breakfast, H2 and CH4 concentrations significantly increased after wheat compared to rice and mung bean (8 h AUC H2 = 4120 ± 2622:2267 ± 1780:2356 ± 1722, AUC CH4 = 1617 ± 1127:946 ± 664:943 ± 584 ppm-min, respectively) (p < 0.05).
    Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
16. mgb-daily-r1-02 · randomized crossover trial
    Although the bloating and satiety symptom scores were higher after wheat ingestion compared to mung bean, the difference did not reach statistical significance (wheat vs. mung bean = 3.0 ± 0.6 vs. 2.3 ± 0.5 and 3.4 ± 0.5 vs. 2.9 ± 0.5, respectively, p > 0.05) (Figure 3).
    Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
17. mgb-daily-r1-06 · randomized controlled trial
    However, the average percent change for grip, flexor, and extensor strength did differ between PRO and CON participants (+2.9 ± 7.2% and -2.6 ± 7.3% respectively, p = 0.05).
    Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
18. mgb-daily-r1-11 · agency guidance
    People who are more vulnerable to foodborne illness (as identified above) should avoid eating raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind (including onion, alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts).
    U.S. FDA, Selecting and Serving Produce Safely · checked 2026-09-29
19. mgb-daily-r1-14 · animal study
    Regardless of ANFs found in mung bean, in vivo toxicity of texturized mung bean proteins resulted in no signs of adverse effects (i.e., plasma biochemical analysis, organ weights, and histological characteristics) in rats (Brishti et al., 2020).
    Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29