Mung beans have dense phenol content and a broad array of nutrients. They provide an impressive defense against several chronic, age related diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
History shows us that (Vignaradiata) or mung beans were domesticated in India possibly as early as 1500 BC and eventually spread to Asia and the United States.
Although mung beans have been cultivated in the USA since around 1830, 75% of the 15-20 million pounds of mung beans consumed in the United States each year are still imported.
Benefits of adding mung beans to your diet include but are not limited to:
- Combating heart disease by inhibiting LDL oxidation
- Lowering systolic blood pressure due to peptides which act to reduce the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) that constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
- Mung Beans are rich in magnesium. One study involving 58,000 men and women aged 40-79 revealed that those with the lowest intakes of dietary magnesium had a 51% increased risk of heart disease mortality compared to those with the HIGHEST intakes.
- Mung beans have a LOW-glycemic index and help prevent after meal glucose spikes
- A study reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry type II diabetic mice supplemented with mung bean extract daily for 5 weeks resulted in SIGNIFICANT reductions in blood glucose levels and plasma C-peptide, an indicator of insulin release which resulted in measurable improvements in glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.
- A study reported in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine showed mung beans suppress the growth of human liver and highly aggressive cervical cancer lines through multiple mechanisms, including anti-cancer cytokine, halting cancer cell cycle and triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death)
- Protection against colon cancer because of a high insoluble fiber content, and resistant starch which undergo bacterial fermentation in the large intestine to produce butyrate. This is a short-chain fatty acid and provides substantial protection against colon cancer by inhibiting DNA damage and cutting off blood supply tumors require for growth. ONE STUDY showed that daily mug bean intake was associated with a 42% reduction in colon cancer risk after researchers adjusted for several potential factors including age and gender.
Keeping in mind that out of control type 2 diabetes, is a factor in heart disease, gives one two good reasons to add mung beans into your dietary regimen. I am always looking for a natural approach to combating disease as opposed to simply taking a prescription pill which may help control a situation but doesn't do anything to CURE it.
Being diabetic, I believe the more "Protective Foods" one can eat while cutting back on empty calorie sugar laden foods and simple carbohydrates, the healthier you will be.
God Bless,
Dan
“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.” ~John F. Kennedy
“Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~Edward Stanley
“If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” ~Unknown
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