10 benefits of green gram (whole moong) and its side effects

Numbers are per 100 g of raw whole green gram from IFCT 2017 unless stated.

1. Plant protein: 22.53 g per 100 g

Roughly a fifth of the dry seed is protein; a katori of cooked dal made from 30 g of dry whole moong gives about 6.8 g. A 2018 review checked mung bean against the amino acid pattern FAO/WHO recommend and found just one deficiency: the sulphur amino acids methionine and cysteine. Cereals are higher in exactly those two, so ICMR-NIN's guidelines pair the two food groups: mixing cereal and pulse at three to one by raw weight can meet the need for every essential amino acid. A plate of dal with rice or roti is that pairing.

2. Fibre: 17.04 g per 100 g

Whole green gram holds 17.04 g of fibre per 100 g against 9.37 g for split moong dal, about 1.8 times as much, and a katori from 30 g dry carries about 5.1 g. ICMR-NIN's guidelines say dietary fibre delays the absorption of carbohydrate and fat, adds to satiety and increases the bulk of the stool. A 2014 review adds that a daily half cup of beans or peas can enhance diet quality by raising intakes of iron, zinc, folate and magnesium.

3. Very little fat: 1.14 g per 100 g

At 1.14 g of fat and 294 kcal per 100 g, the dry seed is mostly protein and carbohydrate; the fat in a moong dish is whatever the tadka adds. A plate made from 50 g of dry green gram comes to about 147 kcal before the tempering.

4. A low glycemic index: 38

Plain green gram scores 38 on the glycemic index, the one India-tested entry in the University of Sydney database: the bean for that test was soaked for half a day, kept moist for a full day and then steamed for an hour. On the database's scale, 38 sits well inside the low band, which runs up to 55 and turns high at 70. The 2021 international GI tables put legumes among the foods that usually score low, with values that were consistent around the world. For what the number means for blood sugar, see is green gram good for diabetes; the full nutrition figures are on protein in moong sprouts per 100g.

5. Folate: 145 mcg per 100 g

Folate is one of the B vitamins, and ICMR-NIN's guidelines note that the need for it rises during pregnancy and count legumes among its good sources. A katori of cooked whole green gram carries about 44 mcg, and a 50 g plate about 73 mcg.

6. Iron: 4.89 mg per 100 g

Per 100 g the dry seed holds 4.89 mg of iron, a useful count on a vegetarian plate. The guidelines say the bioavailability of iron can be improved by sprouted or fermented grains and by vitamin C-rich foods such as guava and oranges eaten along with meals, and they name lemon among the citrus fruits that improve iron absorption from plant foods, so a squeeze of lemon over a sprouts bowl or a dal fits that advice.

7. Magnesium 198 mg, potassium 1177 mg, sodium 12.48 mg per 100 g

The dry seed pairs magnesium and potassium with very little sodium; the guidelines say sodium intake needs to be balanced with potassium intake. One katori from 30 g dry gives about 59 mg of magnesium and 353 mg of potassium. The same potassium is the one figure to check against a kidney diet, covered under side effects.

8. Polyphenols and peptides: the extras beyond the table

Behind the printed nutrients, mung bean carries polyphenols, polysaccharides and peptides, and a 2019 review names vitexin and isovitexin as its major polyphenols. Germination raises the polyphenol content: in a 2023 study that optimised germination conditions, the polyphenol extract of germinated mung bean was 3.07 times higher than in ungerminated mung bean, a laboratory measurement of the bean rather than a proven effect in people.

9. Soaked moong: the same bean, easier work for the gut

Soaking is the step Indian kitchens take as a reflex, and ICMR-NIN's guidelines list it among the household methods that make legumes easier to digest and their nutrients easier to absorb. Soaked overnight, whole moong cooks into sabut moong dal, the dal pressure-cooked for three whistles and served at about 214 kcal, 11.3 g of protein and 8.5 g of fibre a person; soaked and ground with ginger and chilli, the same seed becomes pesarattu, two crisp dosas at about 213 kcal and 11.3 g of protein.

10. Sprouts: more vitamins, more polyphenols, the same dry bean

Sprouting is soaking taken further. The guidelines' method is simple: rinse the cleaned grains in a strainer, drain them, and keep them out of direct light at warm room temperature; the beans sprout in 1 to 3 days, and the sprout is done when it has grown about the length of the grain. Germination switches on the seed's own enzymes, a 2018 review explains, and the guidelines add that sprouting increases the content of certain vitamins. One bowl of sprouts grown from 50 g of dry moong carries the dry bean's 11.3 g of protein and 8.5 g of fibre, and the growing steps with timings are on how to sprout moong.

For most people, green gram in ordinary portions is a light, gentle food. Its side effects belong to a few situations, not to the bean itself.

• Gas and bloating. The standard explanation names galacto-oligosaccharides, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose, sugars the small intestine cannot digest, which ferment in the colon; a 2019 review adds that this explanation has recently been questioned. The same review finds that most individuals who experience flatulence settle into pulses within a few weeks, provided their intake stays steady. Soak the beans, cook them fully soft, and start with a small katori.
• Gout and uric acid. The body makes most of its uric acid from its own purines, with food playing the smaller part (a 2019 review), and a 12-year study of 47,150 men found that eating more purine-rich vegetables was not associated with a higher risk of gout, while higher meat and seafood intake was. The same review advises anyone who already has gout, or whose kidney disease is advanced, to go carefully with high-purine plant foods. If your uric acid is high, set the portion with your doctor.
• Potassium and kidney diets. Green gram holds 1177 mg of potassium per 100 g dry; anyone whose diet restricts potassium should clear the portion with their doctor or dietitian.
• A sudden jump in fibre. 17.04 g of fibre per 100 g is a lot to add at once; build the portion up slowly and drink enough water with it.

Green gram is a food, not a medicine. If you live with diabetes, kidney disease, gout or another medical condition, check with your doctor or dietitian before moong becomes a daily habit.

ICMR-NIN gives no daily figure for green gram alone; its guideline plate sets 85 g of pulses within a 2000 kcal vegetarian day, shared across all the pulses eaten. For scale, a katori of cooked dal made from 30 g of dry whole moong gives about 88 kcal and 6.8 g of protein, and two katoris, from 60 g dry, about 176 kcal and 13.5 g of protein; both sit inside that 85 g and leave room for other pulses. The 85 g is a guideline, not a prescription for any one person; anyone with a medical condition should settle the amount with their doctor or dietitian.

The full table with the katori arithmetic is on protein in moong sprouts per 100g.

Whole green gram is several dishes in one jar. Soak it overnight and pressure-cook it into sabut moong dal; grind the soaked seed into pesarattu batter for crisp dosas; or sprout it and toss it into a sprouts salad at 151 kcal and 11.5 g of protein a bowl, two bowls made from 100 g of dry beans. Dressed with chaat masala and peanuts, the same sprouts become sprouts chaat at about 199 kcal a serving.

Whichever dish you pick, the tempering adds the fat and the calories, so count it with the dal. The storage, buying and cooking notes live on the green gram hub.

How much green gram per day?

ICMR-NIN gives no daily figure for green gram alone; the nearest guideline number is the 85 g of pulses its plate allots to a 2000 kcal vegetarian day, shared across all pulses. For scale, one katori of cooked dal from 30 g dry gives about 88 kcal and two from 60 g about 176 kcal, both inside that 85 g. With a medical condition, agree the portion with your doctor or dietitian.

Is soaked moong good for health?

Yes, as food. ICMR-NIN's guidelines count soaking among the kitchen steps that make legumes easier to digest and their nutrients easier to absorb, so the soaked bean is the easier version. A katori cooked from 30 g dry holds about 88 kcal with 6.8 g of protein. Good for health, yes; a medicine, no.

Can green gram cause gas?

It can, especially for newcomers to pulses. The usual explanation points to galacto-oligosaccharides that escape digestion and ferment in the colon, though a 2019 review adds that whether this is the real cause has recently been questioned, and most people settle within a few weeks of steady eating. Soak the beans, cook them soft and start small.

Is green gram good for weight loss?

It can sit on a weight-loss plate as the pulse serving, but no food does the work alone. Per 100 g dry it holds 17.04 g of fibre and 22.53 g of protein, and a katori from 30 g dry is about 88 kcal; ICMR-NIN's guidelines say fibre delays the absorption of carbohydrate and fat and adds to satiety. Weight depends on the whole diet, so talk to a doctor or dietitian before a big diet change.

Is sabut moong good for uric acid?

For most people there is no purine reason to skip it: most uric acid is made from the body's own purines (a 2019 review), and in the 12-year study of 47,150 men, purine-rich vegetables showed no link to a higher risk of gout. Anyone who already has gout, or whose kidney disease is advanced, should go carefully with high-purine plant foods and settle the portion with their doctor.

Is green gram healthy?

Yes, as an everyday pulse. Per 100 g of dry whole seed it gives 17.04 g of fibre and 22.53 g of protein, with 4.89 mg of iron, 145 mcg of folate, 294 kcal and a glycemic index of 38. The ten benefits with the numbers behind them are listed above; the side effects section covers who should limit it.