What You Should Know About Mung Beans for Hair Growth
Delicious and nutritious, the benefits of mung beans have never been more prevalent — especially if glossy, luscious locks are on your wish list. Mung beans are considered functional foods, which means they host a high nutritional value and can promote digestive health. Not only can you whip up a delicious dish with sprouted mung beans, but if you include mung beans in your hair wellness routine, you might boost the look of limp hair.
But what makes the humble mung bean the superior sprout? Can it really encourage impressive hair growth? And if so, what's the best way to use it? To help you understand a bit more about mung beans and their health benefits, VEGAMOUR spoke to some health professionals and picked apart the research. Plus, discover the best hair products powdered by mung bean to support thicker, fuller looking hair.
What Exactly Is a Mung Bean?
Mung beans have been a health-food favorite for a while now. And though we're just starting to wake up to the depths of their benefits, India, China and Southeast Asia have had them on the menu for thousands of years. They can be eaten raw, or you can cook them — and you can add them to pretty much any dish. Plus, dried mung beans can make a healthy snack.
Sprouted mung beans are a part of the legume family of foods and are packed with vitamins and minerals. This food category includes beans, peas, and lentils and is best known for its protein and fiber content. Not sure what a mung bean looks like? These green-shelled legumes are cream underneath, smaller than a pea and tend to have a short whitish sprout.
Some consider eating mung bean sprouts to be so healthy that they're often called the food of the angels, the magic bean and in some places, an ancient superfood. Nice!
How Do Mung Beans Help With Hair Growth?
Not only are mung beans a power pulse that's packed full of goodness, but they could also be the ingredient you need for a healthy head of hair. Nutritionist and author Lisa Richards told VEGAMOUR, "Mung beans do not get much attention for their role in hair growth, but actually, they serve a great purpose in helping to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss."
Richards continued, "The nutrient primarily responsible for mung bean's hair growth benefits is folate. Folate is required for healthy cell growth, and the cells of the skin and nails are included in this group. One cup of cooked mung beans provides 80% of the daily recommended value (DV) of folate."
Mung beans actually contain a plethora of hair nourishing nutrients such as folate, zinc, selenium, silica, iron and vitamins A, B, C, B-7 (biotin) and K. You might even call mung beans a multivitamin for good hair! That's why VEGAMOUR has given mung beans a starring role in most of our products.
Essential Nutrients and Vitamins Found in Mung Beans
To help you understand the power behind the humble mung bean and why VEGAMOUR loves it so much, let's look at the abundance of minerals and vitamins that they contain:
- Folate is one of the B vitamins and is found in large amounts in mung beans. It can help prevent premature graying and restore the natural luster and vitality of your hair.
- Zinc is vital for healthy hair cell regeneration. It absorbs proteins, which are essential to the look of thick, shiny hair and research shows that it can help lessen the look of thinner hair.
- Selenium has been much-applauded for its positive influence on thicker-looking hair. Authors of a scientific review found that selenium can be involved in the process of creating hair.
- Silica doesn't promote hair growth, but it helps prevent thinning and strengthens weaker strands by delivering essential nutrients to the follicles.
- Iron helps stimulate hair growth by carrying oxygen, which helps repair the body's cells. When you have an iron deficiency, the body can't produce the hemoglobin the blood needs, resulting in hair loss.
- Vitamin A is also known as retinol and can contribute to a healthy head of hair. It works by supporting the secretion of sebum, which can prevent hair from breaking.
- Vitamin B7, aka biotin, is one of the best-known vitamins for hair growth. Studies show that a biotin deficiency can lead to thinner-looking hair in humans. It can be easily supplemented with a daily biotin vitamin.
- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps tackle the daily pollutants that your scalp has to handle. It can also help you absorb more iron, which boosts hair health.
- Vitamin K is an essential nutrient that helps coregulate blood. As well as helping to fight disease, it can also help regenerate hair growth naturally.
And that's not all. Mung beans can help strengthen the cellular matrix of the dermal papilla, which is found at the base of the hair follicle. So, when the dermal papilla gets stronger, so does the hair's volume.
It's also worth noting that mung beans can also help reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, which provokes follicular miniaturization. When follicle miniaturization occurs, the hair can thin, become fragile and easily fall out. Reducing inflammation can help reopen the miniaturized hair follicles, so be on the lookout for products that contain mung beans to give your roots a boost.
Also: 9 Biotin-Rich Foods for Healthy Hair
VEGAMOUR Hair Serums Are Powered by Mung Beans
Eating mung beans is undoubtedly good for you, but you could also apply topical formulas made using the clever little pulse to start seeing results quickly. In fact, the results are so impressive that VEGAMOUR made mung beans the star ingredient in many of its highly-rated products.
Both the GRO Hair Serum and GRO+ Advanced Hair Serum contain mung beans.
If you're looking for something to boost the look of your hair, either hair serum formula could be just what you need. Many serums made to reduce the look of thinning hair can make the roots feel and look greasy — especially if they're being applied twice a day. VEGAMOUR serums never do that. The lightweight blend smooths onto the scalp with just a hint of a scent.
- Reduces signs of shedding by up to 85%*
- Increases the appearance of hair density by up to 56%*
*Based on a 120-day independent, third-party clinical study with 40 participants using GRO Hair Serum once daily.
Other VEGAMOUR Products Featuring Mung Beans
Tempted by the impressive benefits of mung beans? You can find them in these VEGAMOUR formulas too:
- GRO Dry Shampoo: A delicate citrus-scented dry shampoo that absorbs odors, offers texture and maintains a fresh, clean feeling after every use.
- GRO Lash Serum: A non-greasy lash serum that doesn't contain hormones, carcinogens or dangerous side effects. Use regularity for visibly fuller-looking, denser lashes.
- GRO Brow Serum: This smooth blend contains an exclusive Polyphytobase Complex and active phytomolecules to help keep the hair follicles healthy.
Are There Other Health Benefits to Mung Beans?
Mung beans are a pulse that offers a heap of nutritional benefits when they're ingested. As already discussed, they're packed with vitamins and minerals, including essential amino acids, which your body needs to function. And because they're rich in soluble fiber, they can help lower high blood cholesterol. They're also a fantastic source of dietary fiber because they contain plant-based proteins — perfect if you're enjoying a vegan diet.
Besides imparting nutritional value, evidence suggests that mung beans can help with allergies, anti-fungal and antimicrobial activity. Another study found that mung beans can decrease blood sugar levels, and other evidence suggests sprout extracts might help lower blood pressure. Further studies need to occur before everyone starts chasing the mung bean dream, but so far, so good.
Read: Doctor Recommended Ways to Boost Your Immune System
How To Eat Mung Bean Sprouts
Unsurprisingly, mung beans have become popular in the vegan community because of their high protein levels. Soaked mung batter can even be used as an egg replacer. And in Hong Kong, they've taken healthy habits to another level: Mung bean paste is frozen and turned into ice pops and even ice cream.
If you haven't quite got the culinary skills needed to make ice cream, you could take a simpler route. Add mung bean sprouts to salads and other quick, tasty dishes to plump up your nutritional intake. If your mung beans are tough, let them simmer in boiling water for about 40 minutes — just don't let them get too squishy. Toss the whole mung beans in with some red onion, plum tomatoes, avocado and any of your favorite salad ingredients. Dress the salad with a mixture of 1 tbsp lemon juice, 3 tbsp of olive oil, and approximately 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to give your summer salad a zesty kick.
VEGAMOUR Hair Serums: A Natural Option
VEGAMOUR created an all-vegan, hair wellness system. Featuring bio-active phytomolecules (including the mighty mung bean) that naturally help enable support healthier looking hair, our holistic approach is gentle but impressively effective. Opt for peace of mind with all-natural VEGAMOUR hair wellness products? We think you'll be glad you did.
More From VEGAMOUR
- Shop: VEGAMOUR Best Sellers
- Can Mustard Seed Oil Help Hair Growth?
- Let's Talk About Hair Loss During Menopause
- The Best DHT Blockers to Reduce Hair Loss
Photo credit: Vie Studio/Pexels
