Mung beans is useful on treating acne caused by inflammation

What are mung beans(Lu Dou)? Actually it means the dried seeds of Phaseolus radiatus L., a plant in the family Leguminosae. Other names of this bean include Green gram, Mung, Greensoy, Semen Phaseoli Radiati, Moong, Golden gram, Vigna radiata, Mash bean, Monggo, Green bean, and so on. It is produced in almost all the provinces of China. It is usually collected in autumn when the seeds are ripe. After the harvest, winnow out the impurities with a dustpan, wash clean, and dry in the sun. Medicinally it needs to be smashed or powdered before the use.

Mung bean plant is an erect or slightly twining annual herb, about 60cm in height. It is covered with short brown bristles. Ternately compound leaf is alternate; length of petiole is from 9 to 12cm; leaflets are 3, and the blade is from broadly ovate to rhombic-ovate; stipules are broadly ovate and stipels are linear. Racemes are axillary and peduncle is shorter than or as nearly long as the petiole; bracts are ovate or ovate-oblong, with long bristles; flowers are green yellow; calyx is bell-shaped and with 4 teeth; vexil is kidney-shaped; stamens are 10 and diadelphous; ovary is sessile and densely covered with long bristles. Pod is cylindrical, 6 to 8cm long, about 6mm wide, black when ripe, and sparsely covered with brown bristles. Mung bean seeds are oblong and green or dark green. Flowering time is from June to July and fruit season is in August.

Mung beans benefits
Modern pharmacology of mung are reducing blood fat, lowering cholesterol, preventing allergies, inhibiting the growth and multiplication of microorganisms, suppressing tumor growth, increasing appetite, protecting liver and kidney, and so on. And here are the details of its health benefits.

1. Protein and phospholipids can excite nerves and increase appetite, which is necessary to increase the nutrition of many important organs;

2. Polysaccharide can enhance the activity of the serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and in turn promote the triglyceride hydrolysis in lipoprotein so that it obtains the lipid-lowering effect, which thus can prevent Coronary Heart Disease and Angina Pectoris;

3. Antimicrobial ingredients like tannin can accelerate local hemostasis and promote wound healing;

4. It is a good raw source for extracting SOD, which has very good anti-aging effect;

5. It has inhibition on staphylococci and certain virus. That’s to say, it can clear heat and detoxify, which is really useful on treating Acne caused by inflammation or endogenous heat;