Mung bean (Vigna radiata) as a local functional food with potential for iron deficiency anaemia prevention: A narrative review of bioavailability mechanisms and food processing strategies

Author(s): Redoyan Refli, Ana Nadiya Afinatul Fishi, Musmalia Pelupessy, Alya Nabila Raudlatul Janah, Putri Nur 'Aini, Nabiqi Zulfaa Rachman, Neng Tanty Sofyana
DOI: 10.30867/gikes.v7i3.3270

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) disproportionately affects adolescent girls and pregnant women. Food-based approaches using local resources complement pharmacological supplementation, which is limited by gastrointestinal adverse effects and poor adherence.

Objectives: This narrative review evaluates mung bean (Vigna radiata) as a local functional food with potential for IDA prevention, integrating nutritional composition, iron bioavailability mechanisms, clinical evidence, and processing strategies.

Methods: A purposive search of PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink was run in January 2025 and updated on April 30, 2026, prioritizing clinical publications from 2016 to 2026, with no date restriction on compositional sources. Twenty-nine sources were analyzed thematically across four domains; reporting quality was self-appraised using the SANRA.

Results: Mung bean contains 5.9–7.6 mg iron/100 g and 26.4% protein on a dry-weight basis, rising to 31.9% after 96 h of germination. Total vitamin C levels increased by approximately 78-fold during germination, reaching roughly 102 mg/100 g dry weight, though light-dependent. Raw seeds contained approximately 627 mg phytate/100 g; germination reduced this by 38.9%, cooking by 31–37%, and soaking by 27.8%, while lactic acid fermentation of cooked seed with buttermilk reduced phytic acid by up to 65.8% in vitro. Of seven Indonesian intervention studies, five with verifiable values showed hemoglobin increases of 0.74–3.50 g/dL over 3–14 days. Sample sizes, p-values, and between-group comparisons were reported inconsistently, and only one study compared intervention with control.

Conclusions: Mung beans show promising potential for IDA prevention, with fermentation being the best-supported processing strategy. Randomized trials using comprehensive iron status biomarkers are required.

Keywords

Functional food, iron bioavailability, iron deficiency anemia, mung bean, phytate reduction

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30867/gikes.v7i3.3270

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