Protein Quality of Mung Beans for Healthy Adults

Overseen By Alyssa White

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Male

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children

Must not be taking: Steroids

Disqualifiers: Weight loss, Diet allergy, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 11

Duration: 11 weeks to 6 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how well the body can use protein from mung beans, with a focus on methionine, an important component. Researchers are testing mung beans in various meal combinations, such as with rice or wheat, to determine if these combinations improve protein quality. This study could guide food choices for those who rely on plant-based proteins. Healthy men aged 18-49 who have maintained a stable weight and are not on medications affecting protein metabolism might be suitable for this trial. As an unphased trial, it offers participants the opportunity to contribute to valuable nutritional research that could benefit plant-based diets.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but you cannot participate if you are on medications that affect protein or amino acid metabolism, like steroids.

What prior data suggests that this dietary intake is safe for humans?

Research shows that mung bean protein is generally safe for consumption. Several studies have examined its safety. One study found that young children can safely consume up to 581 mg of mung bean protein per kilogram of body weight each day. For adults, the safe amount is about 260 mg per kilogram per day.

However, individuals allergic to soybeans, peanuts, or lupin might also be allergic to mung beans. Caution is advised for those with these allergies. Otherwise, mung beans provide a good source of protein, though they lack some important amino acids like methionine and cysteine.

Overall, mung beans are a safe and healthy choice for most people. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the potential benefits of mung beans because they could offer a new way to optimize protein intake in healthy adults. Unlike standard protein sources like meat or dairy, mung beans are plant-based, making them a sustainable and accessible option for many people. This trial is particularly focused on understanding how well methionine, an essential amino acid, is absorbed from mung beans. If successful, this could pave the way for mung beans to become a key dietary component for improving protein quality in plant-based diets.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for determining protein quality in Mung beans?

Research shows that mung beans are a good source of easily digestible protein. Studies have found that mung bean protein can help build muscle and maintain a healthy body, especially in diets low in animal protein. This trial will investigate the methionine bioavailability in mung beans. Mung beans contain important protein building blocks but are low in methionine, which is needed to form a complete protein. However, eating mung beans with foods like rice or wheat can provide a more complete protein, effectively meeting protein needs. ^{5 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Glenda Courtney-Martin, PhD

Principal Investigator

The Hospital for Sick Children

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy men aged 18-49 with stable body weight, not on medications affecting protein metabolism like steroids. They must have no conditions such as diabetes that affect protein or amino acid metabolism and no recent significant weight changes.

Inclusion Criteria

Stable Body Weight (no more than 5 lb weight loss or gain in the past 3 months)

I am not taking medications that affect protein or amino acid metabolism.

I am a man aged between 18 and 49.

Exclusion Criteria

Recent history of weight loss within the last 3 months or on a weight reducing diet

Inability to tolerate study diets (e.g., allergy to ingredients)

I am not willing or able to follow the study's diet plan.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Pre-study Assessment

Participants will be seen initially for pre-study assessment

3 hours

1 visit (in-person)

Treatment

Participants receive different amounts of Mung beans and reference diets to assess methionine bioavailability

11 weeks to 6 months

Up to 10 study periods, each consisting of a 3-day experiment

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Dietary Intakes

Trial Overview

The study aims to determine the quality of protein from Mung beans by assessing the bioavailability of an essential amino acid called methionine. It will test cooked Mung beans alone, in stew, and combined with rice or wheat in meals.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Arms Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Methionine bioavailability in Mung beans Participants will be seen initially for pre-study assessment (3 hour). They will then be studied for up to 10 times. levels of phenylalanine intake (7 Study periods). You could be expected to participate in up to 10 different sets of experiments which will take 11 weeks to 6 months. Each set of experiment consists of a 3 day period. During the first 2 days (Adaptation Days) you will be expected to consume 4 meals per day consisting of a protein liquid drink and protein freecookies and/or a Mung bean stew with or without rice or wheat, which will be provided by the investigators

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The Hospital for Sick Children

Lead Sponsor

Trials

724

Recruited

6,969,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Mung bean tempeh powder, produced with a yield of 37.50%, contains high levels of protein (39.19%) and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) (54.14 mg/g), making it a nutritious ingredient for oral nutrition supplements (ONS).

The developed ONS formulas (F1 and F4) not only received positive sensory evaluations from taste testers but also demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, suggesting they could effectively support health and nutrition, especially for malnourished patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Branched Chain Amino Acid Content and Antioxidant Activity of Mung Bean Tempeh Powder for Developing Oral Nutrition Supplements. Yanti, ., Violina, V., Putri, CE., et al.[2023]

Animal protein is the primary source of protein in the American diet, accounting for 69% of total protein intake, with meat, fish, and poultry being the largest contributors (42%).

There are notable differences in protein sources among different demographic groups, such as gender and race-ethnicity, which should be considered in nutrition education; for example, women consume more poultry and dairy, while Black participants report higher poultry and pork intake compared to Whites and Mexican-Americans.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Estimates of animal and plant protein intake in US adults: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1991. Smit, E., Nieto, FJ., Crespo, CJ., et al.[2022]

Mung beans are a highly nutritious food source rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and bioactive compounds, which contribute to various health benefits such as lowering blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, as well as having cancer-preventive properties.

The health benefits of mung beans are largely attributed to their major polyphenols, vitexin and isovitexin, and bioactive peptides, suggesting that these compounds play a crucial role in promoting overall health and could be further utilized in food products for improved nutrition.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.): Bioactive Polyphenols, Polysaccharides, Peptides, and Health Benefits. Hou, D., Yousaf, L., Xue, Y., et al.[2023]

Mung bean proteins are a good source of nutrition, although they lack sufficient amounts of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, which can be enhanced through protein engineering.

Mung bean proteins and hydrolyzed peptides exhibit various bioactivities, such as inhibiting angiotensin-converting enzyme and antifungal properties, making them useful as food additives to improve storage stability.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mung bean proteins and peptides: nutritional, functional and bioactive properties. Yi-Shen, Z., Shuai, S., FitzGerald, R.[2020]

Texturized mung bean protein (TMBP) shows excellent protein quality with a digestibility of 99.26%, comparable to casein, making it a promising alternative protein source for meat-based applications.

The production process of TMBP significantly reduces anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid, while also demonstrating non-toxicity and safety, as confirmed by healthy organ function in an in vivo study with rats.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Texturized mung bean protein as a sustainable food source: techno-functionality, anti-nutrient properties, in vivo protein quality and toxicity. Brishti, FH., Chay, SY., Muhammad, K., et al.[2021]

In a study of 11,680 older adults, it was found that nearly 46% of those aged 71 and older did not meet the recommended protein intake of 0.8 g/kg/d, which was associated with poorer diet quality and more functional limitations.

Lower protein intake was linked to decreased physical functioning, including significantly lower grip strength in individuals over 70, highlighting the importance of adequate protein consumption for maintaining health in older adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Low Dietary Protein Intakes and Associated Dietary Patterns and Functional Limitations in an Aging Population: A NHANES analysis. Krok-Schoen, JL., Archdeacon Price, A., Luo, M., et al.[2020]

In a study using rats, cooked mung bean protein was found to be of lower quality than rice protein, but combining them improved the overall protein quality as more rice was added to the diet.

Germinated mung bean/rice mixtures showed better protein quality than ungerminated ones, although when 75% of the mung bean protein was replaced with rice, both mixtures performed similarly.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The complementation effects on dietary protein of ungerminated and germinated mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) with rice. Noor, MI., Brenes, RG., Bressani, R., et al.[2016]

Older adults who consumed protein-enriched bread and drinking yoghurt had a significantly higher total protein intake (115.3 g/d) compared to those on a regular diet (72.5 g/d), indicating that these enriched products can effectively boost protein consumption.

The intervention not only increased overall protein intake but also improved the distribution of protein across meals, with the enriched group exceeding the recommended intake of 25-30 g per meal, while the control group fell short during breakfast and lunch.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of the daily consumption of protein enriched bread and protein enriched drinking yoghurt on the total protein intake in older adults in a rehabilitation centre: a single blind randomised controlled trial. van Til, AJ., Naumann, E., Cox-Claessens, IJ., et al.[2018]

Cooking common beans significantly reduces antinutritional factors like trypsin inhibitors and tannins, which can improve protein digestibility, although colored beans still contain higher levels of these factors compared to white beans.

To maintain nitrogen balance, adult males require a higher intake of bean protein than previously thought, with recommendations suggesting 0.9-1.0 g/kg/day, and 1.2-1.3 g/kg/day for the general population.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Chemical composition and evaluation of the protein quality of beans in adult humans by the short-term nitrogen balance method]. Blanco, A., Navarrete, DA., Bressani, R., et al.[2018]

The protein digestibility of common beans is significantly lower than that of meat but comparable to textured vegetable protein, indicating that while beans are a good protein source, they may not be as easily absorbed by the body.

Combining beans with maize improves protein digestibility and reduces the amount of nitrogen needed to reach nitrogen equilibrium, suggesting that eating these foods together can enhance their nutritional value.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Protein digestibility and protein quality of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) fed alone and with maize, in adult humans using a short-term nitrogen balance assay. Navarrete, DA., Bressani, R.[2018]

Mung bean protein, derived from the seeds of Vigna radiata, is considered safe for consumption as a novel food ingredient, with a maximum estimated intake of 758 mg/kg body weight per day for children and 260 mg/kg for adults.

The protein is highly digestible and contains most essential amino acids, although it has limited sulfur-containing amino acids; however, it may cause allergic reactions in individuals with sensitivities to related legumes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Safety of mung bean protein as a novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. Turck, D., Bohn, T., Castenmiller, J., et al.[2023]

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Protein Quality of Mung Beans for Healthy Adults

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