Is Mung Safe for Kidney Stones? (Safe)
mg oxalate
per serving
Serving: 1/2 cup (101 g)
Verdict: 🟢 Safe
Per 100g: 3 mg
Data: Harvard T.H. Chan SPH (2024)
The bottom line for Mung: Safe (🟢), with 3 mg oxalate per serving — comfortably below the 25 mg safe cutoff. There's no need to limit it. Just keep your usual kidney stone basics in place: water throughout the day and calcium-rich foods at meals.
Putting Mung in context: it lands well below the category average of 20 mg. In the database, 73% of legumes (44 of 60) fall in the 🟢 Safe group (under 25 mg oxalate/serving). The typical legumes here averages 20 mg oxalate per serving, so Mung runs 85% below that baseline. That places it among the lower-oxalate options in its category. Why this matters: the gap between two Safe foods can be wide — one may hold 5 mg oxalate while another sits at 24 mg. The lower one leaves more room in your day. See all legumes rated Safe for a full side-by-side.
Why does the safe threshold matter?
The 25 mg per serving threshold is based on clinical guidance for kidney stone patients. Harvard's lab data (2024) provides the most reliable oxalate measurements available — no database estimates, direct lab analysis. For Mung, the measured oxalate value is 3 mg per 1/2 cup (Safe).
Can I eat this food every day?
For Safe foods (under 25 mg/serving), daily use is generally fine. Caution and Avoid foods work better as occasional items — rotate them with safer options so no single high-oxalate food becomes a habit. For Mung, the measured oxalate value is 3 mg per 1/2 cup (Safe).
Where does the oxalate data come from?
The numbers come from Harvard T.H. Chan SPH's 2024 laboratory measurements, published through the OHF database. Direct lab analysis, which is why they're treated as the reference values for food oxalate. Mung comes in at 3 mg oxalate per 1/2 cup (Safe) in the measured database.
Should I also check sodium and calcium?
Yes — oxalate alone doesn't decide stone risk. Sodium pushes more calcium into urine, and calcium from food (not supplements) helps bind oxalate during digestion. The main food page covers sodium and calcium alongside oxalate. Mung comes in at 3 mg oxalate per 1/2 cup (Safe) in the measured database.