Pecans have it all. Besides being one of the most
elegant, versatile and rich-tasting nuts you can put on
your plate, they offer up a package of health benefits
that’s hard to beat. The new 2005 Dietary Guidelines from
the U.S. Department of Agriculture say that eating 4 to 5
servings of nuts each week (and that includes pecans) will
bring you one step closer to putting your diet in line
with current healthy eating recommendations.
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Recent Pecan
News |
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Recently, several
studies have found that nuts, including pecans should
be included in your daily diet to help boost your
immune system. A study completed at the University
of Florida found that pecans are loaded with
antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer.
The Mayo Clinic
conducted a study which found that all nuts are
nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free. Not
only are nuts cholesterol free but, studies have
suggested that eating pecans may help reduce LDL
cholesterol levels, leading to a reduction in the risk
of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The
serving size for nuts is about one ounce, which equals
about 15 pecan halves. Pecans are a great staple for
vegetarians, because one serving of pecans can take
the place of the protein found in an ounce of meat. |
Though
the research proving pecan’s tremendous health benefits
may be recent, pecan-producing trees dotted the landscape
long before the discovery of the “New World” and enriched
the diets of the native tribes living in the central and
southern regions of the United States. Today, pecans are
available from coast to coast and experts have confirmed
the bevy of benefits pecans have to offer.
Blood Pressure. While eating pecans and other nuts
can’t cure high blood pressure, they are an important part
of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
eating plan, developed by the National Institutes of
Health. The DASH diet also falls right in line with the
new 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for healthy eating issued
by the Department of Health and Human Services and the
Department of Agriculture. Research has shown that
following the DASH diet is an effective way to lower blood
pressure, while supercharging your diet with much needed
nutrients. One part of the DASH dietary prescription? Eat
4 to 5 servings (1 ˝ oz each) of pecans a week.
Breast Cancer. Pecans are a rich source of oleic
acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil.
Researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago
recently found in laboratory tests that oleic acid has the
ability to suppress the activity of a gene in cells
thought to trigger breast cancer. While this area of study
is still in its early stages, the researchers say it could
eventually translate into a recommendation to eat more
foods rich in oleic acid, like pecans and olive oil. A
one-ounce serving of pecans provides about 25% more oleic
acid than a one-tablespoon serving of olive oil.
Heart Health. Researchers from Loma Linda
University in California and New Mexico State University
in Las Cruces, New Mexico, have confirmed that when pecans
are part of the daily diet, levels of “bad” cholesterol in
the blood drop. Pecans get their cholesterol-lowering
ability from both the type of fat they contain and the
presence of beta-sitosterol, a natural
cholesterol-lowering compound. Eating 1 ˝ ounces of pecans
a day (27 to 30 pecan halves), when its part of a
heart-healthy diet, can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Prostate Health. The same natural compound that
gives pecans its cholesterol-lowering power, has also been
shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a non-cancerous enlargement
of the prostate gland in men. About two ounces of pecans
provides a dose of beta-sitosterol found to be effective.
In addition, a recent laboratory study from Purdue
University found that gamma-tocopherol, the type of
vitamin E found in pecans, has the ability to kill
prostate cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
The researchers now want to test this and other types of
vitamin E in animals.
Weight Control. Contrary to the widely held, but
mistaken belief that “nuts are fattening,” several
population studies found that as nut consumption
increased, body fat actually decreased. And clinical
studies have confirmed that conclusion, finding that
eating nuts actually resulted in lower weights. One study
from Harvard School of Public Health discovered that
people following a weight-loss diet that contained 35% of
calories from fat, including pecans as a fat source, were
able to keep weight off longer than people following a
traditionally recommended lower fat diet. With their super
nutrition profile and low-carb content, pecans also make a
perfect choice for people following low-carb weight-loss
plans.
Pecans can be part of a healthy
diet. Want to learn more?
Just click on Pecan
Possibilities.
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