Georgia Pecans are a Good Source of Zinc

Q: I’m concerned that I might not be getting enough zinc in my diet. Are Georgia pecans a good source of the mineral?

A: Georgia pecans are indeed a good source of the mineral zinc. A one-ounce serving (about 19 halves) provides more than 10 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of the mineral for men or women. Zinc is important for good health because it’s involved in more than 300 enzymes needed for a wide variety of body functions including processing carbohydrates, proteins and fats for energy. It also helps promote cell reproduction and tissue growth and repair throughout the body. And zinc is essential for a healthy immune system, especially among older people. In fact, a team of researchers from Tufts University recently found that among people who were at least 65 years of age and older, those with normal levels of zinc in their blood were about 50 percent less likely to develop pneumonia than those whose zinc levels were low. Not only were those whose blood levels were low in zinc more likely to become sick, they were slower to recover and more likely to die from the disease.