Pecan the Healthiest Nut

Pecans are a great source for many health benefits

. Here are a few of those benefits. 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, about 30 pecan halves, as part of a heart-healthy diet, can reduce the risk of heart disease.The same natural compound that gives pecans their 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.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 correlated with lower weights. One study from The 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 and other nuts count as meat servings in the Food Pyramid. That's because pecans are high in protein and other important nutrients. However, nuts contain more healthful types of fats than meat does and they are cholesterol free, so they make excellent choices over fatty meats like steak or even chicken.In general, ounce of nuts (10 pecan halves) can take the place of 1 ounce of meat in your diet. Though the recommended number of servings you should get from the meat (and beans) group varies depending upon your age, whether you're male or female and how active you are, the average person should aim for 5 servings from this group each day.Due to research showing that the saturated fat found in meat can increase the risk for heart disease, the Pyramid recommends that you frequently choose nuts and beans over meat. That doesn't mean you can't have pecans as snacks, but if you're eating according to the Pyramid, just keep in mind that pecans and other nuts take the place of meat in your diet plan.

Pecan the Healthiest Nut

By: Terry Gray

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