If you're looking for the perfect crispy and delicious snack for your heart, we have some sweet news for you.
a Recent research Featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, we found that swapping regular snacks for just a handful of this popular nuts can boost cardiovascular health.
The 12-week study included 138 adults with at least one risk factor for heart disease, including hypertension, high cholesterol levels, elevated blood glucose levels, and high BMI.
Half of the participants ate the same way as usual, while the other half were instructed to exchange regular snacks for 2 ounces of pecans per day.
The study, funded by the American Pecan Council, observed that people in the pecan eating group showed improved overall diet and reduced cardiovascular risk by the end of the trial.
“Replacing the typical snack with pecans has improved key risk factors for heart disease, including blood cholesterol levels and dietary quality.” Christina Petersensaid a Pennsylvania associate professor of nutrition science. In a statement.
“These results add to evidence in support of the cardiovascular benefits of nuts and provide new insights into how adults can incorporate nuts into their diet.”
But before you get hooked and run out of family-sized packs of pecans, there's some bad news.
The study did not find that eating pecans had a major impact on blood vessel health, as researchers had hoped.
Participants in the Pecan-Eating group also earned an average of 1.5 pounds. This is probably because Pecans clock in at around 200 calories per ounce, but it's also possible that participants didn't completely refrain from regular snacks like cookies or tip them as expected.
However, in addition to the effects on heart health, the study found that participants who ate pecans had an overall dietary quality increased by 17%. This led to the belief that pecans can be part of a healthy diet, especially when they are an alternative to healthy snacks.
This study also supports previous research into pecans and heart health. 2021 Research So, we found that 68 grams of pecans daily for eight weeks reduced total cholesterol by nearly 5%, and participants' “bad” LDL cholesterol by 6.4% to 9.5%.
Pecans have not been studied a little compared to their more popular companions (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), so this study definitely gives this nut the right attention.
Pecans are rich in antioxidants and are rich in January saturated fat and fiber. All of these help you fight heart disease.
