If you’re looking for a crunchy and delicious snack that’s great for your heart — then we’ve got some sweet news for you.
A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that swapping your go-to snack with just a handful of this popular nut can give your cardiovascular health a boost because it is rich in antioxidants, monounsaturated fats and fiber — all of which help combat heart disease.
The 12-week study involved 138 adults who had at least one risk factor for heart disease — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, elevated blood sugar levels or a high BMI.
Half of the participants ate the same way they normally would, while the other half was instructed to snack on two ounces of pecans per day.
The study — which was funded by the American Pecan Council — observed that those who were in the pecan-eating group showed improvements in overall diet and reductions in cardiovascular risk by the end of the trial.
“Replacing typical snacks with pecans improved key risk factors for heart disease including blood cholesterol levels and diet quality,” lead author Kristina Petersen, an associate professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State, said in a statement.
“These results add to the evidence supporting the cardiovascular benefits of nuts and offer new insights into how adults can incorporate nuts into their diet,” Petersen said.
However, before you go nuts and run out for a family-size pack of pecans — there is some bad news.
The study did not find that eating pecans had much of an impact on vascular health — meaning how well your blood vessels operate — as the researchers had hoped.
Participants in the pecan-eating group also gained an average of 1.5 pounds — possibly because pecans clock in at almost 200 calories per ounce.
Although, it’s also possible that the participants didn’t completely abstain from unhealthy snacks like cookies and chips the way they were supposed to.
In addition to the impact on heart health, the study did find that the participants who ate pecans had a 17% increase in the overall quality of their diet — leading credence to the belief that pecans can be a welcome part of a healthy diet, especially if it’s a substitute for less healthy snacks.
The study also corroborates with previous research on pecans and heart health, such as a 2021 study that found that consuming 68 grams of pecans daily for eight weeks led to a nearly 5% decrease in total cholesterol and a 6.4% to 9.5% decrease in “bad” LDL cholesterol in participants.
Since pecans are a little under-researched in comparison to its more popular peers — almonds, pistachios and walnuts — the study gives this nut some arguably well-deserved attention.
