Nutrition & Health

Did you know that eating just a handful of pecans each day may help lower the risk of coronary heart disease and help lower cholesterol? Or that pecans are loaded with nutrients, including Vitamin E (an antioxidant), protein and fiber? Read on to discover more about how eating pecans may help improve your overall health.

Antioxidants are nutrients in food that delay aging and decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. Antioxidants serve as armor for our bodies-and pecans are loaded with them. In fact, the latest research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows pecans are the most antioxidant rich tree nut and are among the top 15 foods to contain the highest antioxidant capacity.

When it comes to lowering cholesterol, research shows eating a handful of pecans each day may be just what the doctor ordered. According to reasearch published in the Journal of Nutrition, eating just a handful of pecans each day may be as effective at lowering LDL "bad" cholesterol as prescription medication.

Pecans are high in fat-but don't worry. It's what nutritionists call "the good fat" or heart-healthy, unsaturated fat. Nearly 60 percent of the fat in pecans is monounsaturated and another 30 percent is polyunsaturated. these unsaturated fats can have a protective effect by lowering total blood cholesterol and preserving HDL (high-density lipoproteins) or the "good" cholesterol to help combat heart disease. pecans contain no cholesterol and no trans fat.