8 Health benefits of pecans

Pecans are large and drupe nuts that have a buttery texture and crispy taste. They are hard shell seeds of the fruits of the Pecan tree, which usually grow in Mexico.

Pecans are rich in fats, considered healthy and good fats, protein, antioxidants, and many other vitamins and minerals beneficial to the body.

If you would like to know how you can benefit from consuming pecans, read this post about the health benefits of pecans and all other information you need to know about this healthy and delicious nut.

What are the health benefits of pecans?

1. Reduces the risk of heart diseases
   Pecan has the highest amount of fat among other nuts, almost 70% of this nut is fat. You may wonder how a fatty nut can be healthy to the heart. That’s because this high amount of fat includes monounsaturated fats such as oleic acid, which is considered healthy to the heart. In fact, healthy monounsaturated fats can decrease LDL, known as bad cholesterol, and increase HDL, known as good cholesterol. Therefore, consuming pecans can reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke.
   
2. Improves digestion
   Pecans contain dietary fiber, which is good for the digestive system. Fiber can promote colon health and help with the digestion. Thus, consuming pecans can prevent constipation and reduce the risk of hemorrhoids. This nut is one of the healthiest nuts for digestion.
   
3. Supports immune system
   Vitamin E is one of the vitamins needed in the body to boost immunity, and pecans are one of the richest sources of this vitamin. Moreover, manganese is another mineral that can protect nerve cells and immune system from infections and other diseases. Every 100 grams of pecans contains 4.5 mg manganese.
   
4. Prevents skin problems
   Pecans have many benefits for skin and hair health. Being rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc, folate, and phosphorous give this nut an important role in maintaining good skin. Vitamin E is one of the antioxidants that have a great impact on the skin and can prevent any damages done by free radicals. The role of vitamin A is to clear and lighten the skin. Zinc can protect the skin against infections. As a result, adding pecans to your diet can improve the appearance of your skin.
   
5. Helps with weight loss
   Although, pecans are one of the nuts with the highest amount of calories, eating an adequate number of them can give you the energy to do sports activities and exercises. However, you can add this nut to your weight loss program too; because pecans are an excellent source of protein, which can help the body fight against getting hungry from time to time. Eating pecan gives you energy and makes you feel full, so you won’t need to eat any unhealthy snacks during the day. Moreover, the great sweet flavor of pecans makes this nut a delicious sweet dessert. Therefore, even if you like to eat sweet things, you won’t need to eat unhealthy sugary cakes. You only need to eat a few pecans.
   
6. Has anti-aging benefits
   There are numerous antioxidants in pecan nuts, such as ellagic acid, vitamin A and vitamin E. Antioxidants have anti-aging properties. They prevent the damages that free radicals cause. One of these damages is causing premature skin aging. The antioxidants in pecans can help the prevention of fine lines and wrinkles on the skin.
   Antioxidants are not only effective on the skin, but they can also prevent the cellular system to be oxidized because of free radicals or other aging factors. When the cells are damaged or oxidized, your body will be more prone to diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Therefore, eating foods high in antioxidants can help you have a healthier body at old ages. 
   
7. Prevents hair loss
   One of the health benefits of pecans is the L-arginine that it contains. This amino acid is beneficial to the hair and can treat male pattern baldness. Moreover, it also can stimulate hair growth. By increasing the amount of iron in the body, pecans can combat hair loss too.
   
8. Reduces the risk of cancer
   As mentioned earlier, pecans are an exceptional source of antioxidants and can prevent the oxidative process that may damage cells. One of the damages of free radicals on cells is cancer. Additionally, pecans are rich in Thiamin, or vitamin B1, which helps the cells grow, and ensure proper cellular health.
   However, it doesn’t mean that this nut, or any other nuts, is the cure for different cancers but they can decrease the risk of cancer development. You should know there are other factors that may cause cancer, so don’t only depend on nuts to prevent this chronic disease.

How many pecans can I eat in a day?

Pecans have the highest amount of calories, which means you should be careful about not overeating them. Eating too many pecans can easily add extra pounds to your weight, which might not be what you ask for.

Generally, eating one ounce (almost 28 grams) of nuts in a day is healthy. For pecans, it may be about 15 pecan halves. However, it would help if you always took care of other nuts or any other calorie-dense food you may eat during the day to avoid overtaking calories.

How to consume pecans?

Pecans are great for vegetarians because they are packed with protein and can be an alternative to meat. That’s easy to add pecan to your vegetarian weight loss diet or any daily snacks you eat.

Pecans can be eaten raw, roasted, or cooked. You need to find creative ways to add this sweet nut to your meals. Find the recipes that have pecans or add them to salad or sandwiches.

Are pecans good for diabetics?

Since pecan tastes sweet, you may wonder whether it is suitable for diabetics or not. Generally, nuts are helpful for people with diabetes because they decrease the risk of heart diseases and control blood sugar.

Even if a sweet nut, like pecan, can have the same result. Although pecans might not be as good as walnuts or almonds to diabetics, they won’t hurt them too.

However, people with type 2 diabetes are better to avoid consuming salted nuts. Researches show complications in patients with diabetes and salt intake.

Pecans nutrition facts (per 28 grams)

Pecan calorie	196
Protein	2.6 g
Carbohydrates	3.9 g
Monounsaturated fat	12 g
Polyunsaturated fat	6 g
Saturated fat	1.8 g
Potassium	116.2 mg
Iron	3%
Vitamin B6	5%
Magnesium	8%
Calcium	1%

Bottom Line

Pecans are sweet and healthy nuts that are easy to add to your diet. They are delicious, crispy, and packed with lots of vitamins and minerals. Many types of research have been done on pecans that show this nut can benefit the heart, digestive system, immune system, skin, and hair.

Moreover, it can prevent or reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. However, like any other nuts, overeating pecans can have side effects too. That’s why it’s essential to know the healthy number of pecans to eat in a day.