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Why Buy Pecans
- 90% of the fats in pecans
are unsaturated (about 60% monounsaturated/30% polyunsaturated)
- A serving of pecans (30g)
provides about 25 percent more oleic acid than a serving of olive oil (one
tablespoon)
- Pecans are cholesterol
free
- Pecans are sodium free
- Pecans are fiber-rich
- Pecans are a valuable
plant protein source
- Pecans have more than 19
vitamins & minerals
- Pecans are an excellent
source of gamma tocopherol, an important type of vitamin E
- Pecans contain
concentrated amounts of natural plant sterols, touted for their
cholesterol-lowering ability
- Pecans contain a variety
of phytochemicals
- Nuts are recommended by
the American Heart Association and U.S. Dietary Guidelines as a desirable
source of heart-healthy unsaturated fat.
- Pecans can double the
cholesterol-lowering effectiveness of a traditional heart-healthy diet,
according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, September
2001. An eight-week study at Loma Linda University found that a 'pecan'
diet (which consisted of replacing 20 percent of the calories from the
American Heart Association's Step I diet foods with pecans) lowered total
cholesterol by 11.5%. The Step I diet lowered total cholesterol by 5.2%.
In addition, the pecan diet increased the HDL "good" cholesterol whereas
the Step I diet decreased HDL unfavorably. Triglycerides also were
significantly lower with the pecan diet. Although the pecan diet contained
more fat (39.6%) than the Step I diet (28.3%), participants did not gain
weight.
Here is the link to the Loma Linda pecan health study:
http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/131/9/2275
Source: www.tpga.org
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