Pecan Nuts - Health and Nutrition facts

The new health dietary guidelines say that you should take at least  4 - 5 servings of nuts, seeds or legumes daily. Pecan nuts are taken as a delicacy but mostly for its nutritional value. It is said that if you add a handful to your daily diet, it will subdue the blood lipids to get oxidezed unnecessarily and so prevents coronary heart diseases. Pecan nuts contain Vitamin E  which protects blood lipids from oxidizing.



About the Nutritional benefits of Pecan nuts 

Pecan nuts have more anti oxidants than any other nut, according to the recent report.  Anti oxidants are the substances  found in the foods  which protect us against cell damage. Pecan nuts are supposed to help fight diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,  heart diseases and Cancer. 

Just a handful of pecan nuts consists of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and fiber, as well as antioxidants and they are so rich in heart healthy unsaturated  fats.  If you take in a few you will feel full and the studies have shown that the habit of eating nuts will have a beneficial effect on your waist line. Pecan nuts are a rich source of Proteins  and contains less carbohydrates and no cholesterol. These are best for the sodium restricted diet  for heart patients  as well as those with high blood pressure  as they are sodium free nuts.



Blood Pressure:  while eating nuts cannot cure blood pressure or hypertension, they can be an important part of the diet  to lower the blood pressure  while supercharging your diet with much needed nutrients.  you can take up to a handful of pecan nuts ( 7-8 nuts ) a week.



Breast Cancer : Pecan nuts have a rich source of Oleic acid just like Olive oil. Oleic acid has the property to suppress the activity of the gene cells that trigger Breast cancer.  The researchers say that if you can improve your eating more foods rich in Oleic acid can lessen the chances of Breast cancer. A one ounce serving of pecan nuts provides you 25% more oleic acid than  a tablespoonful olive oil. An ounce of pecan nuts is about 7-8 whole nuts or 15 pecan halves



The researchers  have confirmed that when  pecans are added as a part of the diet you can improve your heart health, prostrate health and also control your weight. Pecan nuts are the most elegant, versatile and a delicious tasting nuts you can add on to your plate  and you can be sure of the health benefits it will bring in. nuts contain more healthful types of fats than meat does and they are cholesterol-free, so they make excellent choices over fatty meats like steak or even chicken.



In short, the Health benefits of the Pecan nuts 

Pecans are one of the very few sodium-free and fiber-rich nuts in the world.

Pecans are a rich source of gamma tocopherol which is a chemical compound derived from vitamin E. It supports heart health, prevents heart diseases, promotes respiratory health, helps in blood circulation and is very good for your brain.

Pecans also contain some of the phytochemicals.

90% of the fat content in pecans contain unsaturated fats.



Calorie count of the various types of Pecan nuts 

Quantity Calories Fat Carbohydrates Proteins

1 oz (20 halves) 28.3 g 196 20.4 g 3.9 g 2.6 g

1 cup halves (108.0 g) 746 77.7 g 15.0 g 9.9 g

1 cup chopped (119.0 g) 822 85.6 g 16.5 g 10.9 g



Candied pecans are the best examples of how a low-calorie treat can be irresistibly delicious too, at the same time! these candied pecans are  nutty delights  which we could hog on all day but be careful  for the calorie count. A serving of an ounce of candied pecans have 190 calorie , 17 grams of fat  which have 10 monunsaturated fats  and  4 grams are poly unsaturated fats. These candied pecans are cholesterol free and have about 3% sodium content and a 30% of the carbohydrate needs of a person.