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A handful of pecans a day could keep heart disease at bay, study finds

By isabelle // 2025-03-29

• A Penn State study found eating pecans daily lowers cholesterol markers linked to heart disease.
• Participants who ate pecans saw reduced LDL cholesterol and triglycerides without medication.
• Pecans offer a natural alternative to statins, which have potential side effects.
• Despite benefits, pecan consumers gained 1.5 pounds due to high calorie content.
• Experts recommend replacing snacks with pecans, not adding them, to avoid weight gain.

A new Penn State University study has revealed that simply swapping your daily snacks for a handful of pecans could significantly reduce cholesterol levels without medication, potentially offering millions of Americans a natural alternative to prescription drugs. The 12-week clinical trial, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that participants who consumed two ounces of raw, unsalted pecans daily showed meaningful improvements in multiple cholesterol markers associated with heart disease risk. Researchers divided 138 adults with at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor into two groups - one that ate pecans daily and another that maintained their regular snacking habits. By the study's conclusion, the pecan-consuming group demonstrated impressive reductions in total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, triglycerides, and non-HDL cholesterol compared to the control group.

Natural alternative to controversial statins

The findings come at a time when millions of Americans are prescribed statin medications to lower cholesterol, despite ongoing concerns about potential side effects including muscle pain, liver damage, and increased diabetes risk. This research suggests that incorporating pecans as a daily snack might offer a food-based approach to managing cholesterol without pharmaceutical intervention. "Replacing typical snacks with pecans improved key risk factors for heart disease including blood cholesterol levels and diet quality," said lead author Kristina Petersen, associate professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State. The pecan group's most striking improvement was in triglyceride levels, which dropped more than 16 mg/dL - nearly double the improvement typically observed with other nuts. Additionally, participants who consumed pecans showed a 17% increase in overall diet quality according to the Healthy Eating Index, which measures adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Nutritional powerhouse with proven benefits

Pecans stand out among other nuts due to their exceptional nutritional profile. They contain higher levels of polyphenols than many other nuts, are rich in flavan-3-ol (linked to reduced coronary artery disease risk), and provide significant amounts of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats along with dietary fiber. These findings align with previous research on pecans and cardiovascular health. A 2021 study 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. While the current study was funded by the American Pecan Council, an industry group that promotes pecan consumption, the results are consistent with broader scientific literature on the heart health benefits of tree nuts. Pecans join other natural cholesterol-lowering foods like oatmeal, fatty fish, and olive oil that have demonstrated effectiveness without the potential risks associated with statin medications.

The weight gain caveat

Despite the impressive cholesterol-lowering benefits, there was one noteworthy drawback: participants in the pecan group gained an average of 1.5 pounds over the 12-week study. Researchers attributed this to pecans' high calorie content - approximately 200 calories per ounce - or the possibility that participants didn't fully replace unhealthy snacks as instructed. The study also did not find significant improvements in vascular health measures, which researchers had initially hypothesized might improve with regular pecan consumption. Health experts suggest that while pecans offer substantial benefits for cholesterol management, portion control remains important. The recommended daily amount used in the study - approximately one handful or 57 grams - should replace rather than supplement existing snacks to avoid unwanted weight gain. For the millions of Americans with borderline high cholesterol or those seeking alternatives to pharmaceutical interventions, this research offers promising evidence that something as simple as a daily serving of pecans could be part of a natural solution to better heart health. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealth365.com NYPost.com PSU.edu

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