Pecans are widely recognized as a heart-healthy nut for their ability to lower cholesterol and inflammation.
A 2021 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that, for adults at risk of heart disease, eating pecans daily for about two months lowered harmful cholesterol2.
“Pecans are brimming with heart-healthy unsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol and maintain flexible blood vessels,” explains Maggie Moon, M.S., R.D., nutrition consultant and bestselling author of The MIND Diet. Moon also points out that the nuts are high in cholesterol-clearing fiber at nearly 3 grams per ounce.
Stocking up on the flavorful nuts also means ramping up your intake of antioxidants. (Pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut!) This may, in turn, help your heart.
“Antioxidants help squelch the free radicals produced in cells during normal metabolism but also as a result of poor diet, stress, pollution, or even intensive physical training,” says performance nutritionist Desiree Nielsen, R.D., author of Eat More Plants. “Eating antioxidant-rich whole plant foods, as opposed to taking antioxidant supplements, is associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.”
Research bears this out: A 2021 study found that eating pecans every day counteracted the oxidative stress3 of a high-fat meal.
