Monday, August 22, 2011

PECANS

Pecans have it all. Besides being one of the most elegant, versatile and rich-tasting nuts you can put on your plate, they offer up a package of health benefits that’s very impressive. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture recommend eating 4 - 5 servings of nuts per week.

A Mayo Clinic study has shown that all nuts are nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free. Other studies have shown that not only are nuts cholesterol free but eating pecans may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, which leads to a reduction in risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The serving size for nuts is about one ounce or about 15 pecan halves. One serving of pecans can take the place of the protein found in one ounce of meat.

Pecans are also a rich source of oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil. Laboratory tests have found that oleic acid has the ability to suppress the activity of a gene in cells thought to trigger breast cancer.

The same natural compound that gives pecans its cholesterol lowering power, has also shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland. About two ounces of pecans provides a dose of beta-sitosterol found to be effective. Also a number of studies have found that as nut consumption increases, body fat decreases.

So, Eat more nuts! Eat more pecans, walnuts & hazelnuts.

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