Pecan nuts are a species of hickory, that is native to the south-central and south-eastern regions of the United States and Mexico. These nuts have been cultivated for several centuries. Technically, these aren’t even nuts, because they belong to a cultivar known as a drupe or a stone fruit, a seed that needs to be cracked open with a stone. Drupes have a small seed on the inside, while a shell surrounds the seed as well as an outer, fleshy component.
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Pecan nuts nutritional facts
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Pecan nuts contain an impressive array of vital nutrients in just one small serving. These nuts are high in healthy fats that help your body maintain a healthy weight, as well as boost heart function. They are also packed with several minerals that help fight off any mineral deficiencies.
100g of pecan nuts provide 690kcal of energy, along with:
- 8g of carbohydrates
- 9g of natural sugars
- 6g of dietary fiber
- 9g of fats
- 1g of saturated fats
- 8g of monounsaturated fats
- 6g of polyunsaturated fats
- 1g of proteins
- Vitamin B1 – 57% of daily value
- Vitamin B5 – 17% of daily value
- Vitamin B6 – 16% of daily value
- Vitamin B2 – 11% of daily value
- Vitamin E – 9% of daily value
- Vitamin B3 – 8% of daily value
- Folate – 6% of daily value
- Vitamin K – 3% of daily value
- Vitamin C – 1% of daily value
- Manganese – 214% of daily value
- Zinc – 48% of daily value
- Phosphorus – 40% of daily value
- Magnesium – 34% of daily value
- Iron – 19% of daily value
- Potassium – 9% of daily value
- Calcium – 7% of daily value
Health benefits of pecan nuts
Pecan nuts are not only tasty, they also help you stay healthy for a long time, all thanks to the nutrients it packs. Pecan nuts have been shown to aid in weight loss, improve brain health, and protect your body from debilitating diseases like atherosclerosis and diabetes. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing health benefits of pecan nuts.
1. It contributes to a healthy heart.
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Pecan nuts contain plentiful antioxidants that promote a healthy heart. These nuts are known to help lower systolic blood pressure in people who don’t have diabetes. Pecan nuts are high in fat, but only healthy ones, which make it helpful in lowering blood pressure across the board, and lowering the risk of cardiac-related deaths. These nuts are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which are known to reduce cholesterol and other heart-related conditions.
2. It helps improve brain function.
Vitamin B1 is found in abundance in pecan nuts, and this is known to help in the proper functioning of the brain. Copper, another nutrient found in high amounts in pecan nuts, is essential for good brain function, since it impacts pathways in the brain involving galactose and dopamine. Additionally, it is also known to help put a stop to free radical damage in the brain, which, if left unchecked, could contribute to degenerative damage and diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Manganese is found in huge amounts in pecan nuts, and this mineral is vital for quick reactions and brain signaling. If your body doesn’t get sufficient amounts of manganese, you’re likely to experience trouble focusing, learning disabilities, mood problems, mental illness, and possibly even epilepsy.
3. It helps lose weight and maintain high energy.
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Pecan nuts contain high amounts of healthy fats, along with more than half the daily requirement of manganese, which helps in weight loss efforts. Contrary to popular belief, a diet that is too low in fat isn’t exactly healthy for your body. Your body does need sufficient amounts of healthy fats to be nutritionally balanced. Also, other nutrients like copper and vitamin B1 help in boosting energy levels, thereby helping in the process of red blood production. So pecan nuts not only help you lose weight, they also help in maintaining high energy through the day, so that you don’t crave munchies.
4. It helps reduce PMS symptoms.
Manganese is present in high quantities in pecan nuts, which is known to be beneficial in reducing PMS symptoms such as cramps and mood swings. What’s better than to alleviate symptoms of PMS? Just eat a handful of pecan nuts during the week leading up to your period to keep these pesky symptoms at bay.
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5. It may prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis in women.
Women are more susceptible to bone loss due to osteoporosis than men, and nutrients like copper, manganese, and zinc – all found in pecan nuts – have been helpful in treating symptoms of osteoporosis. These nutrients help increase bone mass, while also helping reduce bone loss, thus helping women in osteoporosis.
6. It helps in treating diabetes.
Early findings in several studies have pointed to the fact that a diet rich in manganese could help in the management of the varied symptoms of diabetes. In fact, higher levels of manganese are associated with better insulin secretion, along with increased glucose tolerance.
7. It prevents oxidative stress.
Pecan nuts contain a high amount of antioxidants, which prevent oxidative damage within the body. Damage caused by oxidative stress is often correlated with high incidence rates of heart disease, cancers, and many diseases where cells mutate. Consumption of pecan nuts increases the antioxidants found in the bloodstream, thereby helping reduce the buildup of free radicals in the body. Additionally, consumption of pecan nuts also helps in lowering the risk of common and often fatal degenerative diseases.
8. It prevents cancer.
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As mentioned earlier, pecan nuts contain high amounts of powerful antioxidants like vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, ellagic acid, and zeaxanthin. These play an important role in eliminating free radicals, thus preventing them from wreaking havoc on your body and protecting your body from diseases, infections, and cancers. As you well know, cancer spreads through proliferation of carcinogenic cells. These antioxidants possess anti-proliferative properties, which inhibit DNA from binding to certain carcinogens, thus protecting your body against cancers.
9. It reduces inflammation.
Inflammation is your body’s defense against damaged cells. However, chronic inflammation is what causes many diseases, which then leads to cell mutation and undue stress on them. Pecan nuts contain copper, which is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties, especially helpful for pain and stiffness that is characteristic of arthritis.
10. It promotes bone and teeth health.
Phosphorus is found in high quantities in pecan nuts, and this mineral is essential for bone and teeth health. Besides cleansing waste from your body, phosphorus, combined with calcium, helps promote healthy teeth and bones. Additionally, this mineral is also essential for the growth and repair of cells and tissues, while also helping in the production of DNA and RNA. Also, it is known to help prevent muscle pain occurred during exercising.
11. It stimulates hair growth.
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Pecan nuts contain vital nutrients that help promote healthy hair growth, thus treating male pattern baldness. Additionally, it also stimulates blood flow throughout your body, promoting healthy hair growth.
12. It prevents hair loss.
Deficiency of iron in your diet is a major cause for hair loss. And pecan nuts are rich in iron, which help prevent hair loss. Not only does consumption of pecan nuts help combat iron deficiency in the blood, but also prevents hair loss.
13. It prevents skin problems.
Pecan nuts contain vital nutrients which help eliminate toxins from your body, that might be responsible for causing breakouts, acne, pimples, excess oil, and dull skin. The dietary fiber found in pecan nuts helps eliminate toxins and waste from your body, thereby helping improve your skin tone and appearance.
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14. It has anti-aging benefits.
Pecans contain plentiful antioxidants, which help fight and eliminate free radicals from your body. These free radicals are responsible for causing your skin to age prematurely, resulting in the appearance of wrinkles, pigmentation, fine lines, dark spots, and white patches. But, consumption of pecan nuts on a regular basis helps combat these signs of premature aging quite effectively.
Pecan nuts consumption
Pecan nuts need to be cooked before consumption, but they’re delicious to eat regardless of how they’re prepared. While some recipes ask that the pecan nuts be lightly toasted, others ask that you cook/bake them entirely before including in the dish. These nuts scorch easily, so be very careful while toasting them.
These are all the amazing health benefits of pecan nuts. For more updates on health tips, home remedies, and fitness secrets, subscribe to our newsletter today!
Featured image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
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