Pecan NUTrition –
A Healthy and Delicious Choice

Delicious, buttery-flavored pecans are one of the popular edible tree-nuts and are rich sources of many health-benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.

1. The nuts are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and an excellent source of phenolic antioxidants. Regular addition of pecan nuts in the diet helps to decrease total as well as LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good cholesterol” levels in the blood.
2. Pecans are rich source of many phyto-chemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including polyphenolic antioxidant ellagic acid, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin. Research studies have been suggestive of that these compounds help the body remove toxic oxygen-free radicals and thus, protect the body from diseases, cancers, as well as infections.
3. Anti-proliferative properties of ellagic acid is because of its ability to inhibit DNA binding of certain carcinogens such as nitrosamines and polycyclic hydrocarbons, thus, offering protection to human body from cancers.
4. Pecans are an excellent source of vitamin-E, especially rich in gamma-tocopherol; provide about 25 g per 100 g. Vitamin E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals.
5. The nuts are very rich sources of several important B-complex groups of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates. Together, these vitamins work as co-factors for the enzyme metabolism inside the human body.
6. The nuts are also rich source of minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.

Add pecans to your diet to keep your diet meter complete with sufficient levels of minerals, vitamins, and protein!