Eating pecans daily can help to prevent obesity and a host of related health issues — including diabetes and fatty liver disease.
This is the conclusion of a study by researchers from the US and Mexico who experimented with putting mice on high-fat and pecan-based diets.
They found that the nuts increased the rodents’ energy expenditure and reduced both dysbiosis — which is an imbalance in the gut microbiota — and inflammation.
In fact, pecans appear to work on low-grade inflammation that can lead to chronic inflammation and the development of various common diseases.
Pecans, the team said, should be considered a “superfood” that could be consumed either directly, as an added ingredient, or as part of a dietary supplement.
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The study was undertaken by food scientist Professor Luis Cisneros-Zevallos of Texas A&M University and his colleagues.
Professor Cisneros-Zevallos said: “Obesity and diabetes numbers are increasing in modern society, worldwide.
“The trend in high-fat diet consumption is one of the main reasons besides lifestyle and genetic predisposition.
“People are searching for healthier options, and we have now shown pecans are a healthy tool consumers have in their hands.”
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According to Dr Amit Dhingra — the head of Texas A&M’s Department of Horticultural Sciences — the people of the Americas have long known that pecans are good for you.
This study, he added, provides scientific evidence to support the traditional knowledge of their value.
Dr Dhingra added: “We know what potential mechanisms underlie that nutritional benefit.
“Our department is focused on the areas of sustainability, wellness, and food security — and this research illustrates the relevance of horticultural crops for human health.”
Prof. Cisneros-Zevallos said the findings from the present study will help inform future clinical studies into the nutritional benefits of pecans.
He added: “The more we know of unique functionalities of pecans, the more possibilities to create healthier products.
“Pecans are of economic and historical importance to Texas and the US, and their production provides stability to farmers.”
He concluded: “This work will aid in the development of novel uses and products from pecans.”
The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nutrients.
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