New research published in the Journal of Nutrition shows that pecans are good for the heart and may help stave off diseases. Pecans are very high in vitamin E (particularly gamma tocopherols) and in polyphenols, which are both very potent antioxidants. The study showed that after eating a meal consisting of pecans the levels of oxidized bad cholesterol (LDL) were dramatically reduced. This is important for cardiovascular health because oxidized cholesterol leads to inflammation in the arteries which contributes to atherosclerosis. The findings also demonstrated that the levels of vitamin E in in the blood doubled and the antioxidant activity increased by as much as 12% 2 hours after a meal of pecans. There is one last thing that I want to mention and that is that most of the vitamin E that we consume is the alpha tocopherol because gamma tocopherol is hard to find. Bottom line is eat your pecans!
