{"id":10100,"date":"2025-03-18T12:11:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T04:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=10100"},"modified":"2025-03-18T12:11:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T04:11:43","slug":"replacing-other-snacks-with-pecans-may-improve-cholesterol-diet-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/replacing-other-snacks-with-pecans-may-improve-cholesterol-diet-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Replacing other snacks with pecans may improve cholesterol, diet quality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Switching daily snack foods to pecans improved cholesterol levels and enhanced overall diet quality, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State\u00a0Department of Nutritional Sciences.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers randomized adults who live with or are at risk for metabolic syndrome \u2014 a set of conditions that increase a person\u2019s risk for several chronic diseases \u2014 to either consume pecans instead of their usual snacks or to continue eating their usual diet. Participants who ate pecans in lieu of their usual snacks demonstrated reductions across cholesterol measurements linked to poorer heart health compared to those that did not snack on pecans. Additionally, diet quality, as measured by adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, was 17% higher at the conclusion of the study for participants who consumed pecans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results of the study were published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReplacing typical snacks with pecans improved key risk factors for heart disease including blood cholesterol levels and diet quality,\u201d said Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State and co-author of the study. \u201cThese results add to the large evidence-base supporting the cardiovascular benefits of nuts and add additional insights into how adults can incorporate nuts into their diet to improve the overall quality of their diet.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study included 138 adults with one or more criteria for metabolic syndrome, including abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL, high blood pressure and high fasting blood glucose. Participants were 25 to 70 years old and were randomly assigned into two equal groups: pecan snacking group, who were asked to consume two ounces of pecans per day in place of snacks typically consumed, and the usual diet group, who were asked to continue their regular diet.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vascular health data and blood work were collected at the start and conclusion of the 12-week study, and self-reported 24-hour recalls were collected nine times during the research. All participants were also instructed to stop eating all other types of nuts and to keep their non-snacking dietary behavior and lifestyle consistent throughout the study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the study, pecan snackers experienced reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol and triglycerides compared to non-pecan snackers. LDL cholesterol can build up in arteries and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. HDL \u2014 sometimes known colloquially as \u201cgood cholesterol\u201d \u2014 carries cholesterol back to the liver for removal from the body. So, both lowering LDL and reducing the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Triglycerides are a necessary lipid for energy storage and metabolism, but high levels of triglycerides also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, study participants who ate pecans showed higher overall adherence to the\u00a0Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, with increased intakes of other under-consumed food groups, such as plant proteins and seafood.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the team, prior research<\/a> by others in the field suggests that chemical compounds with anti-inflammatory properties called polyphenols in pecans may support endothelial function, a key factor in maintaining healthy blood vessels. The current study did not find differences in vascular health outcomes between the two groups, but the researchers said people in the United States should consider consuming more foods with polyphenols \u2014 like pecans, fruits, vegetables and whole grains \u2014 to support heart health and improve overall diet quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe improved diet quality among pecan snackers \u2014 including a higher percentage of calories from polyunsaturated fats and increased fiber and polyphenols \u2014 likely also contributed to the observed cholesterol improvements, particularly the LDL-lowering effects,\u201d Petersen said.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The researchers said that replacing a person\u2019s usual snacks with pecans each day could improve cholesterol levels and diet quality, especially if they are at risk of metabolic syndrome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tricia Hart, doctoral student in nutritional studies at Penn State, and Penny Kris-Etherton, retired Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State, also contributed to this research.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Switching daily snack foods to pecans improved cholesterol levels and enhanced overall diet quality, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State\u00a0Department of Nutritional Sciences. The researchers randomized adults who live with or are at risk for metabolic syndrome \u2014 a set of conditions that increase a person\u2019s risk for several chronic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1500,1165,772,2159,2485],"class_list":["post-10100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-finger-foods","tag-food","tag-foodie","tag-good-food","tag-pecan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10100"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10102,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10100\/revisions\/10102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}