Health Benefits of Pecans: The Many Benefits of the Special Nut

Do you know what a pecan is? It is a type of nuts with dark brown colors that has this unique buttery and savory taste. It is crunchy and delicious and it certainly packs a lot of perks – especially for your health. So, what are the health benefits of pecans? It may surprise you but a seemingly small nut can deliver a lot of good things. Not many people realize that they can enjoy the pecans benefits when eating them. Most of us take it for granted as it is; the savory snack that can actually be nutritious and healthy, if you understand how to manage it.

The reason for pecans health benefits lie in their high level of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals – you don’t see that coming, huh? A lot of people don’t really understand that such a nut can do a lot of wonders. Sure, the nuts may be healthy but to those high levels. Well, if you want to enjoy the benefits of pecans, read on and see what to achieve from them.

Understanding Pecans: A Deeper Insight to the Nuts

As it was mentioned before, pecans are quite popular for snacks? Are you familiar with the pecan pie? There you go; you have found one of the most common foods with pecans as the main ingredients. It is often referred to the ‘comfort foods made by grandma’s recipes’ because of the

tasty trait and the comfortable homey feel it is able to generate once you take that first bite.

This edible nut is basically native in Mexico as well as North America – among others, of course. The tree is big and it is a part of the hickory family. One of the unique signature characteristic of the pecan is the buttery taste, which is responsible for the tastiness of the nut. It’s because pecans have this buttery shell with beige hue on the inside and golden brown on the outside. If you can combine the health benefits of pecans and the tastiness, you definitely want to have it again and again and again.

One of the major reasons for the health benefits of pecans is the rich content of monounsaturated oils – a lot of it. That’s why the nut has this nice mixture of buttery, sweet, and rich taste. Thanks to the oil, pecans have quite a high level of fat (reaching 70% of the total packed nutrients). When compared to other nuts, pecans have the highest fat level.

But don’t worry, the fat inside pecans is the good one. When you are able to include the nut in your daily menu and you can consume them in moderation, be sure that you can improve your condition and health in the most natural manner. If you are looking for the shelled pecans, they are available anytime. But if you are looking for the unshelled and white pecans, they are only available in the autumn.

Pecan Healthy Contents

The contents of pecans are the reasons for the health benefits of pecans. What are they?

Pecans are packed with all the important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients that can improve your health. As a source of energy, a hundred gram of pecans contains 690 calories, which is quite a lot.
Pecans are rich in phenolic antioxidants and oleic acid which can reduce the level of the bad cholesterol (LDL). Not to mention that they are rich in dietary fibers too.
Pecans have high level of phytochemical substances, like ellagic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin, beta carotene, and vitamin E that will get rid of the free radicals.
Pecans have high levels of B-complex vitamins, like thiamin, folates, riboflavin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, and niacin that are important for your metabolism.

The Many Beneficial Perks

As you can see from above, this nut has all the potent and super handy substances and compounds that can boost your energy and your overall health to the highest level, if you can manage the right diet routine and pattern. The most obvious health benefits of pecans are the improved cardiovascular health. As it was mentioned before, the nut has a high level of good fat content, which is good for your heart.

Not to mention that it is also rich in fibers that can do a lot of wonderful things, including reducing the coronary heart risk and preventing cancers. When the phenolic antioxidant works together with oleic acid, they can protect your heart, preventing strokes or other issues related to cardiovascular condition by inhibiting the unwanted blood lipids’ oxidation.

Since pecans are also rich in dietary fibers, they can improve your colon’s health and improve your chances of having the regular and healthy bowel movement. If you suffer from constipation, consume pecans and your problem should go away after a period of regular consumption. The health benefits of pecans include the prevention of hemorrhoids, colon cancer, and also constipation because your gastrointestinal system is cleaned and regulated in the healthiest way.

Other health benefits of pecans include the effective weight loss effort. A handful of pecans can be a tasty and fulfilling snack, help you to curb your appetite while improving your metabolism at the same time. Not to mention that the nut can be beneficial for women where they can reduce the possibility of breast cancer, thanks to the oleic acid. This is one of the major reasons why pecans are often included in the weight loss programs. It is also advisable to include them in your daily menu – although not always for the sake of losing weight.

Pecans are also good for your teeth and bones because of its phosphorus. You see, our body contains quite a lot of phosphorus – it is the second most abundant mineral after the calcium. Phosphorus inhibits 85% of the teeth and bones and the 15% is in tissues and cells. Its main function is to improve the bone mass and cleansing out the body’s waste. It is also responsible for the cells repair and growth. So, now you see the other health benefits of pecans thanks to the natural contents and substances.

Anti inflammatory health benefits of pecans is possible, thanks to the high level of natural magnesium found in the nut. According to studies, any increase in magnesium intake will take effects on the body’s inflammatory indicators. Besides reducing the arterial walls inflammation, you can take a greater benefit from the nut. You can avoid suffering from arthritis, cardiovascular issue Alzheimer, and other inflammatory issues. How about your blood? If you suffer from high blood pressure, you should consider the nut in your daily menu. Hypertension isn’t something easily cured but you can always control it. With pecans, you can lower the tension and keep it within the healthy boundaries.

The Benefits for Skin and Hair

You may not realize this but there are significant and direct health benefits of pecans to your hair and skin. Thanks to the high level of vitamin A and E, folate, zinc, and phosphorus, you can maintain a healthy and glowing skin, which will also affect the hair too. The most apparent benefit is that pecans can help improving your skin from within. After all, no matter how much money you have spent for the beauty and skin care products, the result won’t be satisfying if you don’t maintain your care from within.

Because pecans are also rich in vitamin E, fiber, and antioxidants, you can prevent dullness, breakout, and oil excess. The healthy contents will efficiently remove the waste and toxins from your body. You can avoid early signs of aging too. Saggy and dull skins are the results of free radicals, waste, and toxins. When you are able to clear them off, your skin will be firm, supple, healthy, and glowing – from within! You don’t have to lather those expensive beauty and skin care products if you can manage everything from within.

Do you want a clear complexion? No matter what skin color you have, it would be nice to have a naturally glowing and clear skin. Well, pecans can help you with it. Another health benefits of pecans is the high level of zinc that will protect your skin from infection. When zinc is able to work together with vitamin A, they work hand in hand to get rid of the dangerous free radicals that aren’t only responsible for the early aging signs but also for some of the health conditions.

For the hair, pecans are great to stimulate and promote hair growth. You see, the nut is the source of L-arginine, a type of amino acid that can prevent baldness and promote hair growth. This type of amino acid has been included in studies concerning male pattern baldness. So far, studies have shown positive result where new hair can grow naturally in abundance. L-arginine is responsible for the artery walls’ health by making them flexible so blood clot can be prevented. You see, blood vessels are important because they will transport oxygen and healthy blood to all over the systems in your body. When your blood vessels are healthy and they are free from any obstructions and clots, you can expect an improved condition in many aspects – including your skin and hair. This is other health benefits of pecans that most people don’t know.

Besides promoting hair growth, pecans are also good to prevent any hair loss, which is mainly caused by the iron deficiency. Since pecans are rich in iron, you can get enough supply of the mineral to fight against hair loss. No need to use the expensive hair products. And that you know about the health benefits of pecans, you can start including them in your diet.

Pecans have a lot of minerals which are important for the brain. The nut contains thiamine, copper, and also manganese that are needed to improve the brain’s functionality and health. Thiamine, for instance, is good to combat Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Copper, on the other hand, will affect the brain pathways.

If you are afraid about free radicals doing some damages in the brain, you don’t have to worry about it anymore because the high level of copper will prevent such a thing, including Alzheimer and Parkinson. Brain signals are also important for effective reactions. If you don’t have enough manganese, you may suffer from learning disabilities, concentration issues, mood problems, mental illness, and even epilepsy. To get the best health benefits of pecans, make sure that you have enough pecans in your daily intake.

Proper Handle and Store

If you want to make sure that you get the highest health benefits of pecans, make sure that you handle and store the nut properly and correctly. Yes, pecans are super healthy and beneficial but there are also processed pecans with altered and reduced healthy contents. If you want to get the best benefits of the nut, make sure to buy only the pecans with shell or the unshelled type. These pecans are usually sold in the airtight packages.

It would be best if you can find nuts with compact look, along with healthy looking white color that is uniform in size – they are generally heavier when you feel it. They should be free from molds, spots, rancid smell, and also cracks (the unnatural one, that is). The unshelled nuts can be placed in the dry and cool place while the shelled nuts should be kept in the airtight container and placed inside the fridge.

Pecans are quite versatile in terms that they can be used in many cooking preparations. To enjoy the health benefits of pecans, you can eat them just like that, whether sweetened or salted – or just in the natural state. Here are some of the alternative options:

You can also include them in muffins, pies, baklava, puddings, and fudges. Remember the pecan pies?
You can sprinkle the kernels over ice creams, sundaes, and other desserts, including salads.
Pecans are mostly included in confectionary and a part of additions to sweets, cakes, and biscuits.
Have you ever tried pecan butter? It is tasty and often used for spread for toast, bread, and others.