Nutritional value
Pecan nuts contain the highest possible nutritional value of all fruit grown in South Africa.
A handful pecan nuts equals one portion of meat, fish or poultry.
Pecan nuts are 100% natural, high in Protein and unsaturated fats, low in sodium and contains 0% cholesterol.
- 73 – 75 % oil
- 12 – 15 % carbohydrates
- 9 – 10 % protein
- 3 – 4 % water
- 1.5 % minerals
- 93 % Unsaturated fats
- 0 % cholesterol
Source : Pecan Orchard Management - Esteban
- 20.4 g total fat (only 1.8g saturated)
- 0 mg cholesterol
- 0 mg sodium
- 2.7 g diet fiber
- 19 vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and zinc. Excellent source of vitamin B1, thiamin, magnesium as well as protein.
Pecans May Protect the Mind:
Eating about a handful of pecans each day may play a role in protecting the nervous system. A study, conducted at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, suggests adding pecans to your diet may delay the progression of age-related motor neuron degeneration.
Natural Antioxidants in Pecans can help prevent Alzheimers, cancer and heart deseases:
Lead researcher Dr. Thomas Shea, Ph.D, suggests vitamin E – a natural antioxidant found in pecans – may provide a key element to neurological protection.
Antioxidants are nutrients found in foods that help protect against cell damage, and studies have shown, Pecan nuts which contains a high dose of Vitamin E can help fight diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and heart disease.
Cholesterol-Lowering Pecans:
Pecans also play a role in lowering cholesterol. Clinical research published in the Journal of Nutrition (September 2001) compared the Step I diet (28 percent fat), recommended by the American Heart Association for individuals with high cholesterol levels, to a pecan-enriched (40 percent fat) diet. The results showed the pecan-enriched diet lowered total cholesterol by 11.3 percent and LDL “bad” cholesterol levels by 16.5 percent – twice that of the Step I diet, without any associated weight gain.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged this and related research and approved the following qualified health claim: “Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 30g ounces per day of most nuts, such as pecans, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”
New research, published in the August 2006 issue of Nutrition Research, shows
Adding just a handful of pecans to your diet each day may help inhibit unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping prevent coronary heart disease.
The researchers suggest that this positive effect was in part due to the pecans’ significant content of vitamin E – a natural antioxidant. Pecans contain
different forms of vitamin E, which protects blood lipids from oxidation.
Using a method that has proven to be a good indicator of the total antioxidant capacity of foods. Researchers measured the antioxidant capacity of nuts among 100 commonly consumed healthy foods and snacks, including different types of nuts, and determined pecans have more antioxidant capacity than walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, peanuts and cashews. Numerous other studies have also shown that phytochemicals, like those found in pecans, act like natural antioxidants and may have a protective effect against certain diseases, such as various cancers and coronary heart disease.
Only a handful of Pecan nuts per day is sufficient to help prevent illnesses such as cancer, hart diseases and other chronic illnesses.
Nutrient-Dense Pecans:
Pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals – including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, several B vitamins and zinc. 30g of pecans provides 10 percent of the recommended Daily Value for fiber. Pecans are also a natural, high-quality source of protein that contain very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol. Pecans are also naturally sodium-free, making them an excellent choice for those on a salt- or sodium-restricted diet.
