Product Category

Pecan Halves

Category: Nuts

Pecan Nuts have a high fat content.They also contain a good balance of Vitamins and Minerals, including
Vitamin A.

Pecan Nuts are rich in essential oils and underweight people could benefit from their consumption.

More Info

Whether you like your pecan nuts just as they are (fresh and tasty) or in cooking and baking recipes, in confectionery, in cereals and salads, or as fillings in pasta dishes, you have to admit these snacks are very popular.

They’re healthy too. Pecans offer more vitamin E than any other food except oils, and they boast more than 19 vitamins as well as several essential minerals. Consider also the fact that 90% of the fats in pecans are the good kind, and that they contain no cholesterol and almost no sodium, and you have a recipe for an energy snack that is good for the heart, for weight and cholesterol management, for prevention and relief of diseases such as cancer, stroke and intestinal disorders, and for a strong immune system and a generally healthy body – provided of course that your overall diet and lifestyle are healthy.

Description and Origin

A member of the walnut family, the pecan nut tree flourishes in humid climates. It is found in deciduous forests in North America. Pecan nuts were an important food source for Native Americans. Each nut is long and pointed with a thin shell.

Nutritional Content

A partial analysis of the major nutrients found in pecan nuts is as follows:

Nutrition info (per 100g)
Calories	667 Kcal
Carbohydrates	18.2g
Protein	7.7g
Potassium	520 mcg
Magnesium	130 mg
Vitamin E	4.3 mg
Selenium	12 mg
Dietray Fibre	7.6g
Fat	67.6g
Sodium	1 mg

However, pecans offer much more. They are also an important source of ellagic acid, plant steroids and more than 19 vitamins including several B vitamins as well as vitamins A and E. But there is still more. Pecans contain several essential minerals, including calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and zinc. They also provide about 25% more oleic acid than the same amount of olive oil does.

Finally, pecan nuts, though tasty, are low in saturated (bad) fats and high in unsaturated (good) fats and contain no cholesterol and almost zero sodium.

Health Benefits

Pecan nuts are not only bursting with energy. They are also nutrient-dense – they contain a large number and variety of nutrients compared to other foods.

Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other nut. They are a rich source of vitamin E, particularly gamma tocopherol. Vitamin E is an important nutrient for at least two reasons. First, it’s a plant material not produced by the human body, so we have to get it from our diet. Second, it’s the primary antioxidant used by the body to combat the damaging effects of free radicals on healthy cells, thus helping to prevent infections and diseases. Pecans are among those foods that, because of their high vitamin E content, significantly reduce the risk of death from stroke.

Gamma tocopherol, found in such rich supply in pecan nuts, is a unique form of vitamin E that improves intestinal health and helps prevent prostate cancer.

The ellagic acid in pecans is a phenolic compound with anticarcenogenic, antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These nuts also contain a variety of phytochemicals, nature’s own healing drugs, and they have a considerable supply of natural plant sterols, which are believed to have cholesterol-lowering abilities. It is significant that man-made derivatives of plant sterols are now being added as ingredients in several important foods. Pecans contain these sterols in a natural form.

Clinical research has confirmed that pecan nuts can lower LDL blood cholesterol if eaten correctly – in moderation and in the place of other high-fat foods, not in addition to them. The end result is a much reduced risk of heart disease and sudden fatal cardiac arrest. One study, conducted at Loma Linda University in California and published in the September 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, found that if you add just a handful of pecan nuts to a traditional low-fat, cholesterol-lowering diet, this will dramatically increase the diet’s effectiveness. A pecan-enriched diet was found to be twice as effective at lowering bad cholesterol as the heart-healthy diet recommended by the American Heart Association.

Among the 19 or more vitamins found in pecan nuts are vitamin A for better eyesight and for boosting the immune system, folic acid (a deficiency of which is associated with clinical depression and with birth defects) and other B vitamins. The pecan also offers a wide variety of minerals. There is calcium for healthy muscles, teeth and bones, and magnesium for healthy muscles, bones and nerves. We find copper, which plays an important role in the elimination of free radicals and the development of bone and connective tissue. Copper also helps to ensure healthy blood vessels, bones and joints, and aids iron utilization, thus helping to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. There is also phosphorus for metabolizing energy, potassium for good kidney and heart function and for the smooth function of other muscles, manganese to aid calcium absorption and help prevent osteoporosis, and zinc to help maintain healthy levels of white blood cells, thus strengthening the immune system.

Another factor that makes pecans an ideal food for a healthy heart is that pecans supply protein with a superior structure. As a result, they contain all the essential amino acids the body can’t do without. Pecans, like other nuts, are therefore excellent substitutes for high-fat meats.

Pecans are an ideal dietary component for those trying to manage their weight more effectively because they are high in calories yet low in saturated (bad) fat – 90% of the fats in pecans are the unsaturated (good) kind – about 60% mono-unsaturated and 30% poly-unsaturated.

Other Uses

Pecan nuts taste good and can therefore be eaten as they are. However, they are also very popular in cooking and baking recipes, in confectionery, in cereals and salads, and as fillings in pasta dishes.

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