If high cholesterol concerns you, you’re probably well-versed in the foods to avoid—eggs, bacon, butter, beef, and coconut oil, to name a handful. But in addition to eliminating things from your diet, you can also supplement it with healthy foods that actually help lower your cholesterol. One such example is a surprising nut that was just highlighted in a new research paper.
RELATED: This Superfood Can Help Prevent Heart Disease, Weight Gain, and More—But You’re Probably Not Eating It.
Pecans can help lower cholesterol, new research finds.
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that swapping daily snack foods for pecans “improved cholesterol levels and enhanced overall diet quality,” according to a press release.
To arrive at these findings, researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences enlisted 138 adults aged 25 to 70 who had one or more criteria for metabolic syndrome, which included abdominal obesity, high triglycerides (the most common type of fat in the body that usually comes from butter, oils, and excess calories), low HDL (“good” cholesterol), high blood pressure, and high fasting blood glucose (a potential indicator of diabetes).
Participants were then divided into two equal groups—one who consumed their regular diet and one who ate two ounces of pecans daily in place of their usual snacks—and evaluated via vascular health data and blood work at the start and end of the 12-week study period. Results showed the following reductions in the pecan group:
- Total cholesterol
- LDL (“bad”) cholesterol
- HDL cholesterol
- Ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol and triglycerides
As the press release explains, “LDL cholesterol can build up in arteries and increase the risk of stroke or heart attack. HDL…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.”
The pecan group also showed healthier dietary habits overall, including a higher adherence to the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 and an increased intake of under-consumed food groups such as plant proteins and seafood.
RELATED: Tomatoes Are the Healthiest Fruit in the World, CDC Says—Here’s Why.
Nuts, in general, may be beneficial for cholesterol.
Jennifer Habashy, NMD, assistant medical director at
Claya and
Strata, previously told
Best Life, “Nuts provide heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help
lower LDL cholesterol. They also contain plant sterols, compounds that block cholesterol absorption in the gut.”
As we noted, a 2018 study published in the journal Nutrients found that consuming 1.5 to 3 grams of plant sterols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by 7.5 to 12 percent.
“Research shows a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk factors in people with diabetes when they’re eating at least five servings of nuts a week,” registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, told Cleveland Clinic. “The serving size was about an ounce, or 28 grams, which is the amount I recommend.”
Nuts, however, can be calorie-dense, so it’s important to keep serving size in mind when snacking.
Pecans may also help with vascular health.
Though the Penn State researchers did not find any differences in vascular health between the two study groups, they point to a previous study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that looked at the effects of pecan’s polyphenol content.
According to Cleveland Clinic, polyphenols are natural compounds in plants and plant-based foods that “help your body manage inflammation and protect you from oxidative stress.”
The prior research found that the polyphenols in pecans “may support endothelial function, a key factor in maintaining healthy blood vessels,” the press release states. Therefore, the Penn State researchers recommend adding more polyphenol-rich foods—including pecans, fruits and veggies, and whole grains—to a heart healthy diet.
“The improved diet quality among pecan snackers—including a higher percentage of calories from polyunsaturated fats and increased fiber and polyphenols—likely also contributed to the observed cholesterol improvements, particularly the LDL-lowering effects,” said Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State and co-author of the study.
The takeaway:
A new study found that replacing one’s daily snacks with pecans can lead to improved cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease. Previous research has tied nuts, in general, to lower cholesterol. A prior study also linked pecan consumption with improved vascular health.
