Replacing typical snacks with two handfuls of pecans each day improves blood lipid levels and overall diet quality in people at risk of cardiometabolic diseases, according to new research (1).

The 12-week trial involved 138 people, aged 25-70 years, with overweight and obesity, and at least one indicator of metabolic syndrome (such as elevated blood glucose levels, or high blood pressure).

They were randomly split into either a ‘pecan group’, which replaced their usual snacks with 57g (two handfuls) a day of raw, unsalted pecans, and a ‘control group’ that continued with their usual diet.  

The researchers measured heart and blood vessel health, blood lipid levels, glycaemia (or blood sugar values), and overall diet quality at baseline and at the end of the study.

What did the study find?

After 12 weeks, eating pecans, instead of usual snacks, led to reductions in:

• Total cholesterol: ↓ ~3.6%
• LDL (bad) cholesterol: ↓ ~6.0%
• Non-HDL-cholesterol: ↓ ~5.8%
• Triglycerides: ↓ ~4.2%

Earlier research suggests a drop in LDL-cholesterol to this degree could lower the risk of a vascular event (such as heart attack and stroke) by 4.3% (2).

Eating unsalted nuts and seeds regularly as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern can help lower total and LDL-cholesterol, and the risk of heart disease (3). Heart Foundation

No significant differences were seen between the groups, after 12 weeks, for flow-mediated dilation and other vascular measures (such as pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure).

Similarly, HDL (good) cholesterol, insulin, glycaemic control (HbA1C), inflammation (C-reactive protein), weight, or waist circumference did not significantly change.

Snacking on pecans improves diet quality

An important finding to come from the study was that eating pecans improved diet quality.

This was measured using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 tool. At baseline, both groups had a similar diet quality score (~56 points), which was rated as ‘sub-optimal’.  

After 12 weeks, the pecan group’s score increased significantly (to ~61 points), compared to the control group, which did not increase. And given a meaningful improvement in diet quality equates to an increase of at least 5 points (4), these findings suggest that eating nuts is a useful way to boost diet quality.

Did you know? Pecans have the highest polyphenol content of all nuts (1). They are also one of the few plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linoleic acid), which plays a crucial role in heart health.

The bottom line:

Replacing nutrient-poor snacks with two handfuls of pecans a day can improve diet quality and blood lipid measures, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in at-risk adults.