Looking for new, healthier ways to mix up your snack palette? Maybe you should consider something that blends well with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Pecans would be a delicious addition to any nutritious meal plan.
Are Pecans Good for You
If you’re curious about just how good the pecan nut can be for your body, then keep reading. The following is just icing on the cake of a people-pleasing snack.
Skin and Hair Benefits with Pecans
Amazingly, the pecan nut possesses over 19 vitamins and minerals. There’s a reason pecan pie is a popular favorite through the Fall and Winter months. Fans get to indulge in rich flavor without realizing just how good pecans are for you. Pecans are rich in vitamin E and vitamin A, excellent sources of antioxidants that support healthy dermal and scalp health.
Pecans have vitamin A, a required nutrient for stimulating healthy skin growth. It also prevents brittle hair. It helps with immune system function, fighting off the free radicals that can cause fine lines or easily breakable hair. Pecans contain vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps support the scalp by protecting the hair follicles. Oxidative stress and free radicals can damage the skin, sometimes drying the area and affecting the natural scalp oils. This can cause hair breakage and damage down to the root.
L-arginine is also found in pecans and is an amino acid that helps protect the arterial walls, allowing them more flexibility. This improves the blood flow throughout your system which is important for your scalp. Pecans are also an excellent source of protein. Protein is integral to your body’s recovery process and a lack of it can result in thinning hair. Consuming enough protein is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy head of hair.
Pecans Support Healthy Metabolism and Weight Loss
Improving your overall health also means treating your digestive tract right. Lack of enough fiber in your diet could result in major intestinal problems. Just a handful of pecans, roughly 19-20 pecan halves can provide up to 10 grams of fiber. The daily fiber recommendation is roughly between 25-30 grams. Eating enough fiber also helps you feel full longer, so you don’t find yourself over-eating throughout the day.
Pecans also contain copper and a long list of complex B-vitamins. Folates, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin along with copper help support a healthy metabolism. Adding this kind of nut to your daily intake needs will help increase your metabolism while improving your digestion. It’s a great snack choice for people managing their weight.
Pecans Promote High Energy with Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
For athletes, fitness fans, and people who love leading active lifestyles, pecans pack loads of energy. The mix of complex B-vitamins coupled with a natural source of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates provide the energy boost you need to get through a workout, training session, or a long, busy day. This is especially important for athletes who don’t get enough protein in their diet. Lack of protein while leading an active lifestyle could result in fewer muscle gains than expected as well as thinning hair. A diet rich in antioxidants and proteins will help you look and feel healthier.
Pecans offer a rich source of magnesium, a nutrient known to help reduce inflammation within the artery walls. A painful ailment that can benefit from increased magnesium levels is arthritis. Arthritis is when inflammation occurs within and around your joints or other connective tissues. Magnesium is also important for maintaining bone and immune health. Inflammation reduction also impacts the cardiovascular system, improving circulation throughout your heart.
Immunity and Cardiovascular Wellness from Pecans
To top everything off, the rich source of antioxidants in pecans helps to fight free radicals while preventing any proliferation. Free radicals are unstable atoms that tend to bind to DNA and human cells, causing damage. The harm free radicals can cause range from the common cold or flu to different types of cancers.
Pecans contain folic acid which is important to the production of genetic material. Zinc, which is also found in pecan nuts, is a nutrient found throughout your body and every cell. The immune system needs zinc to help fight off bacterial or viral invasions. Eating pecans is one of the tastiest ways to support your immune system. Pecans also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps lower the presence of bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol. This helps prevent clogged arteries which could otherwise cause serious cardiovascular issues.
Next time someone asks if pecans are good for you, this shortlist of answers is a great place to start. It might be surprising that such a small morsel can contain so many vitamins and minerals, but that is all the more reason to include pecans in you or your loved one’s meal plans.
