Consuming pecans instead of usual snacks may lead to better cholesterol levels and diet quality
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examined how substituting common snack foods with pecans affects vascular health, risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, and diet quality.
The study was a 12-week randomized controlled trial involving 138 adults who had at least one criterion for metabolic syndrome and were free of cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group, which followed their usual diet, or the intervention group, which was instructed to replace their usual snacks with 57 grams of pecans per day. The researchers measured changes in heart and blood vessel health, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, and overall diet quality at baseline and after the intervention. They also tracked what participants ate using food diaries.
After the intervention, participants who ate pecans had lower levels of total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), all of which are linked to heart health. Their overall diet quality also improved.
The researchers concluded that swapping regular snacks for two handfuls of pecans for 12 weeks led to better cholesterol levels and improved overall diet quality.
This study was funded by the American Pecan Council.
Hart, T. L., Kris-Etherton, P. M., & Petersen, K. S. (2025). Consuming Pecans as a Snack Improves Lipids/Lipoproteins and Diet Quality Compared to Usual Diet in Adults at Increased Risk for Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, S0002-9165(25)00057-7. Advance online publication.