Eating two handfuls of pecans instead of usual snacks shows promise for reducing risk markers for heart disease and diabetes
A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition investigated the effect of eating pecans instead of usual snacks on lipoprotein particle subfractions and markers related to insulin resistance in adults at increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases.
In this 12-week randomized controlled trial, 138 adults with elevated cardiometabolic risk were assigned to either consume 57 grams (about two handfuls) of pecans daily in place of their usual snacks, or to maintain their usual diet.
Pecan consumption improved several cardiovascular risk factors. Participants who ate pecans saw significant reductions in apolipoprotein B, total low-density lipoprotein particles, and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles, which are important contributors to atherosclerosis, as well as increases in large high-density lipoprotein particles, which are considered protective. The pecan group also saw improvements in the Lipoprotein Insulin Resistance Index, a marker linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.
These results suggest that replacing typical snacks with pecans can beneficially modulate lipid profiles and early markers of insulin resistance, potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in adults with metabolic syndrome traits.
This study was funded by the American Pecan Council.
Hart, T. L., Kris-Etherton, P. M., & Petersen, K. S. (2025). Pecan Intake Improves Lipoprotein Particle Concentrations Compared with Usual Intake in Adults at Increased Risk of Cardiometabolic Diseases: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 155(5), 1459–1465.