The NuttyBlog : Nutty News and Updates from JW Renfroe Pecan Co

Studies looking at pecans have suggested that they have the ability to lower cholesterol, similar to other nuts such as walnuts and pistachios. These studies involved individuals with normal or high cholesterol levels following either a controlled diet or no diet specific diet at all. Although the studies involving pecans are limited, they all have suggested that pecans have the ability to lower total cholesterol levels and LDL (”bad” cholesterol) by up to 10%. (read more)

With fitness freaks stressing on fat-free healthy diet, dry fruits like cashews, almonds are in for stiff competition from the new variants popularly known as the ‘healthy nuts’ or ‘healthy dry fruits’.

“Researchers and nutritionists across the world have proved that it is wrong to stay away from nuts because of the presumed fat and cholesterol. No, doubt, nuts indeed give you fat but then hazelnuts gives you good fat,” says V N Dalmia of Dalmia Continental Private Ltd (DCPL) which is all set to market Leonardo Hazelnuts in India promoting it as a ‘healthy nut’… (read more)

In the 1960s and ‘70, nuts received praise for their nutritional virtues. In the ’80s they landed on the taboo list as a primary suspect in weight gain, due to their high calorie counts. And now, nuts are back in the food rotation with high marks for their potential heart healthy benefits.

Unfortunately, the bad rap nuts acquired in the 1980s lingers on. (read more)

People concerned about their cholesterol levels no longer have to pass on pecans. Researchers at New Mexico State University have discovered that gobbling down as much as two fistfuls per day of the smooth, oblong nut can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) — the ‘bad’ cholesterol linked to heart disease.

“We discovered that pecans can have a place in a healthy diet,” lead researcher Wanda A. Morgan, PhD, RD, tells WebMD. “Pecans, in balance and moderation with other foods, can help protect us against heart disease.” The study appears in the March 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The Western Pecan Growers Association funded the study. (WebMD)

Penn State clinical research suggests walnuts, rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid, are beneficial to the skeletal system by decreasing the breakdown of bone. (link)