Jon Krueger, NPSA
Phone: (404) 252-3663
Email: jkrueger@kellencompany.com
Pass the Pecans
Celebrate National Pecan Month With a Handful of the "All-American Nut"
April is National Pecan Month, and there’s never been a better reason to celebrate. In addition to their sweet crunch and undeniable flavor, clinical health studies show that pecans are good for you too.
Pecans have a long history in the United States. In fact, the pecan is the only tree nut that grows naturally in North America. The word “pecan” is of Native American origin and it was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.” The first pecan trees cultivated in the U.S. were planted in Long Island, NY in 1772. The popularity of pecans quickly spread down the Atlantic Seaboard, as pecan trees starting popping up in the gardens of such well-known Easterners as George Washington (1775) and Thomas Jefferson (1779). Commercial pecan production began in the early 1800s – and pecans have thrived ever since.
Pecans became an official part of America’s history six years ago. On April 6, 2001, the goodness and wholesomeness of pecans was proclaimed in the U.S. Congressional Record. Former U.S. Senator Max Cleland (D-Georgia) asked his colleagues to join him in celebrating National Pecan Month, which now takes place every April.
Health Studies Show Pecans Are Good for You
Research findings show pecans are loaded with beneficial antioxidants and may help prevent heart disease. In addition, research findings suggest that eating about a handful of pecans each day as part of a balanced diet may help lower cholesterol and help with weight control. Pecans are also packed with nutrients and heart-healthy, unsaturated fats.
A health study out of Loma Linda University published in the August 2006 issue of Nutrition Research shows that pecans may help prevent heart disease by inhibiting unwanted oxidation of blood lipids, thus helping reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Researchers suggest that this positive effect was due to the pecan’s significant content of Vitamin E, an antioxidant. The dramatic initial findings from this research project were published in the September 2001 issue of The Journal of Nutrition. In that study, researchers found that a pecan-enriched diet may be as effective at lowering cholesterol as prescription drugs.
In addition to these positive health benefits, pecans are also packed with 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, several B vitamins and zinc. Plus, pecans are a natural, high quality source of protein, with very few carbohydrates and no cholesterol.
For more information on the health benefits of pecans, recipes or where to find pecans, visit the newly redesigned website of the National Pecan Shellers Association: www.ilovepecans.org.
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