Pecan nut

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Cholesterol and blood fats²

  In adults, eating pecans lowered total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but not blood sugar, weight or blood pressure.

• Open question

  Heart and blood fats³

  In people, swapping snacks for pecans improved diet quality and cholesterol, but effects on blood vessels and inflammation were mixed.

• Benefit

  Heart health after meals⁴

  Eating pecans daily for 8 weeks cut oxidative stress after a high-fat meal in adults at risk for heart disease.

• Benefit

  Blood fat levels after meals⁵

  Eating pecans daily lowered a blood protein linked to fat levels after meals in people.

• Benefit

  Blood fats after eating⁶

  In men, a meal with pecans lowered a blood protein linked to fat levels more than a meal without nuts.

• No harm found

  Diet and inflammation markers⁷

  In people with heart disease, adding pecan nuts to a healthy diet made no difference to inflammation markers.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels⁹

  Eating pecans in place of some other foods lowered total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in people.

• Benefit

  Appetite and weight control¹⁰

  In older adults, eating pecans daily for four weeks curbed the peak urge to eat and kept weight steady.

• Benefit

  Blood fats and blood vessels¹¹

  In older adults, eating pecans daily for four weeks lowered bad cholesterol and improved small blood vessel response.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and heart risk¹²

  In overweight or obese middle-aged and older adults, a pecan-rich diet for four weeks improved insulin and some heart risk markers.

• Benefit

  Memory and attention¹⁴

  In healthy adults, eating a pecan-enriched meal improved some memory and attention test scores compared with a control meal.

• Benefit

  Appetite and fullness¹⁵

  In healthy young adults, a breakfast shake with pecan nut increased fullness and lowered appetite versus a matching shake.

• Benefit

  Appetite control¹⁶

  In adults at risk for heart disease, adding pecans to the daily diet improved appetite markers.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and insulin¹⁷

  In people, eating pecans as a snack kept blood sugar and insulin lower than tortilla chips did.

• No harm found

  Weight and body fat¹⁸

  Eating pecans daily for 8 weeks did not cause significant weight gain in people.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Cell protection from antioxidants¹⁹

  In lab studies, pecan phenolics entered human cells and showed antioxidant activity, whether the pecans were raw or roasted.

• Benefit

  Weight gain and blood sugar²¹

  In mice, eating pecans or pecan polyphenols alongside a high-fat diet led to less weight gain and better blood sugar control.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Food poisoning risk²⁰

  Pecans can carry Salmonella, and how they are dried and treated changes how many people get sick.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Nut allergy testing⁸

  In 183 children with suspected tree nut allergy, those allergic to pecan nut were all also allergic to walnut.

• Seed protein allergen¹³

  Pecan vicilin is a newly found pecan protein that some people with pecan allergy react to.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.