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A: Absolutely. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines,
on which the Food Pyramid is based, were designed with
your overall good health in mind.
They recommend that you keep your total cholesterol
intake to less than 300 milligrams a day and your fat
intake to 20% to 35% of calories, with most fats coming
from foods rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils.
That makes pecans an especially good choice, since
they are cholesterol-free and more than 90% of the fat
they contain is unsaturated. Pecans are particularly
rich in oleic acid, the heart-healthy monounsaturated
fatty acid found in large amounts in olive oil.
Studies have shown that people who regularly eat
pecans, have lower LDL cholesterol levels, the “bad”
cholesterol found in the blood that’s linked to heart
disease. And one study found eating pecans also helped
lower triglycerides, another type of fat linked to
increased risk of heart disease, as well as increased
levels of HDL cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol found
in the blood, linked to a decreased heart disease risk.
The Food Pyramid and the Guidelines recommend having
4 to 5 servings of nuts, such as Georgia pecans, each
week for good health; that includes keep your heart
healthy. |
