Just 2 ounces of this buttery snack could help lower cholesterol, reduce heart disease risk

If you’re looking for a crunchy and delicious snack that’s great for your heart — then we’ve got some sweet news for you.A recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that swapping your regular snacks with just a handful of this popular nut can give your cardiovascular health a boost.

The 12-week study involved 138 adults who had at least one risk factor for heart disease — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, elevated blood sugar levels or a high BMI.Half of the participants ate the same way they normally would, while the other half was instructed to swap their usual snacks for two ounces of pecans per day.

The study — which was funded by the American Pecan Council — observed that those who were in the pecan-eating group showed improvements in overall diet and reductions in cardiovascular risk by the end of the trial.“Replacing typical snacks with pecans improved key risk factors for heart disease including blood cholesterol levels and diet quality,” lead author Kristina Petersen, an associate professor of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State, said in a statement.

“These results add to the evidence supporting the cardiovascular benefits of nuts and offer new insights into how adults can incorporate nuts into their diet.”Before you go nuts and run out for a family-size pack of pecans, however — there is some bad news.The study did not find that eating pecans had much of an impact on vascular health — meaning how well your blood vessels operate — as the researchers had hoped.

Participants in the pecan-eating group also gained an average of 1.5 pounds — possibly because pecans clock in at almost 200 calories per ounce, although it’s also possible that the participants didn’t completely abstain from regular snacks like cookies and chips the way they were supposed to.Subscribe to our weekly Post Care newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.

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