Pecan: benefits and harms to the body

Seeds and kernels of nuts are beneficial for the body due to the high content of high-quality vegetable oils and proteins, which contribute to the maintenance of immunity, healthy nervous system, as well as the proper functioning of the heart. Pecan is an exotic nut that is still almost unknown on our lands. We will study in more detail in the article its composition, useful properties and recommendations for use.

Where does Pecan nut grow and what does it look like

An unusual nut is a native of North America, where many centuries ago it was collected by Indian tribes. Over time, the culture began to grow purposefully. Today 95% of pecans are produced in the USA and Mexico. Mostly deciduous trees grow in the valleys of warm rivers and bear fruit for 2–3 centuries, massively growing in height and spreading branches widely.

The nut has a characteristic cerebral shape, its core consists of two lobules with elongated grooves. The shell is thin and smooth. The structure of the kernel resembles the familiar walnuts, but the pecans are more elongated and elongated, its convolutions do not bubble so much.

Nuts ripen by autumn, after which they are stored in dry conditions for up to six months without losing their valuable properties.

What is the difference between pecans and walnuts

Although pecans look like walnuts, there are quite a few differences between them. In addition to appearance, their taste is different. Pecan has a rich soft buttery flavor with a hint of creamy cookies, without the bitterness and astringency that are present in walnuts due to the high iodine content.

The third difference is the composition and calorie content. Of course, all nuts are rich in minerals and valuable fatty compounds, but pecan has a strong antioxidant effect, lack of sodium and the presence of other useful substances and properties, which will be discussed later.

What is healthier: pecans or walnuts

It would not be entirely correct to compare two related species of nuts, it would be more correct to say that different varieties complement each other's diet and contribute to healing. Therefore, they should definitely be alternated. At the same time, each species will have its noticeable advantages over brothers.

So, for example, walnut leads among all in the iodine content necessary to maintain hormonal balance and the proper functioning of the endocrine system. Pecan is characterized by a high content of antioxidants and effectively fights against the aging of the body, protecting it from the effects of free radicals.

Most buyers note that, in addition to its beneficial properties, pecans stand out for a more delicate, pleasant taste with delicate sweetness. It is fatter and calorie, but at the same time they can not be poisoned. Pecan rarely causes allergic reactions, and its moderate use only benefits the body.

How many pecans can you eat per day

Given that the calorie content of pecans per 100 g is from 670 kilocalories, depending on the variety, it is considered one of the most fatty and nutritious foods. Therefore, the norm of its use should be treated very carefully.

Excessive consumption of a heavy product can overload the liver, heart and gastrointestinal tract, and also harm the figure. Therefore, they introduce pecans with caution. If other nuts per day are recommended to eat 30–40 g, then for pecans this figure is 20–25 g.The nut is light, so the indicated portion is equal to a small handful without a hill or 5-6 slices of the product.

You can use more pecans with increased physical activity, strength training, hard work, in the cold, to recover from illness (with the permission of a doctor), but at the same time it must be divided into 2 servings. It is not recommended to eat heavy fatty foods at night.

Composition and calorie content

Pecan is considered a valuable product in its composition due to its high content of natural antioxidants and minerals. It contains calcium and magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, and there is no sodium, which is important for maintaining the balance of the nervous system and blood pressure.

The vitamin complex of nuts includes a high content of components A, C, E, K and group B. In addition, the product contains poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are necessary for the formation of strong immunity, the health of the nervous and cardiovascular system, skin and general metabolism.

The nut contains valuable proteins that promote cell metabolism, oleic acid, which regulates cholesterol, such antioxidants as ellagic acid and zeaxanthin, lutein and polyphenols. The nutlet is rich in anti-inflammatory and nutritional properties, enhances the body's defense and fights aging.

Another advantage of the composition of pecans is the absence of cholesterol and the ability to combat an increase in its level in the blood, so that the vessels are cleaned. 100 g of product accounts for more than 70% of healthy fat, 9 g of protein and 14 g of carbohydrates.

From valuable raw materials, oil is obtained that is convenient for use not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology and medicine. Nuts can be given to children from 3 years of age and consumed during pregnancy without fear for the baby’s health, because a useful product, on the contrary, will support the woman’s condition and development of the child.

Health Benefits of Pecan

General benefit

The main benefits of pecans are the nervous system and skin, also affecting the digestive, cardiovascular, reproductive organs, musculoskeletal system and immunity.

The main properties of pecans are its antioxidant and nutritional effects. Walnut fights the destructive power of free radicals, inhibits oxidative reactions, promotes renewal and rejuvenation, and the prevention of cancer diseases.

Among the valuable properties of walnut:

1. Saturation of the body with calcium, strengthening bones and muscles.
2. Increasing the elasticity of the skin, muscles and joints, maintaining harmony, a fresh and toned look, flexibility.
3. Purification of blood from toxins and cholesterol, normalization of blood pressure, stimulation of red blood cell production, control of blood coagulation.
4. Increased nerve conduction, which improves brain function, stabilizes mood and reduces the risk of depression.
5. Anti-inflammatory effect that protects the external and internal tissues, maintaining their health.
6. Enveloping action that helps to eliminate gastritis and colitis, the prevention of constipation and hemorrhoids.

In addition, a nut in its own way is useful for a young, mature organism and with a different lifestyle.

For women

1. The fair sex will primarily appreciate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of the nut. It significantly improves the condition of the skin, maintains nervous stability, which is important during menopause, during critical days and during severe stresses.
2. Caring for hair and nails with pecan oil makes them healthy, shiny, strong and dense. Pecan helps fight aging and delays the appearance of deep wrinkles.
3. In the intimate sphere of pecans, it will increase sensitivity, restore muscle elasticity, increase libido, prevent inflammatory processes, and maintain normal microflora.

For men

1. The stronger sex can be especially useful for the properties of pecans to relieve muscle pain after strength training and exertion, stimulate muscle growth, and strengthen heart health during cardiac loads.
2. Stimulating healthy nervous activity will help to cope with stress and increase resistance.
3. L-arginine, zinc and vitamin A, which are part of the product, will help maintain healthy hair and thick hair, get rid of dandruff.
4. The nutlet stimulates potency and protects the prostate and genitals from diseases, strengthens tissues and strengthens blood flow, thereby increasing sexual stamina. Nut components also stimulate the production of healthy germ cells and normalize hormonal levels.

During pregnancy

It is useful for pregnant women to use pecans to form a good immunity in the fetus. It is important to monitor your condition and control the appearance of rejection or allergic reactions.

During the planning period of pregnancy, small doses of nuts in the diet will saturate the body with useful B vitamins (especially folic acid), which prepare the female body for bearing the baby.

The increased content of fats and vegetable protein will allow the body not to be exhausted during pregnancy, generously nourish the fetus and make its own reserves. Eating nuts will help get rid of mood swings, drowsiness, and hypertension. Therefore, a nut can be introduced into food while waiting for the baby, the main thing is to observe reasonable dosages and pay attention to the reactions of the body.

When breastfeeding

During lactation, it is important to maintain the quality of milk so that it is saturated with healthy fats, protein, minerals and vitamins. Nuts are great for enriching its composition. Therefore, if a woman during the period of rebuilding the body after childbirth did not show symptoms of an allergy to nut crops, you can supplement them with your diet and make sure that rejection does not appear in the baby.

Pecan during lactation will help not only to feed the baby with a nutritious product, but also not to lose their own strength, to quickly restore the beauty of the figure after childbirth and a fresh look. A nutlet can help restore normal metabolism more quickly, remove excess hormones and residual substances from the body, improve skin health and avoid postpartum depression.

For kids

For the child's body, calcium and phosphorus, which are part of the nut, are useful. They stimulate the healthy growth and development of the baby. Pecan will also relieve mental stress and stimulate cognitive functions in school-age children, help maintain healthy skin and tissues of adolescents, and contribute to normal blood formation and timely development of the heart muscle.

Introduce nuts into the children's diet is allowed after 2-3 years. Cases of hypersensitivity or immune deficiency in a child are considered separately. Under any circumstances, it is advisable to discuss a non-standard diet of babies with a pediatrician.

They give the children 2–3 halves of the cloves of nuts, and an adult portion at school age, since the growing organism consumes all the useful components it receives in a qualitative manner.

Nutritionists sometimes recommend replacing nuts with meat and cheese in a child’s diet. At the same time, it is better not to offer these products, so as not to overload the small organism.

When losing weight

In diets to get rid of extra pounds, nuts always remain a controversial component. On the one hand, they are necessary to maintain the proper functioning of the nervous system, the health of the heart and blood vessels, and joints. On the other hand, it is a high-calorie product, excessive consumption of which can prevent weight loss.

Pecan is rich in antioxidants, helps to normalize metabolism and maintain the comfort of the digestive tract, so it can be moderately added to the diet, replacing fatty meats and cheeses and alternating with dietary animal products.

In this case, they use nuts in the morning or at lunch, as a snack, as a sealant in lean porridges and salads, smoothies for weight loss, protein shakes for fitness training. If during weight loss to actively engage in physical exercises, perform cardioprograms, then Pecan will be a very useful supplement in the diet.

The benefits of pecan oil

Pecan oil is obtained through cold pressed kernels of nuts. Thus, its useful properties are preserved and a minimum of cake is released. Pecan is one of the fattest nuts along with walnuts, cashews and pistachios, so they get a lot of high quality oil from it.

Spin is used not only for culinary purposes. It is in this form that pecans are used in cosmetology, medicine and other industries. Pecan is an excellent massage oil that is easily absorbed, moisturizes and tightens the skin, healing it from the inside out.

In the kitchen, such a hood is used in a cold form, and there are several reasons for this:

1. Walnut oils are “afraid” of oxidation, do not like contact with metal surfaces and heat treatment - this is how their antioxidant and other beneficial properties are lost.
2. Also, they are very weak when heated, so frying in peanut butter is not a good idea.

Fresh pecan oil has a delicate aroma with a creamy touch and perfectly complements salads, desserts and pastries.

The product is stored for a long time in a cool place in dark glass containers. When choosing oil, it is important to pay attention to the manufacturer. Pecans are grown on plantations in Mexico, America, Cyprus and other hot countries, and the product is usually processed immediately without transportation, so high-quality oil is obtained in places of its growth.

Pecan oil can also mean table paste like peanut, forest, pistachio, sesame. From fat pecans without adding other ingredients, a viscous mass is obtained that can be spread on bread, fruits and vegetables, and also used as a sauce. Usually, salt or sugar, honey and spices are added to it for taste. Such a product can easily be prepared independently in a blender. The only disadvantage is the high cost of nuts in our country.

Pecan in medicine

For therapeutic purposes, pecans are introduced into the diet to restore a healthy metabolism, in the treatment of stress and depression, nervous and physical exhaustion, and healing of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The tool gently lubricates the walls of the stomach, helps to cleanse the intestines and in small doses does not create a special load on the liver and pancreas.

Pecan cleanses the blood, so it is recommended to use it little by little with hypertension and atherosclerosis, poor blood outflow, varicose veins, baldness, anemia and other diseases.

Pecan is suitable for dietary nutrition as a source of valuable cholesterol-free fats to provide the body with the necessary compounds. In the diet of vegans and raw foodists, walnut is an important source of protein and vegetable fats.

In diets for weight loss, it is used as a nutritious snack, which establishes metabolic processes in the body. If you do not overeat caloric nucleoli, it will serve as a useful reinforcement for the effective cleaning of the body.

Pecan is also valuable for weight gain after exhaustion. It is such products as nuts, cheeses, sweet fruits and cereals that can carefully restore the body without hitting the internal organs.

Pecans are not recommended only in old age, since a tired digestive system may not cope with fatty loads. In such cases, you can eat 2 nuts each and refuse to use the product in case of indigestion.

The fruits are also used in the treatment of heart diseases, strengthening the muscles and walls of blood vessels with it, providing the prevention of heart attacks, coronary heart disease and other ailments. Also, a product rich in antioxidants is introduced into the diet for recovery after treatment of cancer. Clinical studies have confirmed the positive effects of the product on the body and the antitumor effect.

The use of pecans in cosmetology

A healthy nut helps strengthen hair and nails, cleanses and nourishes the skin. It has a rejuvenating effect:

• reduces the effect of free radicals;
• heals irritations;
• stimulates collagen production and cell renewal;
• nourishes the skin with moisture and makes it supple;
• eliminates traces of stress and restores a healthy complexion;
• prevents deep wrinkles and dehydration of the skin;
• protects from the negative effects of ultraviolet radiation;
• eliminates peeling and dandruff.

The action of pecans for the skin is notable for its intensity. Therefore, it is added to factory cosmetics and used at home as an alternative to other organic oils with antioxidants.

Most often, in cosmetology, pure nut oil is used as the basis for creams, serums, lotions and masks. But sometimes crushed nut gruel is used for body wraps and masks. Due to the freshness of the product, you can get a pronounced effect after a couple of procedures.

Pecan oil in its pure form can lubricate the nails and hair roots to stimulate their growth, treat the intimate area with feelings of dryness and discomfort, massage coarsened elbows and other areas with flaky or dry skin. This will provide mitigation and recovery.

Pecan squeeze can be used as a base for baby cream or grease by adding extracts of aloe, chamomile or other antibacterial and soothing herbs.

Pecans are mainly added to American cosmetics, so products with these valuable kernels should be sought in Western brand lines. A drop of pecan oil can be added to your finished eyelash and eyebrow balm, hair rinse, day cream or sun protection lotion.

Harm and contraindications

The main danger when consuming pecans lies in the high calorie content of the product. Overeating a fatty product can cause indigestion, pain and provoke weight gain.

At the same time, pecans almost never cause allergies or rejection. In small quantities, everyone can use the product without exception, but people should be careful:

• with gastrointestinal diseases;
• diseases of the liver and pancreas;
• metabolic disorders;
• as well as in childhood and old age.

Nut is not recommended to be added to food every day. In a regular diet, it is enough to recall pecans 2 times a week. And if you decide to pamper yourself with a delicacy only periodically, 1 time in 2 months will be enough.

In rare cases, complex nut proteins cause allergies, which are manifested by itching, swelling, fever, skin rash, tearing, swollen lymph nodes, and general malaise. That is why a heavy product is not given to children with not yet fully formed immunity and the digestive system.

How to choose and store pecans

To keep the nuts fresh and healthy for a long time, store them in a dry place and whole shell. Then a constant microclimate is preserved inside their shell, and the nuclei do not lose their valuable properties. It is important to store peeled nuts without access to air and direct sunlight so that their oils do not oxidize.

The peeled kernels are stored in glass jars with a lid on closed shelves. You can leave the nuts in the refrigerator in the vegetable department, so that they retain all the beneficial properties for longer. Inshell nuts are cherished in linen bags, but not in plastic bags, because this is a potential hotbed of mold.

Periodically, the fruits need to be sorted, you can also pour the contents of the bags with lavender or cloves so that the moth does not start in the nuts.

It is better not to store a crushed nut for more than 2 weeks - it will lose its nutritional value.

When choosing nuts in the store, pay attention to their uniformity, the absence of splits, defects on the shell, as well as dryness. Nuts should not smell mildew, dark marks and suspicious plaque. A good pecan has a smooth, slightly shiny shell.

When buying peeled nuts, sniff - a good fresh product exudes a characteristic delicate smell. It should not have dust, and the surface should not be withered. Before use, the product should be thoroughly washed with warm water.

How to clean pecans

Pecans are peeled with a nut cracker in the usual way. If there is no need to preserve the integrity of the nuts, you can load them into a bag and beat off with a kitchen hammer, then carefully sort through, freeing the kernels from shell fragments.

Cleaning a small number of cores does not require time savings, so you can release the nuts one at a time by sewing it on a table or cutting board and gently hitting it with a hammer. With precise targeting, the nuts crack, but the kernels do not crumble.

Drying nuts in the oven to achieve cracking the shell is not recommended. This variety is not customarily processed thermally, otherwise all antioxidant properties will disappear. Dry only young raw fruits at low temperatures (40-60 ° C).

For extreme situations, the household “door” method is suitable. It is important to be careful. Before you beat nuts, it is recommended to place them in a bag or wrap in a kitchen towel so that the fragments do not fly apart.

Interesting facts about Pecan

1. In America, there is a popular pecan pie recipe. Typically, the kernels are added not only to the dough for baking, but also sprinkled with crushed crumbs various desserts and make a paste for the filling.
2. Thanks to the creamy shade of taste, walnut perfectly replaces dairy products in the vegan diet.
3. Walnut calmly tolerates freezing, so you can extend its shelf life. You can freeze both whole nuts in the shell and peeled kernels.
4. At the beginning of the 20th century, pecans became the symbol and official tree of Texas. They hold symbolic celebrations in honor of delicious fruits.
5. Other well-known names of the nut are North American, dairy, Kariya.

To saturate your body with a variety of valuable compounds and to pamper yourself and loved ones with a new piquant taste, you should try this unfamiliar creamy nut and supplement them with a festive diet.

Photo Pecan