How we rate
“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.
Pecan nuts
In a meta-analysis of 10 trials, pecan nuts lower total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, but not blood glucose, weight, or blood pressure.
Benefits
- Cholesterol: in a meta-analysis of 10 trials, total cholesterol decreases by 8.49 mg/dL, LDL by 7.42 mg/dL, and triglycerides by 14.06 mg/dL.
- By replacing your snacks: 57 g per day for 12 weeks decreased total cholesterol by 8.1 mg/dL, LDL by 7.2 mg/dL, and triglycerides by 16.4 mg/dL in 138 at-risk adults.
- Starting at a moderate dose: in 102 overweight adults or adults with high cholesterol, nuts providing 13% or 20% of daily calories improved fasting cholesterol.
- Satiety: a meal with 68 g of pecan nuts increased peptide YY, a satiety hormone, more, and decreased ghrelin, with a greater sensation of satiety afterwards.
- Post-snack blood glucose: 250 kcal of pecan nuts resulted in lower blood glucose and insulin than 250 kcal of corn chips, in 20 overweight people.
- Diet quality: replacing usual snacks with 57 g of pecan nuts increased the Healthy Eating Index score (HEI-2020) by 9.4 points.
- Focus, a single trial: after a meal with 68 g of pecans, 8 cognitive measures out of 23 were better than after a control meal, and 3 were worse.
Precautions
Weight: with 68 g per day for 8 weeks, weight tended to increase (1.1 kg when added, 0.9 kg as a replacement, compared to 0.3 kg without nuts), with no significant difference. Body fat mass: in this same trial, fat percentage increased by 1.0% in the group that replaced other foods with nuts. Over 12 weeks at 57 g per day, weight tended to increase by 0.7 kg compared to the usual diet. Limitations: the meta-analysis finds almost no effect on HDL, fasting blood glucose, insulin, weight, waist circumference, or blood pressure. 57 g per day for 12 weeks changed neither vascular health nor blood pressure. In 204 coronary patients, 30 g per day for 12 weeks did not lower LDL, nor change blood glucose or inflammation markers. More full, not eating less: in the two appetite trials, the quantities eaten afterwards did not change. Small and short trials: 19 people in the 2000 trial, 31 in the trial on concentration, never more than 12 weeks.
Recommended dosage
30 to 68 g per day in the trials (13 to 20% of daily calories for an effect on cholesterol), for 4 to 12 weeks.
How to take it
- Target audience: the trials involve healthy adults, overweight adults, individuals at cardiometabolic risk, or those with stable coronary artery disease.
- Dose: 57 to 68 g per day lowered cholesterol; nuts providing only 6% of daily calories changed nothing.
- Duration: 4 to 12 weeks in the trials; the drop in triglycerides only appears in trials lasting more than 4 weeks.
- As a replacement: in the largest trial, nuts replaced usual snacks, which improved cholesterol and diet quality.
- Calories: 68 g of pecans provide 459 kcal and 44 g of fat per day, to be factored into your total.
Did you know?
Added without removing anything from the plate, 68 g of pecans per day only led to a weight gain of 1.1 kg in 8 weeks, whereas the calorie calculation predicted 3.3.
What the studies say
A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials examined the effect of pecan consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in adults. It showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. However, little effect was observed on blood glucose, insulin, body weight, or blood pressure. Pecans can represent a beneficial component of heart-protective diets.
Zhang Z, Sohouli MH. — Diabetology & metabolic syndrome (2026) — View the source study
For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more