Pecan nuts: A review of reported bioactivities and health effects

• Published in: Trends in food science & technology Vol. 71; pp. 246 - 257
• Main Authors: Atanasov, Atanas G., Sabharanjak, Shefali M., Zengin, Gokhan, Mollica, Adriano, Szostak, Agnieszka, Simirgiotis, Mario, Huminiecki, Łukasz, Horbanczuk, Olaf K., Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad, Mocan, Andrei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Biological activity; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Carya illinoinensis; Chemical synthesis; Cholesterol; Consumption; Diet; Dietary intake; Epigallocatechin-3-gallate; Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG); Fatty acids; Health promotion; Health risks; Inflammation; Insulin; Lipids; Literature reviews; Metabolic disorders; Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); Nuts; Obesity; Peanuts; Pecan nuts; Physiological effects; Physiology; Polyphenols; Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); Reviews; Studies; Walnuts; Weight control; Polyphenols; Cardiovascular disease; Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); Pecan nuts; Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)
• ISSN: 0924-2244; 1879-3053
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2017.10.019

Food choices represent a highly significant approach to combat human obesity. Dietary intake of lipids, especially polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, is gaining popularity in the effort to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of obesity. Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) nuts are an abundant source of these dietary fatty acids. Moreover, they are a rich source of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol with a variety of health-beneficial properties.
In this review, we summarize the literature reports examining physiological effects associated with pecan nuts consumption and described effects of their bioactive constituents.
The growing body of evidence suggests including pecan nuts into obesity management strategies. The consumption of pecan nuts can mitigate inflammation by reducing the extent of the synthesis of inflammatory mediator molecules. Pecan nuts can also counteract the pro-inflammatory effects of a diet rich in commonly overconsumed saturated fatty acids, characteristic of the Western diet. Additionally, consumption of pecans and other nuts has been linked to reduced risk of physiological parameters associated with cardiovascular disease or metabolic disorders. Diets enriched with tree nuts and peanuts can modulate the blood level of cholesterol, adiposity, and insulin resistance. Almonds and walnuts have been so far the most studied nuts, and studies with them have led to a greater understanding of the protective effects of diverse tree nuts on human physiology. In this review, we summarize the available data indicating that pecan nuts exert similar health-promoting benefits.
•Reviewed for the first time are bioeffects of pecan nuts and their constituents.•Pecan nuts are source of dietary constituents with established benefits.•Pecan nuts intake is associated with several health-promoting effects.