Description of Pecan nuts
Botanically pecan nuts are not true nuts, but a drupe. Pecan has a few species (Cape fear, Elliott and Moreland), but their structure are almost the same. Each spring the tree of pecan blooms and matures fruits by autumn. The fruit has oval to oblong shape, dark brown colour and a thick rough husk. The nut is 1 to 3 inches long and 0.5–1 inch broad. The husk splits off into four sections and „release“ thin-shelled nut. Naturally pecan nuts are harvested from October to December.
Health benefits of Pecan nuts
Like other types of nuts it contains high fat content (100 grams of pecans delivers 459 calories and 44 grams of fat) most of it in the form of monounsaturated oleic acid, which is very good for heart health. The pecan‘s has an amount of valuable macro and micro nutrients. The good fact is that healthy fats in pecans do not translate into unhealthy excess fat stores. The acids help to decrease LDL and increase HDL levels in blood. Pecan nuts are rich source of many phyto-chemical substances which helps the body remove toxic oxygen-free radicals and protects it from diseases, cancers, as well as infections and it also contains a concentration of beta-sitosterol, alpha and gamma tocopherol forms of vitamin E, several B-complex vitamins groups (riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6, and folates). And, all the vitamins together work as co-factors for the enzyme metabolism inside the human body.
More about Pecan nuts
A hand-full of pecan nuts every day will keep your diet complete with sufficient levels of minerals, vitamins and protein.