It s gone a lot of different places, says Wanda Morgan, who coauthored the study with former graduate student Beverly Clayshulte. We ve really been able to change some minds about pecans in the diet. That s pretty mainstream, Morgan says. Total cholesterol was lowered as well. The research shows that we don t have to be afraid of pecans and the fat in pecans, Morgan says.
Pecans can be part of a balanced and varied diet.
The eight-week study was funded by NMSU s Agricultural Experiment Station and a grant from the Western Pecan Growers Association. We just are really excited about this because pecans taste so good and to find out that they re good for you, too, is good news for our pecan growers and good news for the general public as well, Morgan says. The findings add to a growing body of research that counters notions that people should avoid eating nuts. Similar studies have been conducted with almonds and walnuts. Nuts were really getting beat up on, Morgan says.