TPGA - Pecan Nutritional Facts P ecan kernels contain 65 to 70 percent oil. Oleic is the same fatty acid found in olives. Olive oil has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.
Pecans are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acid - similar to olive oil.
Dr. Scott Grundy at the Southwest Medical Center in Dallas has shown that polyunsaturated fat diets lowered both plasma LDL and HDL cholesterol. Morgan and Clayshute at New Mexico State University published a paper in the Journal of the American Dietetics Association in 2000 which showed that pecan consumption significantly lowered total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in both high and low cholesterol subjects. See our Recipes for different ways to use pecans .