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Ditch junk food! This delicious snack swap can help reduce low cholesterol levels and promote heart health

Ditch junk food! This delicious snack swap can help reduce low cholesterol levels and promote heart health (Image Credit: ISTOCK)
Packan power
We have all heard about the heart-health benefits of almonds and walnuts, but Pekan has been largely ignored. It is changing, thanks to a recent study that throws light on how to have a game-chain for Pekan cardiovascular health. Pen state researchers conducted a thorough study from the American Pekan Council, to see how beneficial the consumption of daily peccan can be for adults at the risk of heart disease.
the study
Research focused on 138 adults, who had at least one risk factor for metabolic syndrome. This condition is associated with the increased possibility of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Factors include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat and poor cholesterol levels.
- A group replaced its normal snacks with two ounces per day.
Major conclusions from studies
1. Lower cholesterol level
Participants ate Pekan daily, experienced significant decrease in cholesterol:
- The total cholesterol dropped by 8 points.
2. Better diet quality
Researchers used the healthy food index -2020 to measure how well the participants followed the American diet guidelines. The score of the Pekan group improved 9 points – 17 percent increase compared to the control group. This improvement was largely due to unhealthy, processed snacks with nutrient-dense pecans.
- Heart-health fat
Tips to keep in mind
While Pekans provide magnificent heart health benefits, they are also calories. A handful of peckon (about two ounces) contains about 200 calories.
Why does it matter
Do you know that snacking average is 20 percent of American daily calories? Unfortunately, many popular snack options – such as chips, cookies, and sugars behavior – are filled with sophisticated carbs, pairs and unhealthy fat. These not only lack nutrition, but also contribute to weight gain and heart health.
How to switch
If you want to start inclusion of peckon in your diet without more calories, then there are some easy ways:
- Snack Smart: Enjoy a small handful of peckon instead of processed chips or cookies.