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Eating Pecans Can Protect Your Brain from ALS

A recent study found that a diet rich in pecans can protect against amyotropic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on August 30 2010
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Next time you feel like a snack, you may want to skip the pretzels in favor of a handful or two of pecans. Not only is the nut tasty, but it’s also rich in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant that provides all sorts of benefits to your body—including protecting you against degenerative diseases such as amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In a recent study conducted at the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, researchers tested three groups of mice that had been bred to show a decline in motor neuron function similar to ALS in humans. Of the three groups, one was fed a control diet with no pecans; one ate a small amount of pecans; and one ate a diet heavy in pecans.

The researchers found that the powdered nuts made a powerful impact: the mice who had diets with a moderate amount of pecans suffered less degeneration than those with no pecans, and the mice that ate diets heavy in pecans fared the best of them all.

In addition to its ALS-fighting abilities, pecans are packed with 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, and magnesium, so it’s well worth picking up a bag for the sake of your health.

Looking for some ideas for cooking with pecans? Check out these great ideas from the Georgia Pecan Commission.

Filed under: Health and Wellbeing, Science,

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