“People are searching for healthy alternatives, and we have now shown that pecans are a healthy tool to put in the hands of consumers.” According to Amit Dhingra, PhD, chair of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Cisneros-Zavalos’ investigation “provides scientific evidence supporting the conventional wisdom in America that pecans are highly nutritious.”
“Thanks to Cisneros-Zavalos’ work, we now know what potential mechanisms are behind that nutritional benefit,” he added. “Our department focuses on the areas of sustainability, welfare and food security, and this research shows the relevance of horticultural crops to human health.”
According to Cisneros-Zavalos, researchers used pecans and a high-fat diet on a mouse model and found that the nuts increased energy expenditure while reducing dysbiosis and inflammation. Research has found that pecans affect adipose tissue lipolysis as well as mitochondrial oxidative metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle.