Cardiometabolic Effects of the Recommended Daily Pecan Intake Dose

Conditions

• Dyslipidemia
• Nutrition, Healthy
• Overweight and Obesity

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

25 Years - 75 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Pecan — OTHER
  Participants are provided with a quantity of pecans that delivers 6% of the participant's estimated energy needs for 12 weeks.
• Control — OTHER
  Participants are asked to maintain their current habitual diet and to avoid any tree nut/peanut consumption and limit nut butters to no more than twice per week for the entire 12-week intervention period.

Study Details

Cardiovascular disease risk factors, including higher BMIs and poor cholesterol profiles, are on the rise and contribute to the United States' growing disease burden. The bioactive compounds contained in tree nuts have been shown to beneficially affect cardiometabolic health outcomes. Pecans contain more total phenols, sterols, and flavonoids than any other tree nut. They also are a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. These bioactive components in pecans are likely the reason for the previously documented improvements in cardiometabolic health. This study aims to examine the impact of a low dose of pecans on changes in fasting and postprandial lipid metabolism/blood lipids and markers of chronic disease risk. The specific aims of this study are to: * Examine the effect of pecan consumption at a dose of 6% of total energy needs for 12 weeks on fasting and postprandial blood lipids. * Examine the effect of pecan consumption at a dose of 6% of total energy needs for 12 weeks on other markers of chronic disease risk. Participants will be asked to: * Consume pecans daily for 12 weeks or maintain their current habitual diet. * Attend two short visits at 4 and 8 weeks for fasting blood draws, body measurements, and to collect their next 4 weeks' supply of study materials. * Attend two longer (5 h) testing visits, which include eating a standard breakfast meal and having their blood drawn periodically before and after breakfast. Researchers will compare the Pecan and Control groups to examine the physiologic effects of incorporating a low dose of pecans into one's diet.

Key Dates

First listed

Jul 10, 2026

Start date

Aug 31, 2026

Status verified

Jul 2026

Primary completion

Dec 31, 2028

Completion

Jul 31, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment

90 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Arms

• Experimental: Pecan
  Participants are given pecans and instructed on how to substitute study foods into their diet to maintain caloric balance.
• Experimental: Control
  Participants are asked to maintain their current habitual diet and to avoid any tree nut/peanut consumption and limit nut butters to no more than twice per week for the entire 12-week intervention period.

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in fasting serum lipoprotein and cholesterol concentrations [ Time Frame: baseline, 12 weeks ]

Central Contacts

• Jamie A Cooper, PhD
  706-542-4378
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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