A monounsaturated fatty acid-rich pecan-enriched diet favorably alters theserum lipid profile of healthy men and women

Frequent consumption of nuts is associated with decreased risk of cardiovas cular disease. We investigated the effect of pecans rich in monounsaturated fat as an alternative to the Step 1 diet in modifying serum lipids and lip oproteins in men and women with normal to moderately high serum cholesterol . In a single-blind, randomized, controlled, crossover feeding study, we as signed 23 subjects (mean age: 38 y; 9 women, 14 men) to follow two diets, e ach for 4 wk: a Step 1 diet and a pecan-enriched diet (accomplished by prop ortionately reducing all food items in a Step 1 diet by one fifth for a 20% isoenergetic replacement with pecans). The percentage of energy from fat i n the two diets was 28.3 and 39.6%, respectively. Both diets improved the l ipid profile; however, the pecan-enriched diet decreased both serum total a nd LDL cholesterol by 0.32 mmol/L (6.7 and 10.4%, respectively) and triglyc eride by 0.14 mmol/L (11.1%) beyond the Step 1 diet, while increasing HDL c holesterol by 0.06 mmol/L (2.5 mg/dL). Serum apolipoprotein B and lipoprote in(a) decreased by 11.6 and 11.1%, respectively, and apolipoprotein A1 incr eased by 2.2% when subjects consumed the pecan compared with the Step 1 die t. These differences were all significant (P < 0.05). A 20% isoenergetic re placement of a Step 1 diet with pecans favorably altered the serum lipid pr ofile beyond the Step 1 diet, without increasing body weight. Nuts such as pecans that are rich in monounsaturated fat may therefore be recommended as part of prescribed cholesterol-lowering diet of patients or habitual diet of healthy individuals.