DEFINITION of pecan: a nut and a tree; a nut that grows on a tall tree in the United States and Mexico and that can be eaten; the smooth oblong thin-shelled nut of the pecan tree
17 Facts About Pecans
Pecans ARE very good for you, but did you know HOW good they are for you? Let me tell you a few facts about pecans:
- Pecans are members of the walnut family.
- Pecans are native to temperate North America.
- The pecan tree has deeply furrowed bark and feather-shaped leaves.
- Many pecan varieties are named after Native American tribes.
- There are about 1,000 pecan varieties.
- The top pecan producing states are Georgia, New Mexico and Texas in that order respectively.
- Pecan trees occasionally reach a height of about 160 ft (50 m)!
- The United State produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan supply.
- Pecans are one of the top 15 food sources of antioxidants!
- Pecans reduce your blood cholesterol level and prevent heart diseases.
- The pecan nut has a rich flavor and the meat is not hard.
- Pecans have a very high fat content. Actually, it is one of the highest of any vegetable product.
- Pecan nuts contain 25 vitamins and minerals including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)
- Vitamin K
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Vitamin B6
- Folate
- Vitamin B12
- Pantothenic Acid
- Choline
- Betaine
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Manganese – One ounce of pecans gives you 55% of your recommended intake value of manganese which strengthens the immunity system and protects nerve cells from free radicals and that makes it GREAT for the brain!
- Selenium
- Fluoride
- Pecans are high in physterols which inhibit cholesterol from entering the bloodstream. Physterols reduce low density lipoproteins (LDL) and increase high density lipoproteins (HDL).
- Pecans contain alpha linolenic acid which fights cancers, can lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.
- Pecans contain oleic acid which dissolves fat in the blood vessels. This helps to prevent blockages in the arteries which reduces strokes and heart attacks.
- Pecans contain linoleic acid which is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant all in one!
Did you know that pecans were soooooo good for you? Well, that’s why I ate this big bowl of ice cream with bananas and pecans!
Yes, that really is why I ate it!
OMG, you won’t believe this but it’s the honest truth! When I first saw the title of your post I misread it to read, “17 Facts About Pelicans And That’s Really Why I Ate It.” I’m not dyslectic, but for some reason that is what my eyes and brain first perceived. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Then I scrolled down and saw the picture under the title and totally freaked out.
I thought to myself, “OMG, Sherry has flipped out. All this stress about not having a job has finally gotten to her. She is eating a pelican!” Since I thought you were eating a pelican my mind registered the pecans as being the intestines of a pelican. I thought, “This is completely gross! I can’t believe that Sherry would eat a pelican, but then again who would have thought she would have gone all these month without finding a job?”
Shaken to my core, I scrolled back up to reread the title. Only this time I reread the title very slowly and very carefully to make sure that my eyes and brain were not deceiving me. To my utter relief it read, “17 Facts About Pecans And That’s Really Why I Ate It.” Thank God, Sherry had not eaten a pelican after all.
But just to make sure that my eyes and brain were not deceiving me, I scrolled down and looked at the picture below the title once again. Sure enough, those were pecans and not, as I had first thought, the intestines of a pelican. “My poor dear friend, Sherry,” I thought to myself, “she’s obviously stressed out about not finding a job, but not stressed out enough to eat a pelican.”
I read the rest of the post amazed at how, at times, our eyes and brains can deceive us and how healthy pecans are to eat. Which got me to thinking. How really accurate are eyewitness accounts? If I were in court on the stand would I swear by what I first thought I saw? “Your Honor, I was reading The Redhead Riter’s post on the morning of May 3rd, 2014 and the title said, ’17 Facts About Pelicans And That’s Really Why I Ate It. And then I scrolled down and was shocked to see a picture of a half eaten pelican and the pelican’s intestines.'”
The judge would turn to Sherry and say, “Did you eat a pelican?”
“No, your Honor,” Sherry would say, “I did not eat a pelican. I was eating pecans. Did you know that pecans are soooooo good for you? I was eating this big bowl of ice cream with bananas and pecans!”
The judge would turn to me and say, “I am throwing you into prison for lying to this court.”
“Oh, please, your Honor,” Sherry would plead, “don’t throw Joan into prison. She might be crazy at times, but she’s my number one commenter!” 🙂
Joan, you are a hoot! Sometimes I misread a word too and it will totally throw me until I reread it. Then I wonder why I was thinking about the wrong word. What was going on in my mind to make me think of it at all? I love the brain and how it works. 🙂
Yes, I would defend you in court. Surely the judge would see it our way. LOL