Pecans Delay Progression of ALS

LOWELL, Mass.Adding a handful of pecans to a daily diet may play delay the progression of age-related motor neuron degeneration, including Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, according to a new study published in the Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research.

Researchers suggest vitamin E, a natural antioxidant in pecans, may provide a key element to neurological protection shown in the study. Pecans also are high in vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and several B vitamins.

These findings suggest regular consumption of pecans may provide significant nutritive and antioxidant benefits for your body, said lead researcher Thomas B. Shea, PhD.

Researchers conducted studies on three groups of mice specifically bred to demonstrate severe decline in motor neuron function that are commonly used in studies of ALS. Each of the three groups was fed a control diet or one of two diets containing differing amounts of pecans ground into their food. Standard testing methods were used to determine how well the mice scored relative to motor neuron functions, both before and after they were provided with one of the three diets.

Mice provided a diet supplemented with pecans displayed a significant delay in decline in motor function compared to mice receiving no pecans. Mice eating the diet with the most pecans (0.05%) fared best. Both pecan groups fared significantly better than those whose diets contained no pecans. The result was based on how the mice performed in highly specific tests, each of which compared mice on the control diet with mice consuming pecan-enriched diets.