Do you like pecans? There is a lot of scientific evidence pecans like you—specifically, your heart and blood systems. Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology reviewed more than fifty peer-reviewed studies into the benefits of pecans. Across human studies, regular consumption of pecans improves total blood cholesterol levels as well as LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol and triglycerides. How many pecans? A handful a day, either as topping for food or by themselves as a snack. The findings, reported in the journal Nutrients suggest pecans exert their strongest benefits as antioxidants along with those improvements in blood quality. There is also a patriotic aspect to eating pecans—they are America’s native nut. You may have thought it was a politican.