Pecans, Gamma Tocopherol, and Heart Disease
Research subjects who ate a pecan enriched version of the American Heart Association Step I diet* had a lower level of lipid oxidation than those on the diet alone. Pecans are high in gamma tocopherol, a form of vitamin E.
Mechanisms of gamma-tocopherol action
Very few studies have evaluated gamma-tocopherol in the body, but those that have suggest that it may have potent physiological actions. While both alpha- and gamma-tocopherol are potent antioxidants, gamma-tocopherol has a unique function. Because of its different chemical structure, gamma-tocopherol scavenges reactive nitrogen species, which, like reactive oxygen species, can damage proteins, lipids, and DNA.
More about vitamin E at the Linus Pauling Institute. And visit our sister blog Eating Fabulous for more about how food affects your health.
*The Step I and II diets are considered outdated concepts that the American Heart Association have since replaced with the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet.
EurekAlert, September 28, 2006
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