U. S. researchers have suggested that eating pecans daily may delay age-related muscle nerve degeneration.

It has been reported that lead researcher Thomas Shea of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell carried out a number of laboratory studies on three groups of mice especially bred to demonstrate a decline in motor neuron function.

It was found by the researchers that mice fed a diet supplemented with ground pecans had a significant delay in decline in motor function compared to mice receiving no pecans. Mice eating the diet with the most pecans, 0.05 percent, fared best.

Results were based on how the mice on the control diet vs. those on the pecan-enriched diet performed in specific tests.

Published in Current Topics in Nutraceutical Research, the study suggests that pecans contain a high amount of a natural antioxidants that help fight against cell damage.

Shea said in statement, "These findings suggest regular consumption of pecans may provide significant nutritive and antioxidant benefits for your body." (With Inputs from Agencies)