Scientists from Spanish National Research Council and elsewhere found pistachio should be a regular food in a healthy diet.
The pistachio, a member of the cashew family, is a small tree originating from Central Asia and the Middle East.
Pistachio is a good source of biologically active components. Compared to other nuts, it has a healthier nutritional profile.
Pistachio is full of low-fat content composed mainly of monounsaturated fatty acids.
It is also a high source of vegetable protein and dietary fiber, remarkable content of minerals, especially potassium, and is an excellent source of vitamins, such as vitamins C and E.
The nut is rich in phytochemicals, such as tocopherols, carotenoids, and, importantly, phenolic compounds.
This makes pistachio a powerful food to explore its involvement in the prevention of several diseases.
Although pistachio has been less studied than other nuts (walnut, almonds, hazelnut, etc.), many studies provide evidence of its beneficial effects on heart disease risk factors.
One Harvard study found that eating pistachios may help you live longer.
The research looked at how eating nuts may help reduce the risk of mortality, finding that those who ate nuts daily, such as pistachios, saw health benefits nearly double.
In the current review, researchers gathered recent data regarding the most beneficial effects of pistachio on lowering blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
The nut can also improve endothelial function and reduce oxidative stress as well as inflammation.
This essentially conveys a protective/preventive effect on many chronic health problems, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The team also found the benefit of pistachio intake on gut microbiota.
However, they also showed that the nut intake does not meet current intake recommendations due to the extended belief that they are fattening products, their high cost, or teething problems, among the most critical barriers.
The researchers suggest that this would be solved with more research and information.
The research was published in Nutrients and conducted by Raquel Mateos et al.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health and the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about plant nutrients that could help reduce high blood pressure, and these antioxidants could help reduce dementia risk.
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