The Health Benefits Of Pistachios

A healthy diet low in fat can include higher-fat foods as long as the overall diet and lifestyle remain healthy. Evidence to date reveals the taste acceptability of a diet depend on a satisfying dietary pattern that fits with a healthy lifestyle. When we include a variety of healthy and tasty foods, being on a strict diet is not so bad.

Portion control of even healthy foods is always important. A person can become overweight or obese eating healthy foods in excess.

Why is the pistachio nut unique as compared to other nuts?

• It provides a significant amount of the bioactive carotenoid, lutein that is also found in dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli (good for your eyes)
• Unique among tree nuts in having lutein and anthocyanins in their peels, giving them their characteristic green and purple 2-tone appearance
• Among tree nuts, pistachios are the richest source of phytosterols, particularly beta-sitosterol and campesterol (good for lowering cholesterol levels and reducing risk of heart disease)

There is 0.36 mg of lutein in a 1 oz. serving of pistachios, which is equivalent to the amount of lutein found in a half-cup serving of broccoli.

Phytosterols are plant sterols that compete with cholesterol in the intestinal lumen for uptake into the bloodstream. Phytoserols may help reduce cholesterol levels as well as help to promote a healthy heart. There is evidence which states a diet that incorporates tree nuts, such as pistachios, is associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

Nuts are generally regarded as “fattening.” However, studies have shown that daily consumption of 2 oz of nuts among free-living individuals does not lead to significant weight gain during a period of 6 months. More research is needed on long-term consumption; however, the data so far suggests that the pistachio can be consumed as part of a healthy weight maintenance diet.

Nutrition in pistachio nuts:

• Rich in nutrient content
• Provides 310 mg of potassium
• 3 g of dietary fiber
• 20% of the daily value for vitamin B6, copper and manganese

Foods are considered nutritious if 4 nutrients have INQs of 1 or more or if 2 nutrients have INQs of 2 or more.

Pistachios have INQs of 2 or more for:

• Thiamin
• Vitamin B6
• Copper
• Manganese

Pistachios have INQs from 1 to 1.7 for:

• Potassium
• Dietary fiber
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium

Do you have a problem getting enough fiber into your diet?

Try taking in more pistachios. The pistachio is one of the nuts with the highest fiber. Americans should be eating 14 g of fiber per 1,000 calories. Eating more pistachios can help you meet this fiber goal. One ounce of pistachio nuts provides 3 g of dietary fiber, or approximately 12% of the daily value. Pistachio nuts have twice the fiber in an ounce than walnuts and about the same amount as in a serving of oatmeal.

How can you incorporate more pistachios into daily eating patterns?

• Add them to green salads
• Mix them in with cooked vegetables and fruit salads
• Add them to cold and hot cereals, muffins, trail mix, rice dishes, pilafs and pasta
• Ground them to use as a crispy coating for fish filets or poultry breast

Source: Nutrition Today, January/February 2008, Volume 43, Number 1

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care professional.

Author: Connie Limon. Visit http://smalldogs2.com/NutritionHealthHub and sign up for a weekly nutrition and health tip. The article collection is available as FREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. For a variety of FREE reprint articles on various topics rarely seen elsewhere visit http://www.camelotarticles.com

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.