Pistachios

Overview:

Pistachios are nuts that are one of the lowest in both calories and fats. For one serving, which is one ounce and 160 calories, you can reap the benefits of many vitamins and minerals.

Benefits:

Pistachios are a great source of fiber, coming in at 3 grams per serving. The daily recommended dose of fiber is 14 grams and a small handful of these nuts provide you with about 12% of that. Fiber is great for weight loss/management and keeping bowel movements regular; therefore, those looking to slim down should turn to this nut as a go to snack. To further promote weight loss, pistachios are high in protein, which can help to keep you fuller for a longer duration of time.

Since pistachios provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, such as copper, manganese, thiamin, phosphorus, and vitamin B6, these nuts prove to be heart healthy. They also contain 14 grams of fat per serving. 90% of those fats are contributed to by monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are also heart healthy; pistachios have a lower bad fat content than most other nuts. Due to this, pistachios when combined with a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, can reduce the risk of heart disease. On its own, this nut can reduce your levels of bad LDL cholesterol.

Another benefit that pistachios claim is the ability to reduce the risk of age0related macular disease (AMD). This is due to its content of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are carotenoid antioxidants.

The antioxidants found in pistachios can also help control diabetes. They do this by decreasing the glycation process. The glycation process is when sugars form the wrong bonds with proteins rendering them useless. By reducing this process, more sugars will be able to be used by a diabetic’s body.

Side Effects:

If you consume too many pistachios, rather than losing or managing your weight, you may cause yourself to gain weight instead. Since these nuts are nutrient dense, a small quantity goes a long way. Also, they may cause gastrointestinal problems in some people due to either an intolerance to a compound found in pistachios, called fructans, or by having too many nuts. If you have an intolerance to these fructans, they can cause irritation of the digestive system resulting in bloating, constipation, pain, etc. To minimize these side effect, you can opt to limit the number of pistachio nuts you consume.

Source:

http://www.pistachiohealthinstitute.org/

http://www.organicfacts.net

http://www.livestrong.com

Research done by Jessica L. Silvestri

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