The super healthy Pistachio nuts are the seeds of pistachio tree. They’re usually green and slightly sweet.
The seed of Pistachio tree contains healthy fats and are a good source of protein, fiber and antioxidants. Usually the kernels of Pistachio have different colors, ranging from yellow to shade green.
Nowadays Pistachios are very popular in many dishes, including ice cream and desserts.
Here are seven wonderful benefits of pistachios and why you should add them to your daily diet.
#1. Filled With Nutrients.
Pistachios are very nutritious, with 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of about 49 unroasted pistachios contain the following :
Calories: 159
Carbs: 8 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Fat: 13 grams (90% are unsaturated fats)
Potassium: 6% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
Phosphorus: 11% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 28% of the RDI
Thiamine: 21% of the RDI
Copper: 41% of the RDI
Manganese: 15% of the RDI
Pistachios are high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They also boast several other important nutrients, including vitamin B6 and potassium.
#2. Packed With Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that play a critical role in health. They reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases by preventing damage to the body’s cells.
Nuts and seeds contain several antioxidant compounds, but pistachios may have higher levels of some antioxidants than other nuts.
Research reports that pistachios have among the highest levels of antioxidants including:
γ-tocopherol
phytosterols
xanthophyll carotenoids
These substances have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
In one small study involving 28 participants with high cholesterol who ate 1 or 2 daily servings of pistachios over 4 weeks, researchers showed that they experienced an increase in their levels of the antioxidants lutein, α-carotene, and β-carotene compared to those who ate none.
#3. Low In Calories
Usually other nuts are typically high in calories, but pistachios are among the lowest calorie nuts, which means people can enjoy the health benefits of nuts while more easily staying within their daily calorie limits.
One ounce (28 grams) of pistachios contains 159 calories, compared with 185 calories in walnuts and 193 calories in pecans.
#4. High In Quality Protein
With protein comprising about 20% of their weight, pistachios are second only to almonds when it comes to protein content.
They also have a higher ratio of essential amino acids — the building blocks of protein — than any other nut.
These amino acids are considered essential because your body cannot make them, so you must obtain them from your diet.
Meanwhile, other amino acids are considered semi-essential, meaning that they can be essential under certain circumstances, depending on the health of the individual.
One of these semi-essential amino acids is L-arginine, which accounts for 2% of the amino acids in pistachios. It’s converted into nitric oxide in your body, which is a compound that causes your blood vessels to dilate, aiding blood flow.
#5 Good For Eye Health
Pistachios are a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin which are essential for eye health.
According to the American Optometric Association, lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the chances of developing eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
AMD and cataracts are the leading causes of blindness in the United States.
Eating a healthful diet, including pistachios, is a promising way to help prevent these eye diseases from developing.
#6. Promote Healthy Gut Bacteria
Fibres moves through your digestive system mostly undigested, and some types of fiber are digested by the good bacteria in your gut, acting as prebiotics. Pistachios are high in fiber, with one serving containing 3 grams.
Gut bacteria then ferment the fiber and convert it into short-chain fatty acids, which may have several health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing digestive disorders, cancer, and heart disease.
Butyrate is perhaps the most beneficial of these short-chain fatty acids.
Eating pistachios has been shown to increase the number of butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut to a greater extent than eating almonds
#7. Good For Blood Sugar Balance
Pistachios have a low glycemic index, so they do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar after someone has eaten them.
In a small study of 10 people, eating pistachios reduced high blood sugar when eaten with a carbohydrate-rich meal, such as white bread. The researchers suggest that this is one of the ways that nuts lower the risk of diabetes.
For people with diabetes, another study suggests that eating pistachios as a snack is beneficial for blood sugar levels, blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation markers.
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Downsides Of Pistachios
Although raw pistachios don’t have much sodium (1 cup has about 1 milligram), that’s not true for roasted pistachios, which are often salted. A cup of dry roasted pistachios with salt has 526 milligrams of sodium. Too much sodium can lead to things like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
If you have fructan intolerance — a bad reaction to a type of carbohydrate — pistachios might bother your belly. If so, you may have:
Bloating
Nausea
Pain in your abdominal
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