Pistachio Nuts – Health and Nutrition Benefits

Harpreet Singh | June 9, 2014 | Nutrition, Nuts | No Comments

Nuts For Health – Pistachio

Pistachio nuts are a creamy shelled nuts with green skinned seeds . Wonderful to look at and tasty to eat. Remove the shell to eat the seeds. Pistachio’s have great health benefits . These nuts are a bunch of fruits from a cashew family tree. Originated from middle east and central Asia but now are grown throughout the world.

One gets to see lot of varieties of Pistachio in market -Roasted Salted Pistachio nuts with shell, Roasted Unsalted Pistachio nuts with shell, Roasted Salted Pistachio nuts with no shells, Roasted Unsalted Pistachio nuts with no shell, Garlic Onion Pistachios, Salt and Pepper Pistachios, Red Pistachios, Dark Chocolate Covered Pistachios,Turkish Pistachios etc. Endless experimentation goes in Pistachios processing.

My favorite and the one that is commonly eaten is unsalted Pistachios nuts with shells. Enjoy them as snacks or add them in food recipes. These lovely nuts are food of health conscious people. We will be discussing the the nutrition and health benefits of Pistachio in this article

Image courtesy of ponsulak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Harvesting and Processing of Pistachios

Nutritional Benefits

Pistachio nuts are densely packed nutrition. Rich in dietary fiber and proteins. As far as energy is concerned you get 562 calories on eating 100gms of these nuts. Approx 90% of fat in these nuts is unsaturated fats. 0 cholesterol content and rich in Phytosterol contents leads to lowering bad LDL cholesterol levels. Pistachio is a healthy sports nutrition food. One gets a good quantity of vitamins and minerals. Rich in Vitamin B6, thiamine, potassium, phosporous, copper, manganese etc. Other benefits are derived due to its antioxidant content especially due to higher lutein, beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol levels.

Pistachios Nutrition – By Constance Geiger

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Nutrition for raw pistachio

Per 1 ounce( 28 grams)= 49 kernels

% of Daily Value based on 2000 calorie diet

Energy

159 52 Kcal

7.82%

Carbohydrates

7.80 g

2.41 %

– Dietary Fiber

2.9 2.4 g

10.27%

– Total Sugar

2.17 g

Protein

5.75 g

11.05%

Cholesterol

0 mg

Phytosterols

61 mg

-Campesterol

3 mg

-Stigmasterol

1 mg

– Beta-sitosterol

56 mg

Total Fats

12.87 g

19%

-Saturated Fats

1.5 g

-Monounsaturated Fats

6.6 g

-Polyunsaturated Fats

3.8 g

-Omega-3 fatty acids

71.8 mg

-Omega-6 fatty acids

3729 mg

Water

1.11 g

Minerals

Calcium

30 mg

2.9%

Potassium

291 mg

8.24%

Iron

1.11 mg

6.5%

Magnesium

34 mg

8.5%

Phosphorus

139 mg

14.02%

Sodium

0.28 mg

Zinc

0.62 mg

4.03%

Copper

0.369 mg

17.5%

Manganese

0.340 mg

17%

Selenium

2 mcg

Fluoride

1 mcg

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Vitamins

Vitamin C

1.6 mg

2.43%

Riboflavin

0.045 mg

3.6%

Thiamin

0.25 mg

16%

Pantothenic acid

0.15 mg

Niacin

0.37 mg

Vitamin B6

0.48 mg

24%

Folate

14 mcg

-Food Folate

14 mcg

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-Dietary Folate Equivalents

14 mg

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Vitamin E

0.65 mg

– Gamma Tocopherol

6.41 mg

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– Delta Tocopherol

0.23 mg

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Vitamin A

118 IU

2.185%

-Vitamin A, RAE

6 mcg

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Carotenoids

Beta Carotene

71 mcg

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Lutein + zeaxanthin

398 mcg

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Information Source : USDA Nutrient Database

Pistachio Nuts Health Benefits

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a) Keeps Heart Healthy

The heart benefits arise due to the antioxidants , phytosterols and unsaturated fat content of pistachios. On eating pistachios the bad cholestrol LDL levels are decreased and good cholesterol HDL levels are increased. Potassium rich pistachio reduces the risk of high blood pressure. All these lead to healthy heart

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b) Strengthens immunity

Your immunity gets a boost by eating pistachios. This is due to Vitamin B6 content in pistachio. On eating 28 grams of pistachio nuts our body gets 24 % DV of Vitamin B6. Healthy red blood cells and white blood cell levels are increased.

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c) Benefits for diabetic patients

Eating handful of pistachio nuts helps in regulating blood sugar levels and lowering bad LDL cholesterol levels. The reason why pistachio lowers the increase in blood sugar levels is due to it’s good fiber content. Foods that are rich in fiber prevent blood sugar levels to spike. Thus people suffering from diabetes should include these nuts for a better diabetes management. Furthermore type 2 diabetes risks are decreased by eating pistachios.

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d) Healthy Brain Food.

Pistachios prevent brain inflammation and preservation of essential fatty acids present in brain. Your immunity gets a boost by eating pistachios. The inflammation benefits arise due to antioxidants present in pistachio . These antioxidants prevent oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol levels. Other brain benefits arise due to high levels of Vitamin B6 content in pistachio. Vitamin B6 keeps the brain alert and active.

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e) Good for Eye Health

Carotenoids like Beta Carotene & Lutein + zeaxanthin present in pistachtio in high amounts do great wonders for eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin act as protective antioxidants by preventing eye tissue damage from cell oxidation. Age related disease macular degeneration which causes eyesight loss and blindness is prevented by the beneficial effects of these antioxidants.

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f) Reduces Cancer Risks

Gamma tocopherol also known as vitamin E reduces some cancer risks. Research shows high intake of gamma tocopherol lowers lung caner risks. There is lowering of other cancer risks also.

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g) Skin benefits

Vitamin E content of pistachio enhances skin beauty. This antioxidant protects the skin from harmful UV rays. Prevents sun burns and skin cancer. Skin aging is prevented as oils present in these nuts acts as a skin moisturizer and prevents skin dryness. Essential fatty acids content in these nuts adds a healthy glow to the skin. Zinc content keeps the skin soft and supple.

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h) Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction

Pistachios eating leads to significant improvement in men’s erectile dysfunction problem. Men who eat handful of nuts for a period of 3 weeks have a better blood flow in their sex organs and thus having firmer erections. This benefit occurs due to 1) pistachio’s ability to lower cholesterol ,2) the argine(an amino acid) which ensures arterial muscle relaxation and thus ensuring blood flow, 3) Phytosterols content

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i) Aids in Weight Loss

Pistachio is a great addition for your weight loss diet program. These nuts are rich in dietary fiber and proteins and which keeps your stomach full and thus keeping away the hunger feeling. 90% of pistachio fat is healthy fat that is unsaturated fats that are soluble and are not absorbed fully by the body. You should not worry too much regarding the calorie addition on eating pistachios as these nuts are low on calorie count.

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j) Good for Digestion.

Pistachios rich dietary fiber content and nutrition ensures good digestion. Healthy bacteria growth in stomach is encouraged.

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Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is for educative purpose only. Consult you doctor or professional medical advice before using any information in this article for any health program.