11 Health Benefits of Pistachios You Cannot Ignore

11 Health Benefits of Pistachios You Cannot Ignore

Health Benefits of Pistachios

Pistachios are often confused to be nuts, but in reality, it is a fruit. People have been consuming the seeds of this fruit from pre-historic times. It has immense health benefits, besides being a healthy component of your meals, especially along with snacks. Primarily, pistachios were grown in Central Asia, but now these deciduous trees are grown all over the world. In certain parts of the world, these are regarded as nuts. Well, leave aside the controversy of nuts or no nuts, let’s have an insight into the amazing Health Benefits of Pistachios that they are known for.


Storehouse of Antioxidants:

Being a powerful source of antioxidants, pistachios cut down the ill effects of oxidation in the body. Every part of it, including the shell, is loaded with antioxidants. It contains oleic acid a mono-saturated fatty acid, which lowers the level of bad cholesterol (LDL)in the body and increases good cholesterol (HDL) at the same time. Therefore, it provides good resistance against coronary artery disease and stroke. Harmful radicals are removed from the body due to the presence of carotenes in pistachios.


High Nutritional Value:

As it is full of proteins, minerals and healthy fat, pistachios find its way into a balanced diet. A single ounce of pistachios can produce around 6 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat in the body. Iron, zinc, phosphorous and various other minerals are also present in it. It is a good source of Vitamin B6, which helps the body to grow strong levels of immunity.


Controls Body Weight:

Unlike other nuts, pistachios do not add to your weight. In fact, you can use it as a good weight management food, as it makes you feel full even if you have a few of them. Therefore, a healthy diet meant for losing weight should contain pistachios. It has low proportions of saturated fat in it, thereby promoting weight loss. According to dieticians, 30 grams of pistachios provide you with 3 grams of fat.


Coping Up With ill Heart:

Pistachios are beneficial in maintaining the health of the heart. It reduces the levels of triglyceride and cholesterol in the blood. The best part of the story is that you can feel the difference in your body after a short period of consumption. It acts very fast and the results are evident in the short run.


Macular Disease Related to Age:

A lot of older people suffer from age related macular disease. Pistachios can provide resistance to the same if taken in the right quantity and at the right time. As a result, the macula of the eye breaks down gradually. As it contains light-sensitive tissues, it can bring about visual problems, like inability to see finer detail in an object. If you have symptoms like dark vision and blurring of objects, it may be due to age related breakdown of macula. As the nut contains zeaxanthin and lutein (carotenoid antioxidants), they protect the tissues of eyes from getting inflated and prevents these syndromes.


Dealing with Diabetes:

One of the major Health Benefits of Pistachios is its resistance against diabetes. It can deal with type 2 diabetes, which affects most of the people in their older ages. It happens due to insulin resistance. Well, you need to consume two servings of these nuts on a daily basis in order to increase the phosphorous level in the body and break down the amino acids. These are especially recommended for patients suffering from diabetes, as their body cannot accept sugar. The sugar bonds with proteins abnormally and fails to function. Pistachios prevent glycation and maintains safe levels of blood sugar in the body.


Benefits to Nervous System:

As these nuts contain substantial amounts of Vitamin B6, it helps improve the health of the nervous system. It helps the body to increase the production of amino acids, which enhances the process of transmission of messages around the nervous system. Therefore, a healthy nervous system needs pistachios in small amounts but regularly.


Maintenance of Healthy Skin:

Being rich in Vitamin E, it improves the quality of skin. If you want to enjoy a youthful skin even at older ages, make sure that pistachios become a part of your diet chart from an early age. It retains the gloss and acts as an anti-ageing agent for the skin. The food is also effective in preventing the ill effects of direct exposure to sun-rays.


Defence Against Cancer:

One of the most vital Health Benefits of Pistachios is that it fights cancer. It is able to free the body against radicals and toxins. Therefore, it has an important role to play in this context. Being enriched with phytochemicals, it assists the defence mechanism of the body to fight against cancer. Cancer, in various forms, has been one of the greatest killers all over the world. You need to consume pistachios to boost up your defence against cancer.


Effect On Hair:

Another important health benefit of pistachios is its ability to enhance the qualitative values of hair. If you have a fascination for locks, these nuts can help you out. Besides, it stimulates the growth of hair and nourishes it. The hair becomes more flexible, enabling you to maintain a stylish look. It prevents the hair from getting dehydrated and discoloured. As it has biotin as one of the components, it can prevent loss of hair to a certain extent.


High Energy Levels:

As a good source of energy, these nuts find their way into the food habits of people all around the world. 100 grams of pistachios delivers around 560 calories, which is considered to be high. You can have it as a snack, simply booting up your energy levels and stamina.


With these, we finish off the list of Health Benefits of Pistachios. These nuts are termed differently in different parts of the world. A certain section of people also associates it with the cashew family. Whatever it is, the benefits are simply amazing. Have a word with your dietician to include it in your diet chart.

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Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad