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Photo by: Marina Leonova

What Are Pistachios?

Pistachios are the seeds of the pistachio tree. They are typically green and have a slightly sweet taste. Although they are called nuts, botanically speaking, pistachios are seeds. People have been consuming them for thousands of years.

Characteristics of Pistachios

The seeds can have different colors, ranging from yellow to shades of green. They are usually about 2.5 cm long and 1.25 cm in diameter. If you want to taste one, you will first need to crack its hard shell.

Pistachio Production in America

California, Arizona, and New Mexico make up the entire commercial production of pistachios in America.

Where to Buy Pistachios

You can buy shelled, unshelled, roasted, or salted pistachios. They are found in most grocery stores, and you can buy in bulk from pistachio growers.

Are Pistachios Good for You?

Pistachios are a nutritious addition to your diet. They are composed of 20% protein, a calorie-to-protein ratio much higher than most nuts. This protein can make you feel full longer and can help you manage your weight.

Pistachios also boast a large amount of antioxidants, being surpassed only by walnuts and pecans. Antioxidants help fight against free radicals, which are compounds in your body that can damage cells, proteins, and DNA, causing premature aging, as well as diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Promoting Beneficial Gut Bacteria

Pistachios are rich in fiber, which can act as a prebiotic, or food that is digested by the good bacteria in your gut to help them grow. Your gut bacteria can then ferment the fiber and turn it into short-chain fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and digestive disorders.

Lowering Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

Pistachios have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects. These nuts have fiber and large amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, all associated with healthy cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of heart disease. And research shows that eating pistachios - especially compared to eating other nuts - leads to lower blood pressure.

Healthy Blood Sugar Levels

Pistachios have a low glycemic index, which means that eating them does not cause large increases in blood sugar. They also have antioxidants, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, all of which support healthy blood sugar levels.

Improving Vessel Health

Amino acids are considered essential, so if your body cannot produce them, you must get them through your diet. Some studies suggest that the amino acids in pistachios lower the amount of fats and sugar (glycemic index) in your blood and can tone your blood vessels, making them more flexible.

Better Eye Health

Pistachios have the highest levels of zeaxanthin and lutein among nuts, both protecting your eyes from damage caused by blue light, as well as macular degeneration, an eye disease that can cause vision loss as you age.

Weight Loss

Eating pistachios can also help with weight loss. They are rich in fiber and protein, which makes you feel full and can help reduce food intake.

A quick tip: Give up shelled pistachios and choose in-shell pistachios to nibble on. In-shell pistachios promote slow and mindful eating, as they require time to remove the shells. The shells pile up in front of you, showing how much you've eaten so far. Research has shown that people who eat in-shell pistachios consume 41% fewer calories in a session, compared to those who eat shelled pistachios.

Side Effects of Pistachios

Pistachios can have negative side effects for some people, including:

Higher Sodium Intake

Raw pistachios do not have much sodium. (1 cup has about 1 milligram.) But this is not always 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 put you at a higher risk for things like high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

FODMAP Risks

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Simply put, FODMAPs are certain types of carbohydrates. People with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, may limit FODMAPs in their diet to have better control over their symptoms. Pistachios are considered a high FODMAP food because they contain fructans. If you have fructan intolerance - a bad reaction to this type of carbohydrate - pistachios might upset your stomach. If so, you might have:

  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Stomach pain

Allergy Risks

Pistachios are tree nuts. Some people with tree nut allergies can have severe reactions to pistachios and should avoid them. Symptoms of an allergic reaction to pistachios can include:

  • Itchy mouth, eyes, skin, or throat
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Nausea and abdominal pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can make it hard to breathe

Anaphylactic shock can be fatal. If you have a tree nut allergy, always keep an epinephrine auto-injector (or adrenaline) on hand. Epinephrine is the only treatment for anaphylactic shock.

If you're allergic to tree nuts like pistachios, make sure you read the packaging of pre-prepared foods to confirm they don't have traces of tree nuts. Your doctor may recommend you also avoid peanuts. Peanuts and pistachios can cross-contaminate each other in facilities where they are processed.

Pistachio Nutrition

A 28-gram serving of pistachios, which is about 49 seeds, has about 159 calories and:

  • 5.72 grams of protein
  • 7.7 grams of carbohydrates
  • 12.85 grams of fats
  • 3 grams of fiber

Pistachios have no cholesterol and are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including:

  • Manganese
  • Phosphorus
  • Copper
  • Vitamin B6
  • Thiamine

They also contain a considerable amount of potassium. In fact, a 56-gram serving has more potassium than a large banana and as much fiber as a cup of cooked broccoli.

How to Prepare and Eat Pistachios

Pistachios can be difficult to eat because they have a hard shell. If there's a crack in the shell, you can use the shell of another pistachio to open it. If there's no crack, you can place the nuts on a chopping board, cover them with a towel, and hit them just hard enough so that the shells open.

Pistachios will stay fresh (shelled or in-shell) for up to a year in the refrigerator or up to 3 years in the freezer.

You can enjoy them in dishes such as:

  • Salads
  • Ice cream or gelato
  • Baklava (a sweet dessert)
  • Pesto
  • Nut butter
  • Biscotti
  • Granola
  • Turkish delights
  • Yogurt
  • Sohan (a Persian pistachio nougat)

Sorces: Articol original WebMD
Referances:

American Pistachio Growers: “History – Pistachio Origins,” “2018-2019 Member Processors/Suppliers,” “The Power of Pistachios.”

California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.: “Pistachio.”

Pistachio Health Institute: “Frequently Asked Questions,” “Nutritional Benefits in a Nutshell.”

United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service: “Basic Report: 12151, Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw.”

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors and potential mechanisms of action: a dose-response study.”

Natural Product Research: “Health benefits of pistachios consumption.”

British Journal of Nutrition: “Effects of almond and pistachio consumption on gut microbiota composition in a randomized cross-over human feeding study.”

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: “Nuts: Safe Methods for Consumers to Handle, Store, and Enjoy,” “The Pistachio Tree; Botany and Physiology and Factors That Affect Yield.”

Tufts Medical Center: “Fructan Intolerance.”

Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School: “Diabetes? Go nuts to lower your heart risk.”

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: “Salt and Sodium.”

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: “Nut intake and adiposity: meta-analysis of clinical trials.”

Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases: “Cross-sectional association of nut intake with adiposity in a Mediterranean population.”

Nutrition: “Effect of pistachio nut consumption on endothelial function and arterial stiffness.”

American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: "Tree nuts."

Appetite: "In-shell pistachio nuts reduce caloric intake compared to shelled nuts."

Plants: "Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera L.): Production, Nutrients, Bioactives and Novel Health Effects."

Complementary Therapies in Medicine: "Pistachios and cardiometabolic risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials."

Preedy, V.R., Watson, R.R. The Mediterranean Diet: An Evidence-Based Approach, Academic Press, 2015.

Cleveland Clinic: "How To Follow a Mediterranean Diet."

Hypertension: "Effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors and potential mechanisms of action: a dose-response study."

Journal of the Society for Biomedical Diabetes Research: "Effects of pistachio nut supplementation on blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized crossover trial."

Mayo Clinic: "What is a FODMAP diet and what symptoms does it treat?"