In ancient India, Pistachios were snacks served to the royalties. These nuts have been revered as the most nutritious and healthy nuts by many health experts and dieticians. If one had to crown the healthiest nut of them all it would have to be the Pistachio and for a very good reason. Pistachios are very good for your overall health and especially your cardiovascular health because of their cholesterol inhibiting property.
Are Pistachios Fattening?
The good news is that Pistachios are not only nutritious but they are not fattening either. You can eat a serving of 30 pistachio nuts 4 times a week and have no issues with weight gain. The truth is that these nuts are not calorie intensive but are power houses of essential minerals and vitamins. Each nut packs a wallop of 30 important minerals and vitamins while generating just 4 calories in the body.
Pistachios are rich in dietary fiber. So consuming pistas can leave you filling full and satiated for long, while limiting your calorie intake. For this reason they make for very good snacks foods in between meals and are a much better, and nutritious, option than eating a cheese sandwich or a bar of chocolate.
In fact there has been research to provide evidence to this claim. People on a 4 week pistachio diet, consuming 15% of their calories from these nuts, did not show any pattern of weight gain but had improved their cardiovascular health and cholesterol levels (source: Journal of American College of Nutrition). So in a nutshell, pistachios are not fattening but very healthy.
Why Are Pistachios Good for You?
Here’s a list of benefits to be had from eating pistachios on regular basis
- These nuts are a great source of plant protein, and when eaten in conjunction with green vegetables, and fruits like avocado, can provide all essential amino acids needed by the body.
- Pistachios are rich in dietary fiber. In fact these nuts contain more fiber than most fiber intensive foods. So if you have issues with constipation or improper bowel movement, you must eat pistachios.
- Pistachios contains several phenolic compounds which have anti-oxidative effects on the cells of the body. Thus consuming pistachios goes a long way in reducing the risks of cancer or other inflammative diseases.
- These nuts are known to lower cholesterol levels due to the presence of plant sterols in them. Plant sterols inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the stomach and hence improve cardiovascular health. LDL (bad cholesterol) levels were significantly lowered by the consumption of Pistachios.
- A very rich source of potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and copper, these nuts are essential for maintaining the mineral balance in the body.
You can make it a practice of consuming 20-30 nuts close to 4 times a week to enjoy the benefits of these highly acclaimed nuts.