Health Benefits of Pistachios,

Health Benefits of Pistachios

Nuts are a popular snack and an ingredient in both sweet treats and main dishes. If you like to eat nuts, pistachios are one of the healthier options. They are filled with essential nutrients and have a number of health benefits, helping you to control your body weight and lowering your risk for heart problems.

Benefits of Pistachios-

1.Pistachios are rich source of energy
 100 g of kernels carry 557 calories. Additionally, they compose good amounts of mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and antioxidants. Regular consumption of pistachios in the diet may help lowering total as well as bad LDL cholesterol and increase good HDL cholesterol levels within the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in dietary-fiber, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants can help reduce coronary artery disease and stroke risk by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.

2.Healthy Heart 
One of the biggest health benefits of pistachios is that they are heart-friendly nuts. Research on pistachios suggests that regular pistachio consumption can decrease the levels of bad LDL cholesterol in the body. The antioxidants, phytosterols, unsaturated fatty acids (both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids) are great for promoting a healthy heart.

3.Red blood cell (RBC) prodution
They are the storehouse of minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. 100 g nuts provide 144% of daily-recommended levels of copper. Copper is an essential trace mineral that is required in neuro-transmission, metabolism, as well as red blood cell (RBC) prodution.

4.Defense Against Diabetes
 One of the final health benefits of pistachios is that they function in controlling diabetes. In people suffering from diabetes, the sugars form inappropriate bonds with proteins and make them unusable. This process is known as glycation. The antioxidants present in pistachios help in reducing the process of glycation and thus can help in controlling diabetes.

5.Weight Management
If you like snacking on nuts, you can control your weight by limiting your portions. The fiber content of the nuts may make them more filling, helping you to eat fewer calories later on in the day. A study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" in June 2010 found that participants who consumed 240 calories worth of pistachios for 12 weeks lowered their body mass indexes and triglyceride levels more than those who consumed 220 calories worth of pretzels.