Modern day health benefits of Pistachio

Feb 26 is World Pistachio Day. Here are some modern day health benefits and fun facts of this wonderful nut.

Did you know that pistachios contain only 3-4 calories per nut? They also offer vital nutrients including more than 30 different vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients making them a great guilt free snack.

Originating from the Middle East, pistachios are one of the oldest flowering nut trees with evidence suggesting that humans were enjoying them as early as 7,000 BC. Pistachios were first planted in California in the 1930s. From this point it took nearly 10 years of careful research and breeding before the California Pistachio — also known as the Kerman variety — was finally perfected.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Lung Cancer: Recently it was revealed that a diet that incorporates a daily dose of pistachios may help reduce the risk of lung and other cancers, according to data presented at the recent American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference.

A Smart Snack for Diabetics:

Researchers from the University of Toronto found that when a handful of pistachios were eaten with a high glycemic index food like white bread, the pistachios helped blunt the rise in blood sugar and reduced hunger-stimulating hormones. That helps control appetite, and is good news for diabetics.

The Skinny Nut:

Overweight and obesity are risk factors for type II diabetes and heart disease. Nutrition experts call pistachios the “skinny nut” because they are one of the lowest calorie, lowest fat and highest fibre nuts offering the most nuts per serving.

Fat Enlightened:

Most of the fat in pistachios is the “good” fat that helps lower the risk of heart disease. In fact, Penn State researchers found that eating one to two handfuls of pistachios a day resulted in a nine to 12 per cent reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.