Medicinal Benefits
Current status of research on monounsaturated fats
in nuts demonstrates that eating pistachios can play a
role in lowering coronary heart disease risk by
decreasing both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol
levels.
Medical studies published result that should encourage
us all to eat a 3 to 3 1/2-ounce serving of nuts five or
more times a week. Those participants who ate pistachio
nuts five times a week throughout the study showed a
decrease in their LDL (the bad cholesterol) levels as
well as total cholesterol levels. Those with lower
cholesterol readings were at a lower risk for heart
attack. It may be interesting to note that in spite of
the intake of 35% of calories from primarily
monounsaturated fat, participants showed no significant
weight increase.
Pistachios are rich in phytosterols, known for lowering
blood cholesterol. Animal studies have shown that
phytosterols may have anti-cancer properties.
Minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium,
found in pistachios are important in maintaining normal
blood pressure.
Nutrition
Just 47 pistachios, a one-ounce serving, contain 13
grams of predominantly monounsaturated fat and no
cholesterol. All nuts, including pistachios, contain
some saturated fat but are considered low in saturated
fat. Fats are a concentrated source of energy and play
an important role in assisting the body to absorb
fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, E, D, and K.
Pistachios are the richest source of potassium of all
the nut family. The potassium content of one ounce of
pistachios is equal to that of one orange, a whopping
310 mg. Two ounces of pistachios contain more potassium
than one medium banana. More of the pistachio's
nutritional attributes for one ounce include 2 mg.
vitamin C, 66 IU vitamin A, 44.9 mg magnesium, 16.5 mcg
folic acid, 1.9 mg. iron, 38.3 mg. calcium, 5.8 g
protein, and 3.1 g dietary fiber.
That single ounce of pistachios carries more than 10% of
the Daily Value for dietary fiber, vitamin B6, thiamine,
magnesium, phosphorous, and copper.
In comparing raw pistachios to dry roasted, you will
find that some nutrients are diminished when the nuts
are dry roasted, such as only 19.8 mg vitamin C, .9 mg
iron, 36.9 mg. magnesium, and 275 mg. potassium compared
to the higher figures noted above.
