Are pistachios good for you? The pistachio nut is a very popular type of food that many might be familiar with as a snack. The pistachio plant itself is reported to be a desert plant, that is very able to cope with saline soil – it is said that long and hot summers are necessary for proper fruit ripening. In terms of the way that the kernel may be eaten, this can either be fresh, roasted or also salted – they may be used in unusual items such as ice cream or halva; in America, they are used to make pistachio salad. Globally, it is reported that China is the main consumer around the world at 80,000 tonnes yearly.
It is reported that in July of 2003, the FDA accepted the claim that nuts such as pistachios in conjunction with a low saturated fat and cholesterol diet might reduce the danger of heart disease. At Pennsylvania State University, pistachios largely lowered amounts of low-densitylipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) whilst also making antioxidant amounts higher in serum of volunteers. It has also been reported by studies that 32-63 grams each day of pistachios can to a large extent increase plasma levels for lutein, as well as alpha-carotene, additionally beta-carotene and finally gamma-tocopherol.
Furthermore, as regards the question: “Are Pistachios Good For You?” for specific nutritional constituents of pistachios, in analysis of 100 g of dry roasted nuts, which did not have salt added to them, the calorie amount was 571 kcal, carbohydrates 27.65 g, fat 45.97 g and protein 21.35 g. In terms of the B vitamin content, they are said to have 0.84 mg of vitamin B1 (US RDA 73%), 0.158 mg of vitamin B2 (13%), 1.425 mg of vitamin B3 (10%), 0.513 mg of vitamin B5 (10%), 1.274 mg of vitamin B6 (98%), and finally 50 µg of vitamin B9 (13%). Some of the other constituents are calcium at 110 mg or 11%, iron at 4.2 mg or 32%, magnesium at 120 mg or 34%, phosphorus at 485 mg or 69%, potassium at 1042 mg or 22% and zinc at 2.3 mg or 24%.
(reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistachio)
