Pistachios on a Diet

Happy Pistachio Day: know its benefits

A dried fruit with so many good health properties deserves a special day, such as the World Pistachio Day, celebrated on February 26. And much more now when incorporated into the new official pyramid of the Mediterranean Diet . Its complete nutritional profile and its importance are the keys by which the Mediterranean Diet Foundation has decided that pistachio should lead the category of nuts in the new pyramid of the Mediterranean Diet.

Prevention of eye diseases

Pistachio Day Among the different healthy benefits of pistachio, its performance in the prevention of eye diseases stands out. In Spain, about one million people have visual health problems. In this sense, Dr. Ramon Estruch, director of the PREDIMED study (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) and senior consultant of the Internal Medicine Service of the Hospital Clínic (Barcelona) highlights that “compared to other nuts, pistachio has a lower amount of fat and energy content, together with a high proportion of fiber (both soluble and insoluble), potassium, vitamins E and K, phytosterols and certain carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, of great importance in the prevention of eye diseases. ”

The expert comments that pistachios, in addition to their protective effects on the cardiovascular system, probably related to their content in polyphenols and vitamin E, stand out for their high content of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, a fact that gives it an important protective action at eye level.

Preferable against cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases

There are many epidemiological and intervention studies that demonstrate the beneficial effects of nuts for health and, especially, for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases.

Regular consumption of pistachios provides:

• It reduces blood pressure (by facilitating the synthesis of nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator).
• It facilitates endothelial function and reduces arterial stiffness (new vascular risk factors).
• Improves the lipid profile (by reducing total cholesterol and especially harmful cholesterol - LDL-cholesterol).
• Reduces the incidence of diabetes (as it is a food with a low glycemic index).
• It promotes the growth of healthy bacteria of the intestinal flora (thanks to its high fiber content that, when fermented, becomes short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate).

All these mechanisms explain that people who frequently consume these nuts have a reduction of almost 20% in total mortality and a reduction close to 30% in the risk of major cardiovascular complications, such as myocardial infarction, cerebral vascular accident or death of cardiovascular cause.

Eating between meals is good

The doctor points out that a study carried out with 1,000 American employees, in which it is observed that the consumption of 42 g of pistachios in the middle of the morning, a moment known as Crunch Time, improves cognitive function, memory learning capacity and the memory, which implies a greater concentration in the work.

The expert also notes that, “protective effects on mortality in general and on cardiovascular disease have been observed with the consumption of a ration of nuts (28 g) equivalent to 49 pistachios between 1 and 7 days a week is achieved a 40% reduction in the risk of suffering from this disease. However, most studies in which the effects of pistachios on lipid profile, hypertension and diabetes have been demonstrated, for example, have been used up to 3 and 4 times this dose (between 70 and 100 g per day). For practical purposes, our recommendation would be to consume a "handful" of pistachios every day, ideally mid-morning and / or mid-afternoon. ”

How is the new pyramid of the Mediterranean Diet?

The Mediterranean Diet Foundation has decided to adapt the traditional food pyramid to new lifestyles. The new scheme incorporates qualitative and quantitative elements in food selection. The new pyramid follows the previous pattern and places at the base, the foods that should support the diet, such as pistachios; at the same time, which relegates to the upper strata, graphically narrower, those that should be consumed in moderation.

Add cultural and social indications, closely linked to the Mediterranean lifestyle from a concept of diet understood in a broad sense. It also reflects the composition and number of portions of the main meals.

15 BENEFITS OF PISTACHIO FOR YOUR HEALTH AND BEAUTY

1. It has a considerable amount of fiber, phonic acid and good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), which reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.
2. Consuming between 30 and 50 grams of pistachios accompanied by other nuts, can reduce the risk of various heart diseases.
3. They help digestion: due to its fiber content, a ration of pistachios regulates intestinal transit.
4. Good for teeth: pistachios contain phosphorus, which strengthens teeth.
5. According to studies from the University of Tarragona, they are the best dried fruit that patients with diabetes can consume, due to their high fiber, beta-carotene and procyanidin content.
6. Its high content of healthy fats, fiber, proteins and antioxidants, work together and improve sexual performance.
7. Reduce stress: being rich in potassium and magnesium, pistachios reduce blood pressure and heart rate.
8. They have lutein, vitamin E and gamma-tocopherol, powerful antioxidants that delay aging and make your skin look healthier.
9. Pistachio oil is a natural moisturizer that keeps your hair healthy, in addition to protecting it from the sun's rays.
10. Protect the skin: pistachios help it regenerate, thanks to its content in vitamin A, E, and B2.
11. Its regular consumption may decrease the IMS (muscle mass index) in hypocaloric diets.
12. They slow down the intake: the pistachio peel causes a reduction in caloric intake, because they work as a visual signal of its consumption.
13. They help suppress hunger and reduce the need for overeating.
14. Several studies testify that people who usually consume them are less likely to be obese. In fact, a portion of pistachios provides only 73 kcal (approximately 18 pistachios).
15. They provide vegetable proteins, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, which make them a highly recommended food for athletes.

FACTS ABOUT PISTACHIOS

• February 26 is World Pistachio Day, for you to celebrate by eating it as a snack.
• Its tree is native to the Middle East, which went on to be cultivated in the Mediterranean and from there to the rest of the world.
• It is one of the oldest nut trees. In fact, a record of its existence is found in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.
• In China it is known as the "happy dried fruit" and in Iran as "smiling dried fruit" (for a reason it will be).
• The pistachio is of a high cost usually, since the plant takes around 7 years to produce the fruit (a long wait for pistachio lovers).