Pistachios are a very healthy, nutritious and tasty snack for in between meals. In this article, you can find out more about the “happy nut”, what you should be aware of when buying and eating them, and what they can be used for.
What are pistachios?
Strictly speaking, pistachios are not nuts at all, but belong to the drupe family, whereby we only eat the seed and discard the shell that surrounds it. They grow on deciduous trees that belong to the sumac family, just like the mango or cashew, for example.
Pistachio trees can grow to be over 300 years old and reach a height of up to 12 meters. However, they are kept much smaller when cultivated on plantations.
The name pistachio is derived from the Latin “pistacia vera” which means “green almond”.
The pistachio gets its nickname the “smiling nut” or “happy nut” as the shell opens sideways at the seam during drying.
best Properties of raw pistachios
Where do pistachios come from?
People used to cultivate pistachio trees and consume the fruits in the Middle East probably going back as far as the Neolithic period, more than 10,000 years ago. In the early days, they were a delicacy, reserved exclusively for the nobility.
Pistachios were used as a dye and were even considered a remedy for toothache and cirrhosis of the liver. Over the course of time, they made their way to other countries through trading routes and enjoyed great popularity due to their long shelf life and high nutritional value.
They reached Italy during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius, making it to the USA at long last in the 19th century.
Pistachios: nutritional facts and calories
Below you will find an overview of the main nutritional values of pistachios, from the calories to the healthy vitamins they contain.
| Nutritional values | 100 grams pistachios |
|---|---|
| Calories | 602 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Fat content | 52 g |
| Carbs | 12 g |
| Minerals | |
| Sodium | 5 mg |
| Potassium | 1020 mg |
| Calcium | 135 mg |
| Magnesium | 160 mg |
| Phosphate | 500 mg |
| Iron | 7.3 mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Beta-carotene | 150 µg |
| Vitamin E | 5.2 mg |
| Vitamin C | 7 mg |
| Folic acid | 60 µg |
Health Benefits of Pistachios
Pistachios contain a lot of nutrients, meaning they are extremely healthy, and can also help with a variety of physical ailments or even prevent disease. Read on to find out more about how pistachios can benefit your health.
Pistachios can prevent cardiovascular disease
Pistachios are high in unsaturated fatty acids, which are especially good for the heart and blood vessels. As such, they can help lower your cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organization also recommends consuming more potassium if you have high blood pressure, and pistachios have plenty of this.
Diabetes patients, in particular, have high levels of triglyceride and these can be noticeably reduced by consuming pistachios, as can excessive blood sugar levels.
Many diabetics also suffer from having certain gut bacteria, which can also be reduced by eating pistachios.
Pistachios can reduce the risk of cancer
Due to their high gamma-tocopherol content, pistachios have a positive effect on the prevention of certain types of cancer, including lung cancer, for example. Gamma-tocopherol is a component of vitamin E and protects against premature cell ageing, meaning that it also conducive to softer skin.
Due to their positive influence on certain gut bacteria, pistachios can reduce the risk of colon cancer as well as improve digestion.
Pistachios can help you lose weight
Although you might not suspect it due to their high fat content, pistachios can be excellent at helping you lose weight. First and foremost, they contain a lot of healthy fats that burn existing fatty deposits in the body.
Secondly, your body does not completely absorb their fats, meaning that they do not make you gain any weight, and they even keep you full for a long period of time.
However, you should not consume pistachios as an addition to your usual diet as they are high in calories. Eat them as a substitute for chocolate or chips instead.
Thanks to their high protein content, pistachios can also help you build muscle.
Top tip: if you buy pistachios with the shells still on, this will stop you eating them too quickly, as you’ll have to unshell them before popping them in your mouth. This will make you eat more slowly and more consciously, and your body will have more time to realize when it feels full.
The benefits of pistachios for your skin
The high content of vitamin E in pistachios also has a positive impact on your skin. What are known as phenolic compounds work as antioxidants to make pistachios a natural skincare product. They are capable of destroying free radicals, which can cause premature ageing.
In fact, pistachio oil is used in many skincare products as it is a potent antioxidant, and using pistachios in your skincare routine will make your skin glow, help to control acne and improve your skin elasticity.
The benefits of pistachios in pregnancy
During pregnancy and when breastfeeding, a woman’s body needs more folic acid, a B vitamin. Pistachios alone cannot cover this need completely, but they still contain a lot of the vitamin.
In addition, the high protein content helps to build and maintain muscle. This is not only good for the pregnant woman, but also for the embryo.
The benefits of pistachios for men
The vitamin E in pistachios helps improve the function of the male sex organ and reduces how much estrogen the male body produces. Pistachios are also popular among men as they can help increase sperm count.
Pistachios contain a healthy amount of L-arginine, which the body uses to create nitric oxide. This helps to promote blood flow when erect.
What’s more, they are one of the few foods that are considered to have aphrodisiac properties, leading to better sexual vitality, especially in men.
Pistachios Before Bed
Pistachios have a relatively high content of melatonin, a hormone that is produced by the brain and shapes your sleep pattern.
The level of melatonin in your body fluctuates, tending to be low in the morning and increasing throughout the day. It reaches its peak at night and your body tells you when it is time to go to bed.
Unfortunately, your melatonin level can be easily affected by stress or too little light during the day. If your melatonin level is too low, your brain and body can no longer tell when it’s time to go to sleep.
And this is where pistachios can come in. Eating a handful of pistachios before going to bed will boost your natural melatonin level and can make you toss and turn less during the night.
Properties of raw pistachios
Conclusion: Are Pistachios Good for You?
In conclusion, pistachios have many benefits for your health. They have a positive influence on your blood sugar level, can prevent cardiovascular diseases by lowering your cholesterol level, help you lose weight and promote a healthy cell structure and thus healthy skin as they contain important minerals and vitamins.
Pistachios are beneficial for the health of pregnant women and their fetus, while for men they improve sperm quality and have an aphrodisiac effect.
What’s more, they can help regulate your melatonin level and thus improve your sleep.
So, to sum up: yes, pistachios are good for you.
But before you get excited and start eating your weight in pistachios, you should first inform yourself about the possible side effects that can occur when you eat too many. Read on to find out more.