Pistachios help lower blood pressure, counteract chronic inflammation levels and help keep cholesterol under control with benefits for the health of the body, heart and immune system. This is what emerges from several very recent scientific studies, such as the review published in the British Journal of Nutrition by an American and Iranian team (Asbaghi et al, British Journal of Nutrition, 2020).
Pistachios are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, proteins, fibers, minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, vitamins, such as D, E and K, phytosterols, lutein, anthocyanins and phenols. What emerges from the research is that pistachios have an anti-obesity action, since they increase the sense of satiety. Not only that, thanks to the compounds they provide, they protect the heart and reduce cardiovascular risk. In fact, it has been shown that a portion of pistachios a day, about 10 grams, consumed for more than two weeks contributes to a decrease in systolic pressure by almost 5 mmHg. This result is remarkable since, as also pointed out by the authors of the study, even a decrease of 2 mmHg in systolic pressure reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 4%. Consuming pistachios also helps reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride values ??while increasing good cholesterol. Pistachios also have an anti-inflammatory action since they reduce some indicators of inflammation such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, both in the roasted and raw form (Paterniti et al, Nutrients, 2017). Finally, pistachios support the immune system even when it is weakened by stressful conditions (Nieman et al, PLoS One, 2014).
