Why Should Pistachio Be a Regular Food in Our Diet?

Abstract

The pistachio is regarded as a relevant source of biologically active components that, compared to other nuts, possess a healthier nutritional profile with low-fat content composed mainly of monounsaturated fatty acids, a high source of vegetable protein and dietary fibre, remarkable content of minerals, especially potassium, and an excellent source of vitamins, such as vitamins C and E. A rich composition in terms of phytochemicals, such as tocopherols, carotenoids, and, importantly, phenolic compounds, makes pistachio a powerful food to explore its involvement in the prevention of prevalent pathologies. Although pistachio has been less explored than other nuts (walnut, almonds, hazelnut, etc.), many studies provide evidence of its beneficial effects on CVD risk factors beyond the lipid-lowering effect. The present review gathers recent data regarding the most beneficial effects of pistachio on lipid and glucose homeostasis, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and inflammation that essentially convey a protective/preventive effect on the onset of pathological conditions, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, CVD, and cancer. Likewise, the influence of pistachio consumption on gut microbiota is reviewed with promising results. However, population nut consumption does not meet current intake recommendations due to the extended belief that they are fattening products, their high cost, or teething problems, among the most critical barriers, which would be solved with more research and information.

Plant-Based Nutrition: Exploring Health Benefits for Atherosclerosis, Chronic Diseases, and Metabolic Syndrome—A Comprehensive Review

“…An 8-week cross-over feeding trial demonstrated that walnuts consumption as a substitute for 32% of the energy from MUFAs in a cholesterol-lowering Mediterranean diet improves vascular endothelial function [ 120 ]. A hazelnut-enriched diet for four weeks has also shown a significantly improved FMD in hypercholesterolemic subjects, besides improving TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglycerides), LDL, and HDL as well oxidized LDL, CRP (c-reactive protein), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 compared with the control diet [ 121 ].…”

Transformative Insights: Break Up with Salt (BUWS) Program’s Short-Term Influence on Hypertension Risk Factors

“…Similarly, BUWS participation appears to have positively influenced dietary fat and sodium, aligning with DASH [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 14 ] and a healthier eating pattern in general [ 39 ]. BUWS session discussions covered healthy fats such as oils and nuts, prior to which participants might not have understood or acknowledged as “healthy” fats [ 41 ].…”

Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives—A Future Direction to the Milky Way

“…The protein digestibility corrected amino acids score (PDCAAS) of roasted pistachio is higher than the PDCAAS of raw pistachio (81 and 73), while the digestible indispensable amino acids score (DIAAS) of roasted pistachio is smaller than the DIAAS of raw pistachio (83 and 86); thus, pistachio nuts can be considered a good protein source [76]. In a study by Baer et al (2011) [77], the gross energy of this nut ranged between 29 and 46 kJ/g, which is higher than the recommended energy density of a healthy diet; however, it also indicated that these nuts do not contribute to a higher BMI (body mass index) value, reduce the overall BMI (lipids absorbed inadequately), and provide additional beneficial effects on health [78].…”