The pistachio, a member of the Anacardiaceae family, comes from a small tree native to Iran. Being close to the Spice Route, the pistachio was soon grown throughout the Middle East and Europe, where it thrived in Syria, Turkey, Tunisia, India, Sicily, and Afghanistan. Archeologists have found evidence which suggests the pistachio has been cultivated for nearly 9,000 years and was a staple crop of the ancient city of Babylon.

PISTACHIO BENEFITS

Eating pistachios is always a great idea because they contain several key nutrients that our bodies need for healthy functioning. They contain high numbers of healthy fats, plenty of antioxidants, loads of fiber and protein. Pistachios are also considered as one of the foods richest in vitamin B6 which helps to form hemoglobin (carrying oxygen in our red blood cells) and to regulate blood sugar levels. In fact, they are so rich in potassium that they have more potassium than you’d find in a banana!

Pistachios are loaded with all sorts of nutrients. An ounce of pistachios, which equates to roughly 50 of them, will provide you with a hefty dose of vitamin B6, phosphorus, thiamin and manganese, and a decent amount of copper and potassium.

IMMUNE SYSTEM

Vitamin B6 also helps the body to build strong immunity and, if you consume pistachios on a daily basis, you are helping your body to fight off viruses and bacteria.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Since pistachio nuts contain high levels of the essential vitamins A and E (which have excellent anti-inflammatory properties), they can help your body to reduce inflammation in any area and are a great natural alternative to regular anti-inflammatories.

ANTICANCER

The antioxidants in pistachios are unusually easy for the stomach to digest, so no nutrients are wasted! This is great news because the tocopherols and polyphenols in pistachios help to prevent heart disease and cancer.

EYES HEALTHY

It is important to take care of your eye’s health and pistachios help you to do this by supplying large quantities of zeaxanthin and lutein which both help to keep our eyes healthy.

DIGESTIVE TRACTS

One of the health advantages of pistachios is that it is an excellent method of obtaining dietary fiber, which will help in the smooth digestion of food. A serving of about 1 ounce or 30 grams of pistachios consists of about 3 grams of dietary fiber, more than enough to obtain your digestive tracts working at optimum capacity.

WEIGHT LOSS

For those on a weight loss program, eating pistachios is highly beneficial because their high protein and fiber content keeps you fuller for longer and can help to keep cravings for unhealthy foods at bay. Helping you to digest your food better, only 30 g (or 1 ounce) of pistachio nuts contains a whopping 3 g of dietary fiber, meaning it will help your gut to work at maximum capacity.

If you thought pistachios had a high calorie count, think again! As nuts, they are wonderfully low in calories and have a high protein count (around 20%), making them the second most protein-dense nut. Of course, they also have a very high ratio of amino acids which cannot be made by the body. The most important amino acid in the body, L-arginine forms 2% of pistachios and it is converted into nitric acid to help with blood flow.

It goes without saying that pistachios are a delicious and popular snack. Why not try cooking or baking with them as well for a wonderful, purple or green color as natural food coloring?

Let’s try our recipe and enjoy of this superfood,

Superfood Recipe: Pistachio Pudding

pistachio pudding recipe

Source: “I love pistachio website“