If you only know the small green kernels ground in ice or finely chopped in mortadella, you are missing out on a lot! Pistachios are considered a special delicacy in all the world and throughout the Orient for a good reason – and they also have some health benefits to offer.
The soft, cream-colored pistachios kernels taste slightly sweet, intensely nutty, and have a pleasing, buttery aroma.
Whether as a salty snack, noble decoration on pralines, ice cream, or a spicy dip, pistachios come across in a wide variety of facets.
The pistachio belongs to the sumac family and, in the botanical sense, is not a nut but the pistachio tree’s stone fruit. The pistachio tree can reach up to a height of 12 meters and is up to 300 years old.
Its roots can extend up to 15 meters deep into the earth. The core of the pistachio has a thin but hard shell. The seed has brownish skin and a light green interior.
The rule here is: the greener, the higher the quality. About a month before the stone fruit ripens, its peel pops open to the side, which is why the Iranians also called it “the smiling pistachio.”
It has a sweetish, almond-like, and yet very spicy taste.
Are pistachios acidic? Yes, pistachios are non basic stone fruit but are often classified as nuts in everyday life, and if you are acting on an alkaline diet, you should avoid it. Pistachios are generally not harmful to health, but toxic substances can form unfavorable harvesting and storage conditions. Aflatoxin, in particular, can become a problem here. It arises as a metabolic product of mold and is suspected of being carcinogenic. Even minor amounts can be harmful to health and should therefore be avoided.
Care must be taken during harvest and processing so the pistachios do not touch the ground and are processed quickly.
It would help if you stored pistachios with their shell as dry and calm as possible at home. You can enjoy them safely for a few months, while pistachios rapidly spoil and become rancid at higher temperatures or even room temperature. When wet, pistachios mold promptly and form the dreaded aflatoxin.
5 Core Health Benefit of Pistachios
- Strengthen The Bones:The combination of 500 milligrams of phosphorus and1 30 milligrams of calcium in pistachios provides the ideal building material for firm bones and healthy teeth.
- Lower High Blood Lipid Levels: Pistachios are perfect for anyone with a high cholesterol level, as their omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lesser fat levels in the blood. The dietary fiber present in pistachios also contributes to this effect. They bind harmful LDL cholesterol in the intestines to be easily excreted.
- Good CO2 Balance: With emissions of less than 130 grams per 100 grams, pistachios have a suitable carbon footprint. The CO2 values are based on the IFEU Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg calculations and were individually stable for each food item as “average food” as sold in Germany. They consider the production location, method, associated processing, transports, and packaging storage proportionally. The emissions of all greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) were considered and converted into CO2 equivalents. In simplified terms, however, only CO2 is used.
- Provide Unsaturated Fatty Acids: Ninety percent of the fats in pistachios are unsaturated. Some of the fatty acids can help rebalance high cholesterol. However, the small kernels provide a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, which, together with omega-3 fatty acids, are involved in a sensitive neurotransmitter cycle. If you often eat pistachios, you should ensure that you also consume enough omega-3-containing foods, such as flaxseed, walnuts, and salmon.
- Promote Blood Formation: Pistachios are particularly cheap for women and vegetarians, and vegans in particular: They provide around 7 milligrams of iron per 100 grams – that’s more than some types of meat! The body needs iron for blood formation; it protects against exhaustion and tiredness.
Is It A Natural Food For The Nerves?
With pistachios, you can slow down stress, relax more quickly and become calmer overall. The reason is the mix of different B vitamins, plenty of magnesium, and tryptophan contained in pistachios, from which the body can produce the so-called happiness substance serotonin.
Can Pistachios Help You Lose Weight?
Although pistachios contain a lot of fat: They can still be used to lose weight, even very effectively: In a test, US scientists had overweight participants snacked on either 60 grams of savory snacks or 45 grams of pistachios a day. Despite the higher amount of fat and calories, it was found that with pistachios, the test subjects not only lost weight faster but were also more likely to achieve a lower BMI.
Can Pistachios Prevent Cancer ?
According to recent research, the substances found in pistachios can reduce cancer risk by around 15 percent. The prerequisite: you should nibble pistachios and other nuts regularly.
What Other Things Are Pistachios Good For?
1.- Because of several of its nutrients, including vitamin E, it can help to prevent or treat cognitive impairment (such as memory loss, difficulty maintaining attention, or processing speed).
2.- Due to their high fiber, potassium, and magnesium content, pistachios may be helpful in the prevention of diabetes.
3.- Due to the available vitamin E content, they help us have younger skin and delay the appearance of wrinkles.
4.- The very same vitamin, as a result of engaging as an antioxidant and slowing cellular aging, also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
5.- Because they participated in B vitamins, especially vitamin B6, pistachios help us maintain energy and combat fatigue.
6.- They are a category of dried fruit that really can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In general, they are very good at protecting our hearts due to the high concentration of flavonoids they contain.
7.- Pistachios are a portion of vital food for people who want to incorporate a more significant amount of vegetable protein into their diet.
8.- Pistachios are a great source of folates that help prevent development problems in the fetus during pregnancy and are also an essential nutrient during lactation.
9.- Due to their high fiber content, pistachios are excellent allies of intestinal health: they help maintain good intestinal transit, fight constipation, and prevent colon cancer.
10.- Pistachios are a great vegetable source of calcium, a mineral that is especially important during the growth of boys and girls and for women after menopause.
11.- Because they are a highly concentrated food and keep us satiated for longer, They help prevent obesity.
12.- Pistachios help us stop or prevent iron deficiency anemia. These nuts, along with sunflower seeds or sunflower seeds, are the ones with the highest amount of iron. Pistachios should be consumed with foods high in vitamin C to ensure proper iron absorption.
Final Thought
Pistachios are susceptible to poisonous molds (aflatoxins) that cannot be seen with the naked eye. It would help if you preferred pistachios in the shell and bright green color when shopping. Also important: do not eat musty-tasting pistachios, but dispose of them.
All nuts provide many essential nutrients to our health, but within the diverse group, pistachios are one of the complete varieties. These are rich in protein (of every 100 grams, 20 are), vitamin A and E, potassium, and iron. The latter is critical because, within nuts, pistachios stand out for their high contribution of iron, which for every 100 grams is 7.2 mg.
The pistachios fall within that group of “healthy snacks” that can leave them feeling hungry between meals and not neglect our diet. They are a perfect option for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, as they are satisfying and, thanks to being rich in healthy fats, they provide us with energy.