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Frequently Asked Questions

Are pistachios heart healthy?

Are pistachios heart healthy?

Pistachios are included in the FDA qualified health claim for nuts and heart health: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts such as pistachios as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. [See nutrition information for fat content.]".

Most of the fat found in pistachios is the healthy mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Pistachios also offer the highest levels of phytosterols among snack nuts and have a greater antioxidant capacity than most other snack nuts.

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References

  1. Rainey CJ, Nyquist, Food Research Inc., Los Angeles. Unpublished original research 2006
  2. Wu et al, "Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States," J. Agric Food Chemi, 52 (12), 4026-4037
  3. Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, 3rd Edition, Roberta Duyff
  4. Institute of Medicine, 2002a. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. Washington , DC: National Academy Press
  5. American Chemical Society, "Sunflower seeds, pistachios among top nuts for lowering cholesterol," Dec. 7, 2005.
  6. Wu et al, "Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States," J. Agric Food Chemi, 52 (12), 4026-4037
  7. Institute of Medicine, 2004. "Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate." Washington DC
  8. "Trans fat share attack on Americans' hearts," USA Today, accessed online Feb. 23, 2007
  9. "Trans Fatty Acids," AmericanHeart.org, accessed online Mar. 5, 2007
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  11. Seeram NP, Aviram M, Zhang Y, Henning SM et al. Comparison of Antioxidant Potency of Commonly Consumed Polyphenol-Rich Beverages in the United States. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 27;56(4):1415-1422.
  12. Painter, J. The Pistachio Principle: Calorie Reduction Without Calorie Restriction. Weight Management Matters, 6(2),8.
  13. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. (2007). USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Beltsville, MD: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory.
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