Move over almonds and walnuts. Pistas have more health benefits to offer

There’s probably no doctor or nutritionist in the world, who doesn’t rave about the benefits of consuming nuts. From getting healthy skin and hair to promoting weight loss and even boosting immunity, a handful of nuts can do wonders to your health.

What’s a bit weird about this fitness mantra is the fact that almonds and walnuts happen to be the most glorified of the lot, making the good-old pistachios take a backseat.

But you know what? You’ve got to stop underestimating these nuts because the health benefits of pistachios are aplenty and can put the best of the nuts to shame. Take a look.

Pistachios are weight-loss friendly
According to the data presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 28 grams of pistachios contain just about 159 calories compared to 185 calories present in the same quantity of their more-glorified counterpart—walnuts. 

So, when you’re adding pistachios to your diet, you’re basically saving on some 25 odd calories. Now, this might not seem like a big number, but come to burn 25 calories and you’ll know the effort it takes.

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Moreover, if you’re trying to lean on protein sources to retain or strengthen your muscles, eating pistachios can be your best bet. Because as per a study, published in the journal Nutrition Today, pistachios are packed with protein and their amino acid content is higher than any other nut on planet Earth. 

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For the uninitiated, amino acids are the building blocks of protein that help your body build and grow muscle. And just to remind you, the more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism becomes and the more quickly you’re likely to lose weight.

Additionally, pistachios are also rich in the hard-to-digest fibre, which means that eating them can keep you full for a long time and prevent unnecessary food cravings.

They’re God’s gift to your gut health
The high fibre content of the pistachios also makes them a blessing for your gut as the digestion of fibre requires good bacteria from the gut to act upon it and break it into short-chain fatty acids, or so, says a study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition. 

Also, read: Here’s a nourishing masala dalia recipe to keep your gut healthy

Pistachios are your heart’s best friend
Several studies, including the one, published in the journal Acta BioMedica, have found pistachios to be super-effective in reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol in the body. 

That’s not it. As per a study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating pistachios can lower blood pressure considerably, making it a boon for people, who typically suffer from high blood pressure.

The combo of these benefits mean that pistachios are great for your heart health as controlled blood pressure and cholesterol levels decrease the risk of cardiac issues like heart attacks.

Also, read: Heart disease hits busy working women the hardest. Control your risk factors to stay heart-healthy

Pistachios are immunity-boosters
A study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, claims that pistachios are higher in antioxidants than most other nuts. Which is exactly why they prevent cell damage, boost immunity and reduce the risk of you getting cancer and other diseases as well!

Also, read: Trust these 5 desi superfoods to boost your immunity this winter

In fact, they can even protect your eyes from damage by blue light and other age-related factors. What more do you want from life?

They can lower your blood sugar levels too
Surely, pistachios are high-energy nuts, but the fact that they have a low glycaemic index makes them the promoters of healthy blood sugar levels, as per a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

This basically means that upon consumption, pistachios don’t cause a large spike in the blood-sugar levels and can thus, effectively manage them in the long run.