Pistachios: properties and benefits for your health
Pistachios are fruits full of beneficial properties for the health of our body. Their nutritional values bring numerous benefits for our heart, for the nervous system, against bad cholesterol, free radicals and much more.
Pistachios are oil seeds contained within the pistachio fruit (whose scientific name is "Pistacia vera"), a shrub that belongs to the Anacardiaceae family and is grown mainly in the Middle East, but also in the United States and the Mediterranean (species in Sicily, where the Bronte pistachios are particularly renowned, protected by the DOP brand: "Pistacchio Verde di Bronte").
To benefit from the incredible properties of pistachios, just consume them plain, but they can also be eaten roasted and salted or used as an ingredient for many different recipes, from ice cream to sauces and condiments. But be careful: like all dried fruit, pistachios contain a lot of calories, so it's always good not to abuse them!
Let's find out together everything there is to know about the properties and benefits of pistachios, their nutritional values, calories, the best recipes to consume them and advice regarding their consumption, especially if you are on a diet. In the meantime, here you are in this video the recipe for tasty banana, pistachio and raspberry sweets!
Pistachios: properties and nutritional values
Pistachios are commonly referred to as dried fruit, although in reality they are rather oil seeds: they are a super-energetic food, a real panacea for the health of our body! Of course, they have a lot of calories: 100 grams of pistachios contain 562. These calories are mainly given by fats, but also by proteins and carbohydrates.
The lipids contained in pistachios are mostly unsaturated: the omega 6 and omega 9 fats (linoleic acid and oleic acid) provide these seeds with high nutritional values. Their beneficial properties are given by the high intake of fiber, while they are completely free of gluten and lactose. They are rich in vitamins such as vitamin B1 (also called thiamine), niacin and pyridoxine (vitamin B6), vitamin A , vitamin E and vitamin K. Among the other nutritional values of pistachios we find a high content of mineral salts, full of benefits for our health: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper and selenium.
Warning: like all dried fruit, pistachios can easily cause allergies.
All the benefits of pistachios
The benefits of pistachios, as anticipated, are really many. First of all, they help to lower bad cholesterol: the presence of unsaturated fats and phytosterols allows to decrease the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, representing a valid help for the entire cardiovascular system.
Pistachios, in fact, are a real panacea for heart health, thanks above all to the presence of vitamin E, capable of protecting and strengthening the walls of blood vessels, as well as - obviously - lowering bad cholesterol in the blood.
Vitamin B6, then, is very useful for the health of the nervous system, because it helps the synthesis of some neurotransmitters and the synthesis of myelin, a substance that protects the nervous system itself. The antioxidants present among the nutritional properties of pistachios are excellent anticancer, because they help fight free radicals.
The beneficial properties of pistachios do not stop there: these seeds help protect our skin from aging (counteracting free radicals) and nourish dry skin with their lipids. They then protect vision, improving the health of your eyes. , and help to lower blood glucose levels, representing a valid support for those suffering from diabetes.
Furthermore, dietary fibers are very important for the well-being and health of the intestine: they prevent or treat constipation and promote intestinal regularity. They also offer a sense of satiety that allows you to eat less.
Pistachios: contraindications and diet
Pistachios have no real contraindications, but excessive consumption is certainly not recommended for those suffering from overweight or obesity problems: their calorie content is, as we have said, very high and sporadic consumption would be better. If you are on a diet, in other words, it is better to avoid its consumption for your health!
If, on the other hand, you do not abuse this kind of food and do not have weight problems, pistachios can only be a guarantee of well-being: in the right quantities, its fats only bring benefits! Be careful, however, not to exceed even in this case, because above all taking omega 6 in excess could lead to inflammation.
How to use pistachios in your recipes
In addition to having all these incredible properties, pistachios are also delicious! For this reason they are used a lot in the kitchen, in the most varied ways and recipes. In addition to being eaten plain, or roasted and salted, they can add their distinctive green flavor and color to different types of truly delicious sauces and toppings!
Have you ever tried, for example, pistachio pesto? To make it, just boil some water in a pot, pour the shelled pistachios, cook for 5 minutes and drain, then remove the peel. Put the pistachios in the blender, pour in the olive oil and grated Grana Padano, basil leaves, half a clove of garlic and the grated zest of half a lemon. Turn on the mixer and after a few seconds pour some water. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste and continue to blend the mixture until the cream becomes homogeneous.
Pistachios are used to make ice creams and desserts of all kinds, including delicious Christmas nougats, or to season meats and cold cuts (think of the typical pistachio-flavored mortadella!).
