The nutritional content of pistachios is nothing short of amazing. This tiny green nut packs essential nutrients in so few calories and provides really amazing health benefits that if someone were to have to choose one single nut to eat for nutritional benefits for the rest of their life pistachios could very well do the job.
The nuts have been a popular delicacy in the Middle East where they originate for thousands of years, and they’re even mentioned in the Old Testament.
Until after World War II, pistachios remained inaccessible to many people, mainly due to the trees being cultivated only in certain countries, which made importation difficult, but also because of pricing – they were and still remain some of the most expensive, although popular, snacks.
Pistachios in America
Brought to America in the 1880s, pistachios took awhile to grow here. People had experimented with pistachio trees for tens of years before commercial cultivation finally proved successful in 1976.
Pistachio production has increased to a large extent in America, and now the country doesn’t just produce for the domestic front but also exports to places all across the world. There are over 300,000 acres of pistachio trees in the U.S. and California, New Mexico and Arizona grows 99 percent of them.
The industry is big and rewarding: pistachios bring over $1.6 billion dollars to the economy, but most importantly, they bring multiple health benefits to people who consume them regularly. Nutritionists recognize them as the healthiest of all nuts.
Pistachios Nutrition Content
Here is the nutritional information valid for 100 grams pistachio nuts, dry roasted and salt-free.
Vitamins
Vitamin A 262 IU
Vitamin C 2.3 mg
Vitamin E 1.9 mg
Vitamin K 13.2 mcg
Thiamin 0.8 mg
Riboflavin 0.2 mg
Niacin 1.4 mg
Vitamin B6 1.3 mg
Folate 50.0 mcg
Pantothenic acid 0.5 mg
Choline 71.4 mg
Betaine 0.8 mg
Minerals
Calcium 110 mg
Iron 4.2 mg
Magnesium 120 mg
Phosphorus 485 mg
Potassium 1042 mg
Sodium 10.0 mg
Zinc 2.3 mg
Copper 1.3 mg
Manganese 1.3 mg
Selenium 9.3 mcg
Pistachios are high in protein, the nuts provide 43 percent of the daily recommended value per 100 grams serving size and include 27.7 grams carbohydrates of which 10.3 represent dietary fiber and 7.8 sugars.
Pistachios contain 46 grams fat but are extremely low in cholesterol, and most of the fat content represents monounsaturated fatty acids, which is healthy fat that has positive effects on overall health.
Health benefits of pistachios
Several factors contribute to pistachio nuts offering so many health benefits. They are pack-full of vitamins and nutrients with many of them available in high amounts.
- More potassium than a banana;
- Three times more fiber than broccoli;
- More protein than cooked halibut.
But what makes pistachio nuts so very healthy is also the antioxidant content, particularly the oleic acid which is a monounsaturated fatty acid and an antioxidant that increases the level of good cholesterol in the blood and protects against coronary artery disease and other heart-related conditions.
Improved heart health isn’t the single important benefit that pistachios provide.
Loaded with nutrients such as vitamin E, folate, and B-complex vitamins, pistachio nuts protect against damage from free radicals which are known to deteriorate cell membranes and cause cancer among other diseases.
Vitamin E is beneficial for the skin, and thus pistachios fight against signs of aging and protect the skin from ultraviolet rays, having the ability to prevent skin cancer when eaten regularly.
High in phosphorus – one cup serving size providing 60 percent of the daily recommended intake, pistachio nuts can prevent type-2-diabetes.
Pistachios are a great post-exercise snack, the nuts supplying the body with adequate amounts of essential nutrients for recovering after intense workout. The antioxidant content in pistachios protects against muscle damage and sore muscles while the potassium content replenishes whatever amount of this electrolyte is lost during fitness routines.