How Your Body Changes When You Start Eating More Pistachios

Weight control, improved cholesterol and gut health, benefits to your cognitive functioning, and way more for our well-being — these tiny little nuts hide some huge potential inside them. Not only are pistachios delicious, but they also contain a lot of useful elements that our bodies strive for. Whether added to your dishes or just eaten as a snack, they deserve to be included in everyone’s meal plan.

Bright Side is a big fan of healthy foods, and we are constantly in search of some new options that taste good and do good things for our body. So, we’re putting pistachios in the spotlight!

1. You get enriched with nutrients.

These nuts contain healthy elements like fiber, protein, carbs, healthy fats, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B6, copper, and manganese. They have lower calories in comparison to many other nuts yet they make the perfect daily snack. It’s recommended to eat one serving (a handful) of pistachios per day. And remember, it’s better if they’re unsalted.

2. Your cholesterol levels can get reduced.

Pistachios are also rich in antioxidants which help to protect cells from free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells, causing illness and aging). Thanks to these antioxidants, these nuts are good for those with high cholesterol who wish to reduce it. A small study was conducted, where participants ate 1-2 small servings of pistachios over 4 weeks, and in the end, they experienced lower “bad” cholesterol levels.

3. Your eye health improves.

Other useful elements that are hidden in pistachios are lutein and zeaxanthin, which are both powerful antioxidants that have a good effect on eye health. They can lower the chances of developing vision-related issues, as well as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

4. You can forget about digestive tract issues.

Since pistachios are rich in fiber, they are also good for your digestive system. Fiber is needed for colon cells to stay healthy, to keep the digestive tract flowing, and to prevent digestive disorders like constipation. A small study was done, and the results showed that consuming pistachios can improve the gut’s microflora composition.

5. You will be able to maintain a healthy weight.

Nuts are awesome products for weight loss in general. If you eat them regularly, you gain more control and they help prevent you from gaining weight. Another study was done, and the results found that the participants who ate pistachios as snacks had their body mass index reduced, in comparison with people who ate pretzels. So don’t forget to include them in your daily snack menu!

6. Your sugar levels get balanced out.

A small group of people participated in a study where they combined white bread, which is rich in carbohydrates, with pistachios. It turned out that these nuts reduced the high blood sugar after consuming the bread. So it’s a good idea to add them to your meals too, especially if you are used to eating foods like rice, pasta, and mashed potatoes, which are also high in carbohydrates.

7. Your body can fall asleep faster.

Nuts contain one of the highest concentrations of melatonin, also called the “sleep hormone.” This is a very important one, as it regulates our sleep-wake cycle and helps us to relax and fall asleep faster. In the evening, when the sun goes down, our bodies start producing more melatonin to help us fall asleep, but people who don’t have enough of it, have sleep issues. Eating some pistachios before bedtime can help you solve this problem.

8. Your brain functionality improves.

Thanks to their healthy elements, nuts are excellent supplements for our brain. A study found out that eating nuts on a regular basis benefits key brain functions, and pistachios appeared to be among one of the best nuts for this. For example, eating them is critical for enhancing memory and learning, cognitive processes, perception, and even rapid eye movement during sleep.

What other nuts do you enjoy eating? Let’s discuss our preferences in the comment section!