Pistachio nuts offer antioxidants and 18 vitamins and minerals, making them a healthy addition to any diet. Pistachios come shelled, or unshelled. In the United States, they are primarily grown in California. Eat pistachio nuts as a snack, use them in salads, mix them into trail mix or add them to baked goods.
Fats
About 90 percent of the fat in pistachio nuts is heart-healthy. In 1 oz. of nuts, or about 49 kernels, you get 13g of fat, but only 2g of saturated fats. Eating unsaturated fats, such as those found in pistachios, can help improve your cholesterol levels, especially when eaten instead of trans or saturated fats.
Vitamins and Minerals
Pistachios are a source of iron, with 7 percent of the recommended dietary allowance per 1-oz. serving, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Pistachios are also a source of bone-building minerals, with 3 percent of the RDA for calcium, 14 percent for phosphorus and 9 percent for magnesium. The nuts provide 290mg of potassium, essential to regulating your fluid and mineral balance. Pistachios also contain several of the B vitamins, which help the function of your red blood cells and metabolism. A 1-oz. serving has 16 percent of the RDA for thiamin, 24 percent for vitamin B6 and 3 percent for folate.
Protein and Fiber
Pistachios provide 6g of protein per serving, equaling almonds and surpassing other nuts which offer just 2 to 4g per 1-oz. serving. Pistachio nuts provide 3g of fiber in a 1-oz. serving. Fiber helps prevent constipation, protects your colon health and may help lower cholesterol.
Antoxidants and Phytosterols
Pistachios contain plant compounds that fight disease-causing free radicals and may help reduce your risk of certain chronic conditions. A 1-oz. serving of pistachio nuts provides 45mcg of beta-carotene, important to vision health and possibly a protector against breast cancer. Pistachios also provide 342mcg of lutein/zeaxanthin, another combination of antioxidants important to vision health. Pistachios offer 61mg of phytosterols, which help lower your blood cholesterol levels. A study published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in May 2010 concluded that the combination of antioxidants and phytosterols in pistachios can help lower total cholesterol levels when one to two servings of the nuts are added to a low-fat, heart-healthy diet daily.
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