Pistachios Offer Protective Benefits Against Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes a...( Research Presented at Experimental Bi...),Health

Research Presented at Experimental Biology 2009 Reveals Cardiovascular and Glycemic Control Benefits of Pistachios

NEW ORLEANS, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Pistachios are much more than a great-tasting snack. The little green nuts may do more for your heart, blood sugar and waistline than many other snack food choices, according to research presented this week at Experimental Biology 2009 in New Orleans. Researchers from UCLA and the University of Toronto presented, for the first time, their findings from human clinical trials showing major health benefits from eating pistachios.

Pistachios - The "Skinny" Nut

Several studies have previously shown that pistachios - and tree nuts in general - do not contribute to overweight or obesity, when consumed in moderation.(1) In fact, more recent studies suggest that nut consumption is linked to a lower body mass index - a marker for overweight and obesity, and pistachios are thought to provide a high satiety value that may help curb appetite, making adherence to a calorie-reduced diet easier. The UCLA researchers set out to determine if equal amounts of calories from either pistachios or pretzels would result in any metabolic or anthropometric differences, when given as part of a calorie-controlled, three-month weight loss diet.

The researchers randomly assigned overweight adults to follow a diet that cut calories by 500 per day from usual calorie intake. The new diet added in either an afternoon snack of 2 ounces of unsalted pretzels (220 calories), or 3 ounces of in-shell pistachios (240 calories). The subjects following the pistachio intervention lost a statistically significant amount of weight, enough to reduce BMI from 30.88 at the onset of the study to 28.84. This is equivalent to about a 10-12 pound weight loss for most adults of average height. At the mid-point (six weeks) of the study, pistachio eaters ha
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