Pistachios: The fruit Greeks love and helps reduces sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides

A scientific study conducted among obese people showed that those who consumed 53 g. of pistachios as an afternoon snack in a weight loss diet significantly reduced triglycerides compared to those who consumed an afternoon snack of equal caloric value of pretzels.

Another study in healthy men aged 21-24 years showed that the addition of pistachios to the Mediterranean diet model improved blood sugar levels, the function of the endothelium (the "lining" of the blood vessels, so to speak), as well as parameters related to inflammation and oxidative stress.

Research by the Turkish scientist Kocyigit A. and his colleagues showed that Pistacia Vera pistachios improve total and good HDL cholesterol levels in healthy adults while also providing significant antioxidant benefits.

The baked superfood that drops cholesterol

Finally, a study by Sheridan MJ and his colleagues concluded that the systematic consumption of pistachios increases the levels of good HDL cholesterol, an extremely important fact if we consider how difficult it is to raise the levels of this lipoprotein with dietary interventions.

It is worth noting that, in the majority of scientific research, pistachios are featured as roasted and not raw.

This essentially means that roasting, although it slightly reduces the content of pistachios in antioxidant components, such as specific anthocyanins and flavonoids, does not, however, degrade the product nutritionally, so as to "strike" it of its beneficial effects.

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