Pistachios – A Heart Healthy Switch For Snackers
2009 Dietary Guidelines Supports the Benefits of Munching Pistachios
New Delhi, December 23, 2009: Released in 2009 by the Department of Science and Technology-Ministry of Science and Technology, Diabetes Foundation (India) and National Foundation of Diabetes, Obesity and Cholesterol Disorders, the Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Living for Indians recommend pistachios to maintain healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie, lowest-fat and highest-fibre nuts. 30 pistachios make a satisfying, delicious, healthy snack for about 100 calories. Offering important nutrients, they can curb appetite while providing satisfaction between meals and help maintain ideal weight and health in Indian adults.
Dr. Anoop Misra, Director, Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases, Diabetes Foundation (India) said, “India is undergoing a rapid shift in diet and lifestyle with consequent rapid rise of obesity, syndrome X, diabetes and heart disease. Proper dietary management remains the cornerstone for the prevention and management of these diseases. Based on the current evidence, if a part of visible fat and invisible fats from animal foods should be substituted with whole nuts such as pistachios and almonds, it may lead to some metabolic benefits.”
Said Nutritionist and obesity and health consultant, Naini Setalvad, “One of the reasons pistachios are called the “Skinny Nut” is because they are a good source of fibre and protein. You are likely to eat less but feel fuller, longer. A 25g serving of pistachios has 2.6g of fibre, more than most other snack nuts and more than many pieces of whole fruit.”
The 2009 Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Living for Indians have several important concepts for improving your diet:
1. Dietary Guidelines: Include high fibre foods
The total dietary fiber in daily diet should be 25 to 40 gms per day. Fibre Dietary fiber generally refers to parts of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes that can’t be digested by humans. has been shown to help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol, help with weight management and reduce the risk of some types of cancer.
Pistachio Solution:
Pistachios are amongst the highest fibre Dietary fiber generally refers to parts of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes that can’t be digested by humans. nuts, providing about 2.6g of dietary fibre per serving.
2. Dietary Guidelines: Include more foods with a low Glycemic Index (GI)
Your body will digest these foods slowly leaving you feeling full for longer and allowing you to eat less calories without feeling hungry. A low GI diet helps in improving body’s sensitivity to insulin and lowering risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
Pistachio Solution:
Glycemic index of pistachios is very low. Eating pistachios may reduce the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Adding a low GI food to a meal will lower the glycemic index of the whole meal.
3. Dietary Guidelines: Limit intake of saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol. Fat should provide not more than 30% of total energy. Cis Monounsaturated fatty acids should provide 10-15% of total energy. Trans Fatty Acids <1 % of total energy
Pistachio Solution:
Pistachios are naturally low in saturated fat and free of trans-fat and cholesterol. A 25g serving of pistachios has 1.4g of saturated fat. Human clinical studies with pistachios have found that the pistachios help lower LDL-cholesterol while raising HDL-cholesterol levels, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
4. Dietary Guidelines: Protein intake should be 1g/kg/day, considering the quality of protein in a usual Indian vegetarian diet
Pistachio Solution:
A serving of pistachios is an easy and delicious way to get protein into your diet. One 25g serving of pistachios has 5g of protein of protein. Combined with the healthy fat and dietary fibreDietary fiber generally refers to parts of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes that can’t be digested by humans. , pistachios increase your feeling of satiety and the length of time it takes to get hungry again.
5. Dietary guidelines: Salt intake should be less than 5g of sodium chloride (or about 2g sodium) per day. Dietary intake of sodium from all sources should be limited.
Pistachio solution:
Naturally sodium free, pistachios contain more than 260mg potassium per 25g serving, along with other minerals that help maintain blood pressure. Surprisingly, salted pistachios only provide 100mg sodium per 25g serving or only 5% of the Daily Value.
About PistachioHealth.com
PistachioHealth.com, the leading online source of information on the health and nutrition benefits of pistachios, is offered in 12 languages and includes research updates and educational materials, to both consumers and health professionals. The award-winning site is provided by Paramount Farms, California’s largest pistachio grower and processor, as an industry-wide resource. Friend PistachioHealth.com on Facebook and follow @pistachiohealth on Twitter. For further details please visit www.pistachiohealth.in
Researched by Maninder
