Pistachios protect against a cause of blindness

Pistachios are much more than a great-tasting snack. The little green nuts may do more for the heart, blood sugar and waistline than many  other snack food choices, according to research presented at  Experimental Biology 2009 in New Orleans, USA. Researchers from UCLA and  the University of Toronto in Canada 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. 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.