April 22/New Orleans/PRNewswire -- Pistachios may do more for the heart, blood sugar and waistline than many other snack food choices, according to research presented t 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.
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, 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.