Pistachio Nutrition and Health Facts

When most people think of pistachios, they think of a rich, fatty nut. While the taste of pistachios is certainly delicious and rich, it’s not nearly as bad for you as you might think. In fact, pistachios are actually quite healthy. They are one of the lowest calorie nuts, and they have the best kind of fat – the kind that can lower LDL (bad cholesterol).

Pistachio Nutritional Information

Pistachios are naturally cholesterol-free, and heart-healthy. They have many health benefits, including the ability to reduce your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. Key nutrition facts for pistachios include:

• Good Fat: Pistachios contain 13 grams of fat, but out of that 11 grams are “good” fat grams which include 7g monounsaturated and 4g polyunsaturated, which may lower LDL (bad cholesterol). There are 0g trans fat in pistachios.
• No Cholesterol: Pistachios naturally contain no cholesterol!
• Carbohydrates: Pistachios contain only 8g (3% Daily Value) of carbohydrates.
• Fiber: One serving of pistachios contains 3g of fiber.
• Protein: There are 6g of protein in one serving of pistachios — the same amount as in a one-ounce serving of soybeans.
• Vitamins & Minerals: You can receive many necessary vitamins and minerals from pistachios:
  • Vitamin A 2%
  • Vitamin C 0%
  • Calcium 4%
  • Iron 6%
  • Vitamin E 4%
  • Thiamin 15%
  • Vitamin B6 20%
  • Folate 4%
  • Phosporus 15%
  • Magnesium 8%
  • Copper 20%

Pistachio Resources

Here are some helpful resources about pistachios:

• Pistachio Health
• Pistachio Product Recalls
• The Green Nut
• Wikipedia: Pistachio

Image Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielle_scott/ / CC BY-SA 2.0