Diet Snack

Pistachios Can Help You Lose Weight

By EAT SMARTER

With pistachios you can snack your way to a better figure. Scientists found that pistachios are healthy and can certainly help you lose weight. This is because part of pistachios doesn’t ever get digested. People who have to peel their pistachios first can even burn a few calories that way.

What Makes Pistachios So Healthy

That pistachios are healthy is undisputed. This is because they contain, just like most nuts, large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids and can prevent a high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. They also contain a lot of fiber and vitamin B. On top of that 5% of the calories pistachios contain don’t get digested. One portion of pistachios even has more cell protective polyphenol antioxidants than a cup of green tea.

Pistachios To Help You Lose Weight

So far pistachios haven’t been known as the ideal food if you want to lose weight. This is because 100 g/ 3.5 oz. have 600 calories. Even with the amount of calories, nutritionists advise those who want to lose weight to snack on pistachios. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) created a study were they had 52 overweight subjects snack on pistachios for three months. The subjects that were given the pistachios compared to those who were given salter pretzels to snack on had lower BMI’s by the end of the study. In addition, their triglyceride levels were lower. Triglycerides are responsible for storing body fat. The higher the value, the more likely it is that you will be overweight.

Healthy Pistachios: Peeling Is Worth It

No gain without pain. According to this motto, you should peel the pistachios yourself before eating them. Doing this will contribute to helping you lose weight. This is not only because peeling them yourself will contribute to eating more slowly and consciously, but it also has psychological reasons. Behavioral and nutritional researchers at Eastern Illinois University did a study that showed people who peeled their pistachios consumed about 41% fewer calories. Furthermore, if they left the shells by the pistachios they were eating they consumed 22% fewer calories still. The best part, no matter which group the subjects were in, they all claimed to feel full and satisfied.