Consumer and Health
Decades of research has highlighted the significant health benefits of nuts. The Nuts for Life website is a great resource for consumers to find out about the latest research!
Nuts are a nutrient-dense food, having been described as nature’s own vitamin supplement – containing at least 28 different essential nutrients. This includes healthy fats, Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, protein, fibre, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, and more.
Regularly eating nuts has been shown to contribute to heart health, reduce overall mortality and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, assist with weight management, reduce the risk of cancer, reduce depression and promote good health.
Why should nuts, including pistachios, be part of a healthy daily diet?
Pistachios, a beautiful green nut coated in purple and pink, originally grew in the deserts of Asia and the Middle East. Now grown in Australia, they still need hot summers and cold winters to bear fruit. Pistachios are botanically related to mangoes, peaches and nectarines. Just like fruit and vegetables, pistachios are packed with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals beneficial to health. Enjoying a handful of nuts (30g) regularly as part of a healthy diet may reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and can help with weight management. A 30g serve of pistachios kernels is about 50 kernels.
Have you had yours today?
Most pistachio production world-wide is directed at the consumer snack food market rather than the ingredient market. The snack food market for pistachios effectively also buys the shells at the same price! Almonds, peanuts, cashews, macadamias etc all only sell the kernel. About 85% of the Australian crop is sold into the snack market.
Pistachio nuts, eaten as part of a healthy diet, can increase the levels of antioxidants in the blood of adults with high cholesterol, according to Penny Kris-Etherton, Penn State distinguished Professor of Nutrition, along with an international team of nutritional scientists. Previous research has shown that pistachios also lower lipids and lipoproteins, which benefits heart health.
Nuts For Life
Nuts for Life is an initiative of the Australian Nut Industry Council.
The Australian Nut Industry Council (ANIC) represents the Australian tree nut growing industries (almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pistachios and walnuts) and supports the activities of Nuts for Life. Nuts for Life is a collective nutrition communications / education initiative by the Australian Tree Nut Industry (Australian tree nut growers as well as processors, packers and importers). It is funded through voluntary contributions from the Australian Tree Nut Industry as well as government matched funds for R&D activities through Horticulture Australia and has been in operation since 2003.
