Pistachio nuts: composition and potential health benefits Mark L Dreher The pistachio is a nutrient-dense nut with a heart-healthy fatty-acid profile as well as protein, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, g-tocopherol, and a number of phytochemicals. The pistachio's unique green and purple kernel color is a result of its lutein and anthocyanin content. Among nuts, pistachios contain the highest levels of potassium, g-tocopherol, vitamin K, phytosterols, and xanthophyll carotenoids. Five published randomized cardiovascular trials have shown that pistachios promote heart-healthy blood lipid profiles. Exploratory clinical studies suggest that pistachios help maintain healthy antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, glycemic control, and endothelial function. When consumed in moderation, pistachios may help control body weight because of their satiety and satiation effects and their reduced net metabolizable energy content. One study with subjects in a weight-loss program demonstrated lower body mass index and triglyceride levels in individuals who consumed pistachios compared with those who consumed an isocaloric pretzel snack. Emerging research suggests that the addition of pistachios to high-glycemic meals may lower the overall postprandial glycemic response. This review examines the nutrients and phytochemicals in pistachios as well as the potential health effects of these nuts. © 2012 International Life Sciences Institute INTRODUCTION Pistachios have been part of the human diet since prehis- toric times and have been consumed by past civilizations because of their nutritional and potential disease- management properties. 1 The pistachio (Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae family) is an ancient nut with a storied history. 2 Native to the Middle East, the pistachio tree is one of the oldest flowering nut trees. Archeological records of early human pistachio consumption in Turkey date back to as early as 7,000 B.C. Flourishing in hot climates, pistachio trees spread from the Middle East to the Mediterranean, with the nuts becoming a valued deli- cacy among royalty, travelers, and commoners alike. Legend has it that the Queen of Sheba decreed pistachios an exclusively royal food. In the first century A.D., pista- chios were debuted as a prized nut in Rome. The pistachio has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments, and its high nutritional value and long storage life also made it an important lightweight food item among early explorers and traders. 1 In the 1880s, pistachios were first imported to America as a specialty nut by people of Middle Eastern descent. Pistachio trees were planted experimentally in California beginning in the early 1930s. 2 After a decade of careful research and selective breeding, one especially hearty Middle Eastern variety (Kerman) emerged to support commercial production. Pistachios grow in heavy grape-like clusters and, like almonds, are sur- rounded by a fleshy hull. Pistachios ripen in late summer or early autumn, their hulls becoming rosy and their inner shells splitting naturally along their sutures. The pistachio tree grows up to 10 meters (30 ft) tall. The pis- tachio tree is a desert plant tolerant of sun and saline soil. In the 1960s and 1970s, commercial cultivation of pista- chios expanded across California’s Central Valley, where the long, hot summers proved ideal for proper ripening of the fruit. The nut has a hard, whitish exterior shell, which Affiliation: ML Dreher is with Nutrition Science Solutions, 900 S. Rainbow Ranch Road, Wimberley, Texas, USA. Correspondence: ML Dreher, Nutrition Science Solutions, 900 S. Rainbow Ranch Road, Wimberley, TX 78676, USA. E-mail: mdreher@nutriscisolutions.com. Phone: +1-512-847-9182. Key words: cardiovascular health, monounsaturated fat, lutein, phytosterols, weight control. Special Article doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00467.x Nutrition Reviews® Vol. 70(4):234–240 234