A study conducted at the Institute of Food Research (IFR) in the UK in conjunction with the University of Messina, Italy, confirms that key nutrients in pistachios are released during digestion and thus able to be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract.
Polyphenols, carotenoids (vitamin A) and tocopherols (vitamin E), all with strong antioxidant qualities were quantified in the study.
Giuseppina Mandalari, PhD, research scientist at IFR and lead investigator says: “These results are significant as they are the first that show when the bioactive compounds in pistachios are released during digestion and are available to be taken up by the body.
“This research indicates these nutrients would contribute to the beneficial relationship between pistachio consumption and health-related outcomes, such as heart disease.”
“In addition, these results support the findings of the 2010 nationally published study and trials by researchers at Penn State University that addressed the positive effect of antioxidants from pistachios on LDL cholesterol,” said Constance Geiger, PhD, who serves as a nutrition research consultant with the American Pistachio Growers.
The Penn State study showed an increase in lutein and gamma-tocopherol in the blood was related to a decrease in oxidised LDL (bad) cholesterol, when pistachios were eaten daily, thereby contributing to a reduced risk of heart disease.
Source: American Pistachio Growers
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