Under Stress, Eat Pistachios

Author: Marko Balašević Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

According to researchers, the beneficial effect on the heart is due to the combination of nutrients found in pistachios.

If you want to protect your heart, eat pistachios, advise scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Daily consumption of these nuts apparently reduces the constriction of blood vessels under stress and improves the control of the nervous system over the activity of the cardiovascular system, it is clear from an article in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

According to researchers, the beneficial effect on the heart is due to the combination of nutrients found in pistachios - fiber, antioxidants, trace elements, unsaturated fatty acids. They contribute to lowering cholesterol, which has a beneficial effect on the activity of the cardiovascular system.

The research team studied the effect of pistachios on a group of volunteers suffering from type 2 diabetes. This group of patients is of particular interest to researchers, as it is known that diabetes predisposes to the development of heart disease.

For this purpose, volunteers are subjected to two types of stress after following a certain diet for a month. One of the two groups had to consume two handfuls of pistachios, which is equivalent to about 150 nuts, half of which were unsalted. The total fat intake for the day of this group was 5% higher - 33%, but the calories for the day were the same for both.

During the experiment, the volunteers solved an arithmetic problem. At the same time, their body was tested for its reaction to cold. Stress from the cold and mental stress leads to constriction of blood vessels, which in turn burdens the heart.

The researchers found that those who ate pistachios had less blood vessel constriction and the control of the autonomic nervous system over the activity of the heart was better than in other volunteers. On average for the group, the blood pressure dropped by 4 units.

In addition, the team reported a lower adverse effect on blood vessels under different physiological stress and improved heart rate variability, which shows the effective interaction between the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

According to the study's lead author, Sheila West, the inclusion of nuts in the daily diet of people with diabetes helps improve blood pressure, vagus nerve function, which plays a role in the disease and the response of blood vessels to stress, which reduces the risks of development of the cardiovascular disease.

Under Stress, Eat Pistachios

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