Physicochemical properties and health benefits of pistachio nuts

Abstract. The genus of Pistacia plant systematically fits into the family of Anacardiaceae. Pistachios contain protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibers, fat, folic acid, vitamin K, magnesium and potassium, gama-tocopherols, phytochemicals, and polyphenols. Collectively, these constituents have been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions to improve overall health when consumed as a healthy diet. We searched the following keywords within the literature databases: pistachio, heart disorders, lipids, weight, antioxidants, and allergy. Further searching theses keywords, we have found 50 articles in PubMed, 40 articles in ISI web of knowledge and 30 articles in Google Scholar. We have selected 100 articles, among them 80 articles were used as the references of this review. In the current article, we have discussed the most recent data published regarding the regulatory effects of pistachios on several clinical states such as heart related disorders, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, vascular stiffness and endothelial and gut functions, weight management, glucose metabolism, kidney function and finally allergies.