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Amongst the royals of ancient times, the pistachio was considered a true delicacy. Now they are appreciated for their wonderful flavor and health benefits. In fact, there has been an exciting discover between health and pistachios. It turns out that pistachios are a nutrient dense food that should be included in everyone’s diet. They are a good source of copper, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, B6 and 30 minerals and vitamins. They are also packed full of phytonutrients.

Pistachios have tons of fiber. Higher amounts than many of the high-fiber foods. It is also possible to totally replace animal protein with vegetable protein and pistachios make a delicious start to this. Also, pistachios are rich with antioxidants which help reduce the damage done by cancer and heart related diseases. They are placed highest in the list of foods rich in antioxidants.

Pistachios are also high in content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These have been linked to greatly reducing the damage caused by macular degeneration. Pistachios have the highest content, along with sunflower seeds, of phytosterols. Pistachios also lower cholesterol and LDL levels. Nuts give a highly favorable effect on blood lipids and may also protect against heart disease.