A handful of California pistachios a day can promote heart health. Snack healthfully to lower the burden of heart disease and diabetes in your household. Developing healthy eating habits is the most important step in lowering the risk for heart disease and diabetes in the most productive years.

California pistachios are healthful and delicious roasted when eaten as a snack and can also add nutritional value as an ingredient in curries, pulav and desserts.  Historically, pistachios were considered to be a “royal” and nutritious nut and date back to 6750 BC.

California pistachios are a nutrient-dense food with heart- healthy fats as well as protein, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium and anti-oxidants such as gamma tocopherol and phytochemicals lutein and anthocyanin that give the unique green and purple kernel color.

This nut has an impressive body of research to support its unique place in a heart-healthy diet. So what can pistachio consumption do for you?  Pistachios can:

Improve nutrient intake. Thirty grams of California pistachios have as much protein as an egg, about 3 grams of dietary fiber, low amount of the bad fats (saturated fats) and a high amount of the good fats (monounsaturated fat) and among all nuts, they are one of the lowest in overall fat and highest in potassium and have a low glycemic index. California pistachios are an excellent source of magnesium and are low in sodium and they have a satiating effect by giving you a satisfying and full feeling.

• Lower the LDL-cholesterol (also known as the bad cholesterol) by 6%-11%.
• Lower triglyceride levels when substituted for refined carbohydrates.
• Improve blood glucose levels to reduce the risk for diabetes and coronary heart disease.
• Improve blood pressure.
• Help control body weight

Why should Indians be concerned about these risk factors?

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that Indians have a significantly higher prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and several-fold higher rates than other ethnic groups known to have an increased prevalence of CHD.

Prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes and insulin resistance, and increased abdominal fat have been documented in South Asians. In addition emerging risk factors such as elevated C-reactive protein levels and homocysteinemia are prevalent in Indians.

More and more young adults living in urban areas are developing diabetes, hypertension and obesity. This was shown in a study conducted in 1100 young adults from New Delhi. Over the seven years of the study, the prevalence of these risk factors for heart disease climbed up. Waist circumference rose from 50% to 70%, hypertension from 11% to 34% among men and 5% to 15% among women. Diabetes prevalence rates DOUBLED. These data are a red flag for heart health among Indians. India accounted for 60% of world’s heart disease cases in 2010. What’s even more disturbing is that Indians get heart attacks at a younger age compared to the rest of the world!

Prevention of the metabolic syndrome is an important step in reducing heart disease and diabetes among Indians. A low-fat, high carbohydrate diet may not benefit Indians because it may accentuate metabolic abnormalities such as high plasma triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and the presence of insulin resistance.

Nutrition guidelines around the world often focus on the following:

• Addressing weight management (reducing abdominal fat) with physical activity and calorie control
• Decreasing intakes of refined carbohydrates
• Increasing intake of omega-fatty acids 
• Decreasing intake of saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol
• Increasing intake of vegetables, fruits and nuts
• Decreasing intake of sodium
• Optimizing intake of calcium and vitamin D

Are your snacks heart-healthy?

The first easy step is to rate your snacking habits.

Take a careful look at your snacking habits. Most Indian snacks are deep fried and are prepared with refined flour from wheat and rice and sugar (refined carbohydrates), and partially hydrogenated fats ( high in trans fatty acids). The snacks include samosas, bhel puri, pakoras, murukku, bonda, barfi, glulab jamun (table). These snacks are high in calories and unhealthy fats like vanaspati and ghee. 

Pistachios are packed with nutrients and also give a feeling of fullness.

Seven easy ways for helping your heart and your family’s too!

1. Pistachios can be eaten out of hand. So pack them in a bag or tin in the school bag or brief case.
2. Pistachios can be paired with a glass of low fat milk or lassi for a midafternoon snack
3. Pistachios can be powdered and added to low fat or non-fat milk to make a delicious “sherbet” or smoothie
4. Pistachios and raisins can be added to fat-free popcorn to make a trail mix
5. Pistachios crushed can be added to raitha with grated cucumbers and mint
6. Pistachios can be ground and used as a coating for baked crispy cauliflower and bhindi (okra)
7. Pistachios can be powdered and added to non- fat milk to make a creamy sauce for kali dal, chicken instead of using butter, ghee or cream.

References

1. Mark D. Huffman, MD, MPH; Dorairaj Prabhakaran, MD, DM, MSc; Clive Osmond, PhD; Caroline H.D. Fall, DM; Nikhil Tandon, MD, PhD; Ramakrishnan Lakshmy, PhD; Siddharth Ramji, MD; Anita Khalil, MD; Tarun Gera, MD; Poornima Prabhakaran, MBBS, MSc; S.K. Dey Biswas, MStat, MBA; K. Srinath Reddy, MD, DM, MSc; Santosh K. Bhargava, MD, DCH; Harshpal S. Sachdev, MD. Incidence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Indian Urban Cohort: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011;57(17):1765-1774
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