Pistachios ‘help with weight loss’

Pistachios are not as fattening as previously thought and so can be eaten by those aiming to lose weight fast, a study has suggested.

Research presented this week at the Experimental Biology conference in Washington found that one 30 g serving of pistachios contained 5.9 per cent less calories than previously thought.

This validates pistachios as one of the lowest-calorie nuts, with 160 calories per 30 g serving.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, also found that choosing pistachios as a snack, rather than pretzels, can not only help people to achieve their weight loss goals, but can boost heart health too.

Behavioural eating expert Dr James Painter, chair of the school of family and consumer sciences at Eastern Illinois University, said that people who eat nuts that they have to shell themselves, like pistachios, eat 41 per cent fewer calories than those who snack on shelled nuts.

Last year, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Maine Medical Center found that a diet that is high in nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, dairy products and whole grains but is low in sweetened drinks and red and processed meats can ward off kidney stones.

Why not try swapping your favourite snack with a handful of pistachios?