Pistachio Health Benefits Help Control Glucose Levels in People With Metabolic Syndrome

FRESNO, Calif., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent study conducted by the University of Toronto found that pistachios limit blood sugar response in the body of people with metabolic syndrome. This study shows that pistachios are a smart snack choice, not only for healthy individuals, but also for those struggling with certain health problems. This study is being presented today at the Experimental Biology meeting.

Recently published research has shown that pistachios help limit blood glucose responses in healthy individuals(1), but this is the first pistachio study that was conducted on people who have previously been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States. It's estimated that over 50 million Americans have this dangerous disease. Metabolic syndrome is defined as having three of the following: elevated blood pressure, increased waist size, low HDL-cholesterol, elevated fasting triglycerides and elevated fasting blood glucose.

"People with metabolic syndrome generally have high levels of fasting blood glucose and are glucose intolerant, which can often lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease," said Cyril Kendall, PhD, lead researcher at the University of Toronto and author of the study. "Pistachios may help reduce the risk of developing these conditions by limiting the rise in blood glucose when eaten with high-carbohydrate meals."

Pistachios are Heart Smart

Penn State University Distinguished Professor, Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD also will present a poster at the meeting, showcasing yet another reason why pistachios are good for your heart. Through further analysis of a published study(2), Penn State researchers discovered that eating pistachios may help lower levels of small dense LDL (bad) cholesterol in addition to oxidized-LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol levels.

For additional information on these studies, or for more pistachio research, visit www.thegreennut.org.

About the Western Pistachio Association

The Western Pistachio Association is a non-profit voluntary trade association representing more than 400 American pistachio growers. WPA is governed by an 18-member board of directors and is funded entirely by growers and independent processors with the shared goal of increasing global awareness of nutritious, American-grown pistachios.

(1)  Kendall CWC, Josse AR, Esfahani, Jenkins DJA. The impact of pistachio intake alone or in combination with high-carbohydrate foods on post-prandial glycemia.  Eur J of Clin Nutr. (2011), Mar 2. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 21364607

(2)  Gebauer SK, West SG, Kay CD, Alaupovic P, Bagshaw D, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors and potential mechanisms of action: A dose-response study. Amer J Clin Nutr. 2008;88:651–9.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mary Massey, 630-315-2966, [email protected]
Katie Cosgrove, 630-315-2968, [email protected]

SOURCE Western Pistachio Association