A Healthy Snack in the Form of the Versatile Pistachio Nut

That lovely little nut called Pistachio

Before I tell you, my reader, about something fantastic for your health, more often than not I like to tell you a bit about the history and background.

The pistachio is one of the oldest flowering nut trees. They recently discovered, through archeological findings in Turkey, that humans were eating it as early as 7000 BC.

Pistachio Tree image S.Hermann and F.Richter

Pistachios seem to have been the favorite of the Queen of Sheba. She ordered the total production of her country to be reserved for herself and her court. This queen, named Makeda, is remembered for her intelligence and lived in the 10th century BCE. They think her kingdom to have been in Ethiopia or Yemen. It was later, through the conquests of Alexander the Great, that this nut reached Greece.

Have you read the Alf laytlah wa-laylah? Translated that means Thousand and One Night (also known in the West under the name Arabian Nights.) The British poet John Payne, who lived from 1842 to 1916, translated this world-famous book.

The stories are a collection of folktales. Mystical stories told orally during many centuries in Persia, Baghdad, Cairo, and India. These stories were told by merchants and other travelers along the major trade routes of the East from the ninth century onward.

Butternut Squash image Genevieve Belcher

Pistachio used in culinary creations

One of the stories tells about the practice of feeding chickens pistachio nuts. It seems that a diet of pistachios would give the meat a special flavor. They would also prepare the chickens with a Pistachio stuffing, and it sounds delicious. You might like to try this recipe.

Mr. Emil Trinkler, a German geologist for the German-Afgan Trading Company from 1923 to 24, wrote a book “Through the Heart of Afghanistan” recounting an exciting night he and his family had in 1908. The place he writes about was the Dakka fort, which is the entrance to Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass.

As it sometimes happens, merchants wanted to avoid paying taxes on the pistachio nuts. That night a group of smugglers tried to get the nuts past the river guards and a battle started, with both sides firing at each other.

Mountain Pass in Afghanistan image David Mark

Well, you can see that pistachio nuts have been appreciated for thousands of years and today, they have lost nothing of their good name. We now know that the unsalted variety is very good for our health, as they are one of the best nuts you can eat.

Years ago these nuts would come from the Middle East but did not have a very appealing look. Because the harvesting methods were somewhat rough, the nut would have stains. They covered this up with a dye, which perhaps was not so good for your health. California has become the new supplier of the pistachio nut.

Here comes a good video showing you the harvest method for the Pistachio Nut.

As you can see on the video, the modern harvesting method applied here saves the nut from getting bruised. They use a similar method for harvesting olives. The tree gets a good shake up by a machine. Just as in harvesting olives, in old times people would hit the tree with long sticks and the pistachios would fall on a big cloth spread on the earth below the tree.

Adopting a healthy habit

While writing this post, I am eating a handful of pistachios. They are little health bombs as 1 ounce contains 30 vitamins and minerals. For sure, a much healthier snack compared to some sugary bars. These nuts help you burn fat, balance your cholesterol, and are good for your heart to just name a few of its properties.

A handful a day of these tasty nuts can improve your sex life. I bet many people are interested to hear this news. It seems it will only take some 3 weeks to see results. I think that is worth trying, don’t you agree?

You probably know that free radicals are not good and will make you age faster than necessary. Pistachios are full of antioxidants and rank highest on the list of any food. Antioxidants battle those bad free radicals. Another good reason to eat these nuts every day.

Pistachio Bread image Jose Martin

They are a significant source of Vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and Lutein plus Zeaxanthin, which are so important for our eye health. It helps against macular degeneration. In our modern times, being exposed to so many EMF radiations, all help for our eyes is welcome.

People who are on the verge of developing diabetes can lower their risk by eating this nut every day. This is a really pleasant way of trying to prevent a condition before it happens. Do you not also think so?

Syrian Pastry image Gate74

Good for your Gut Health

Last but not least, your gut will be pleased if you decide to eat pistachios. If you suffer from the leaky gut syndrome, your gut lining is likely to have holes caused by the foods you eat. Eating pistachios is good for your gut bacteria and will help to heal your gut lining if needed.

So do not let it get to that point. With some Pistachios in your life, you will cover a lot of physical needs. It also helps with depressions, something which is very present in our modern day life.

An afterthought

For me, it was easy to keep a bag of these tasty nuts in the drawer of my desk and eat a handful every day. When you buy them opt for the unsalted variety, these are better for your health.

Before you leave, visit a special page I made for you. It holds a collection of things I hope you find interesting. Have a look at Recommendations.

Source: Wikipedia, the World Library, Cat Ebeling for The Nutrition Watchdog

Photo Source: Pixabay

Leaky Gut is a condition one hears often about. It is mainly caused by eating the wrong foods. Perhaps you also like to read this following post.

How to Avoid Suffering from leaky Gut