by Taetske | 3:51 pm
(Last Updated On: February 11, 2021)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Comments

Alblue

I love nuts and most of its variants! Pistachio is my favorite ice cream flavor, though I rarely eat other processed pistachio foods. How much daily consumption of pistachio that you recommend? I like to eat cooked hazelnuts and almonds almost daily. Maybe I will start to ear pistachio regularly too. Thank you for your information.

Feb 26.2019 | 02:36 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Alblue,

    Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    I  think that if you eat like a small handful of Pistachio nuts you will be ok. Do not forget walnuts as they are good for your brain.

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 03:27 pm

charles39

I have never heard of this pistachio nut but I can see it has so many benefits. I will agree with you, your sex life and diabetes are not good news to any man and me in particular.  I really love this article and my next thing will be to look for this pistachio nut and then start eating it. I really love this post.

Feb 26.2019 | 02:43 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Charles,

    Nuts and seeds are very good for your health. Instead of eating a Mars or Snickers nuts are a better snack. I hope you will find it where you live.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 03:22 pm

Teresa

I love eating pistachio nuts, especially in ice cream! I was aware that they have certain health benefits but wasn’t aware that they could be beneficial for depression and leaky gut syndrome, so that’s good to know.

I enjoyed discovering the history behind the nut and understanding the harvesting process. It’s certainly a quick process from tree to finished product within 24 hours. Would you know if a pistachio oil is available for cooking?

Thanks for the informative read.

Teresa

Feb 26.2019 | 02:48 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Teresa,

    Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    The harvesting method has improved over time and now the Pistachio nut looks nice. Yes, you can cook with Pistachio oil but it is rather expensive. You can also use coconut oil or olive oil.

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 03:07 pm

Son

Pistachios are gotta be my favorite nuts to eat, it really sucks that they’re so high in calories and fat because I can finish a big box of them easily in one sitting. I never thought about using it in culinary foods, but the idea of putting them in a baked rice dish or something does sound good. Feeding chickens pistachios might make their meat taste better, but it’s going to be very expensive, plus I’m not sure I believe that doing so will give them any special flavors, maybe it’s just placebo?

Feb 26.2019 | 03:21 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Son,

    What, a full box in one sitting? I really think that is too much. Try and reduce to a small handful a day then you do not have to worry about calories/fat at all.

    Remember that the story about feeding Pistachio nuts to chickens came from the Arabian Nights Tales, so that is a long time ago. When you think that chickens nowadays are being fed hormones I will gladly opt for the Pistachio chicken. I do not think it is a placebo effect as certain foods can change the flavor of the meat. I suppose a stuffing with some added Pistachios will also do.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 03:47 pm

Leoaqua

I liked that you wrote a little about the history of the pistachio.  I think it helps the reader to have a little better understanding of the topic.  I do agree that pistachios are good for your health and my family and I do enjoy them.  I followed the links in the article and the link on diabetes was a good idea in reinforcing how useful pistachios can be on good health.     

Feb 26.2019 | 03:39 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Leoaqua,

    Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?

    When possible I like to include a little about the history of things. Only talking about health benefits can get a bit boring. Nice to read you found my post interesting and that you liked the link.

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 03:51 pm

Xaric

A few years ago I was following a strict muscle-building nutritional plan and pistachios were a main part of it because they are full of protein (20g of protein per 100g).

I didn’t even know about their other health benefits back then and I have stopped consuming them for years…

Time to start eating them again 🙂

Thank you for the helpful info.

Xaric

Feb 26.2019 | 03:56 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Xaric,

    There is more to that little nut than what one might think at first glance. I agree with you, put it back into your diet as it really is a healthy snack. Back to nature will do our health so good.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 26.2019 | 04:16 pm

Feochadan

I always loved pistachios but didn’t like how they turned my lips pink!  Now I know why!  I can’t imagine feeding them to your chickens as they are so expensive but I’ll bet the chicken meat sure tasted awesome. 

Now I can just imagine being in such illustrious company as the Queen of Sheba while eating my favorite nuts!  The pictures you have are just mouth-watering!

Dec 06.2019 | 05:11 pm

    Taetske

    Good evening Darlene,

    Nice to see you again and thank you for your comment.

    My chickens do not get Pistachio nuts either, they get nice green weeds and leftovers plus some grain. They are not for eating, their only job is to make eggs which taste very good. They are allowed to live as long as they like and once a chicken died 11 years old.

    The Queen of Sheba is said to have been a remarkable woman so as she was eating these nuts we should do too.

    Regards, Taetske

    Dec 06.2019 | 08:58 pm

Danijel

Hello Taetske,

I must say that this article is very helpful and informative. I enjoy eating pistachios but honestly, I did not know that it is such a health nut.

My wife likes to put it on some cakes and it really gives a delicious taste. Thank you for sharing such useful info.  I did not know it is good for gut health, I will eat it more often.

Dec 06.2019 | 05:11 pm

    Taetske

    Good evening Danijel,

    I must say you are one of my faithful visitors. Thank you for your comment.

    I eat Pistachio nearly every day. I have a bag in a drawer of my working desk, nice and handy. It is much better than eating sugary treats and it is good for your health. It is an ideal snack.

    Regards, Taetske

    Dec 06.2019 | 09:06 pm

Ivan

I usually eat a handful of mixed nuts every day, which includes pistachios as well. I must say they are my favorite nut 🙂 I didn’t know there are so powerful and have such a long history. I’ve heard that pistachios are a powerful aphrodisiac, which you have mentioned as well. Great stuff. I’ll keep eating them, might as well start buying a separate bag of them since they are a very tasty nut. Thanks for sharing!

Dec 06.2019 | 05:12 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Ivan,

    Thank you for your comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget

    I really am a fan of Pistachios but also eat Almonds, Walnuts, and nuts of Brazil every day. Nuts are so much better than all that sugary junk, The closer we eat to nature the better.

    Regards, Taetske

    Dec 07.2019 | 07:53 am

Lenka

I have always loved all nuts. Pistachios together with pecan nuts are my favorite ones. But I didn’t know they are so good for the eyes as well! Thanks for this information. My vision has been getting worse with age and starring at the pc screen too much time of the day so I should take care of my eyes more.

I also didn’t know it was good for the gut. After reading your article, I’m going to buy pistachios more often and include them in my diet.

Thank you for this interesting and informative blog!

Lenka

Dec 06.2019 | 05:13 pm

    Taetske

    Good evening Lenka,

    Thank you for visiting my website and for leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    I have also noticed that my eyes are suffering because of too much computer. In my workroom, I have a Himalayan salt lamp because of the radiation. At night I unplug everything to have a better sleep.

    Every day I eat Almonds, Walnuts, Brazil nuts, and Pistachio. Not at the moment as I am on a fasting cure of 9 days.

    Regards, Taetske 

    Dec 06.2019 | 09:16 pm

      Lenka

      Thank you for sharing your experience, Taetske! I also have a salt lamp, I should use it more often if it removes radiation. I didn’t know that, I only bought the lamp because I liked the look of it and heard that it’s good for health but actually didn’t know what concrete benefits it brings.
      All the best!
      Lenka

      Dec 07.2019 | 01:59 pm

        Taetske

        Good afternoon Lenka,

        Nice to see you again. Thank you for your comment. Do not forget your free PDF, tulip widget.

        I am sending you the link to a post from this website where you get some more information.
        https://healthyantiagingalternatives.com/what-you-can-do-in-the-battle-against-emf-radiation
        For both my websites I have written quite a few posts on this awful and dangerous human invention. 5G is here already and 6G is being studied in China. We are not right in our heads.
        On this website, I also have a post on Smart diapers, incredible what the human race is doing. It does not need much investigation to realize that the reason is money, so sad.

        Regards, Taetske

        Dec 07.2019 | 03:37 pm

Benjamin

Hello, thank you for this publication, it is an eye-opener. I did not know anything about the pistachio nut until today.

The tremendous heath benefits are just intriguing coupled with the fact that you can actually take as a snack.

I would like to know something, are there any side effects to people when they eat too many pistachios?

Dec 06.2019 | 05:29 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Benjamin,

    Thank you for visiting my website and for leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    As to your question, eating too many Pistachio nuts can have 2 main side effects. As this nut has quite a few calories eating too much will make you put on weight. Then there are people who are a bit sensitive in the tummy area and Pistachios could create gasses and bloating. If that is the case you better chose another nut. Luckily nature provides many different types of nuts.

    regards, Taetske

    Dec 07.2019 | 08:16 am

kouimm

Hi

This nut which is called pistachio is very common in Greece and we eat simply like the other nuts or we use it in salads and sauces. However,  never find information about it like the information above. You refer to all its benefits in details

When Alexander the Great and Queen of Sheba are involved in pistachio stories we can understand how important and beneficial it is to humans.

Dec 06.2019 | 06:19 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Kouimtsidis,

    Thank you for visiting my website and for leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    The closer we eat to nature the better. Nuts are very healthy and have good fats. Every day I take a mix of Almonds, Walnuts, nuts of Brazil, and of course Pistachios.

    Going back in history one can discover interesting things.

    Regards, Taetske

    Dec 07.2019 | 02:16 pm

Chris

I love pistachio nuts!  I was not aware of all the history behind it.  Very interesting!  Love all the health benefits.  I have not used pistachios in any baking but love the ice cream.  What do people make with pistachio nuts?  besides bread.  Where are pistachios grown today?  Any places in the USA?

Feb 11.2021 | 09:02 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Chris,

    Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    As to your questions, I think you missed a couple of things in my article.

    As the Pistachio nut has such an old history thru out the ages, it has been using in a big variety of dishes. You will find a very tasty recipe for chicken and Pistachio as a link. As you can see in the photo of Syrian sweets, this nut is also used to make delicious treats.

    Nowadays the main grower of Pistachio Nuts is California. In my post you will also find a link to that fact. 

    Regards, Taetske

    Feb 12.2021 | 08:19 am

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