Nutritional values, macronutrient composition, and their health implications

Question
Hi,

I've read that pistachio nuts have 700 calories per cup.

What is never specified is whether this means a cup of pistachios in shells or a cup of pistachios that have been shelled.

Since a pistachio in the shell takes up much more space than a shelled pistachio, the difference is crucial. If a cup of pistachios in the shells have 700 calories, they are very fattening. If what is referred to is the pistachios without the shells, then pistachios are not very fattening (since a cup of such pistachios would be more than anyone would eat).

Many thanks,

Steve

Answer
Steve,

To answer the first part of your question, here are the numbers.

           In shells               Shelled

Calories          330            600-750 (depending on packing)
Fat, g.          26.7            60
Carbohydrate, g.   15.7                 34.5
Protein, g.       12.4            27.3

Total nutritional values can be seen here:
http://atkinszone.com/recipes/2009/08/nutrients-in-pistachio-nuts.html

As to the "fattening" part of your question, it's not that simple. The fats in these nuts are mostly good fats:

Saturated             8 % RDA
Polyunsaturated          17.8 % RDA
Monounsaturated   31.0 %  RDA

Also, if you calculate the macronutrient ratio of this food, which is able to predict which of the fuels will be used by the body, you'll see that chances are 1:1,6 that the fat will be used instead of carbs allowing your body to:

1. "burn" the body's fat for energy

2. "burn" up to 300 extra  Calories a day because this amount of energy will dissipate as a kind of "excess" energy due to more efficient fuel (ketone bodies) comparing to glucose

3. the awarding properties of carbs will play no role in the new energy balance thus the well known disappearance of cravings

I am not saying one should diet on this food and nothing else. However, the diet of foods with similar macronutrient composition is a well documented mean of weight loss and many neurodegenerative diseases correction.

Sources

http://brainfuels.com
http://bantadiet.com/banta/


Hope it helps,

Tanya Zilberter

PS. Steve, I've in the process of redesigning the brainfuels.com and  I requested the administration of atkinszone.com to edit pages mentioning my name -- so I've edited the links in my answer.

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