Believe It or 'Nut': Why It Is Time to Set the Record Straight on Nut Protein Quality: Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Focus.

There are growing public health movements to transition towards diets that are plant-based. However, confusion exists with concerns that plant-based proteins (including nuts) may be inferior with respect to protein quality. The present publication evaluates the evolution of protein quality concepts and explains the protein science related to pistachios. Pistachio nuts are a plant-based complete protein providing all nine EAAs in addition to an array of nutrients and phytochemicals. They have a PDCAAS of 73 and 81%, (raw and roasted pistachios, respectively), higher than that of many other tree nuts. From an environmental perspective transitioning towards plant-based diets (including nuts) could have potential to reduce total/green water footprints. Dietary guidelines are evolving yet nuts such as pistachios do not always have a clear place within these. Now appears to be a pertinent time to look at protein quality from the perspective of whole daily diets and dietary patterns, factoring in both health and environmental outcomes. Given updated modes of thinking, nuts such as pistachios have an important role to play in terms of providing ready-to-eat, good-quality, plant-based protein within daily diets.

Plant-based snacking: research and practical applications of pistachios for health benefits.

Pistachio nuts are a nutrient-dense source of good quality plant protein, commonly consumed as a minimally processed snack food or ingredient. The present paper is based on a symposium held during the 13th FENS (Federation of European Nutrition Societies) 2019 conference in Dublin that explored recent research and practical applications of pistachios as a plant-based snack, in particular, for appetite control and healthy weight management; and for glycaemic control during pregnancy. Individual nut types, whilst similar in nutritional composition, have unique characteristics which may have a significant impact on potential health effects. Recognising this, the further purpose here is to explore future research needs for pistachios, based on work completed to date and the discussion that ensued among researchers at this event, in order to advance the full scope of health benefits from pistachios, in particular, taking into account of both sustainability and nutritional health.

Pistachio Nuts (Pistacia vera L.): Production, Nutrients, Bioactives and Novel Health Effects.

Epidemiological and clinical studies have indicated positive outcomes related to tree nut consumption. Here, we review the production, nutrient, phytochemical composition and emerging research trends on the health benefits of pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera L.). Pistachios are a good source of protein, fiber, monounsaturated fatty acids, minerals and vitamins, as well as carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Polyphenols in pistachios are important contributors to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo through animal studies and clinical trials. The antimicrobial and antiviral potential of pistachio polyphenols has also been assessed and could help overcome drug resistance. Pistachio consumption may play a role in cognitive function and has been associated with a positive modulation of the human gut microbiota and beneficial effects on skin health. Pistachio polyphenol extracts may affect enzymes involved in glucose regulation and so type 2 diabetes. Taken together, these data demonstrate the health benefits of including pistachios in the diet. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanisms involved.

A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study to Assess Effects of a Daily Pistachio (Pistacia Vera) Afternoon Snack on Next-Meal Energy Intake, Satiety, and Anthropometry in French Women.

Including nuts in the diet improves appetite control and does not lead to weight gain. However, for pistachios, evidence from randomized intervention studies is limited and there are no data on the effect of pistachios on satiety. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of daily consumption of pistachios as an afternoon snack on satiety, self-reported energy, self-reported nutrient intake, body weight, and body composition. This randomized controlled pilot study included two parallel groups of 30 healthy French women, in a free-living setting. For four weeks, groups were instructed to consume either 56 g (1318 kJ) of pistachios or 56 g of isoenergetic/equiprotein savory biscuits as an afternoon snack. Evening energy intake, changes in anthropometric measures, and daily intake of energy and selected nutrients were assessed. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were used to rate hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective consumption. Satiety effects were not different between groups, as assessed by evening energy intake or VAS scores. Consuming pistachios or biscuits had no impact on body weight. Thiamin, vitamin B6, copper, and potassium intakes were significantly higher in the pistachio group. Consuming pistachios or biscuits as an afternoon snack resulted in similar post-snack food intake and subjective feelings of satiety. A daily pistachio snack for a month did not affect body weight or composition but it did improve micronutrient intake.

Acute Effect of Pistachio Intake on Postprandial Glycemic and Gut Hormone Responses in Women With Gestational Diabetes or Gestational Impaired Glucose Tolerance: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Study.

Long-term consumption of pistachios could potentially improves glucose homeostasis. Impaired postprandial glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) responses have been reported in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of two isocaloric test meals, 42 g pistachios and 100 g whole-wheat bread (WWB) on postprandial glucose, insulin, and gut derived incretin levels in Chinese women with gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT) or GDM. Expected glucose and insulin responses were observed after WWB consumption. Isocaloric pistachio intake had minimal effect on blood glucose or insulin. In both GIGT and GDM patients, significant higher GLP-1 levels were observed at 90 and 120 min after pistachio compared to WWB intake. Significant lower gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) levels were observed at 30 and 60 min in GDM patients or 120 min in GIGT patients after pistachio compared to WWB intake. In summary, isocaloric pistachio intake induced significantly lower postprandial glucose, insulin and GIP but higher GLP-1 levels compared to WWB. Our data suggest pistachios are effective alternative to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate food to improve postprandial glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 response in women with GDM and GIGT.

Association of raisin and raisin-containing food consumption with nutrient intake and diet quality in US children: NHANES 2001-2012.

BACKGROUND: Raisins are a commonly consumed dried fruit and given their nutrient profile may offer nutritional and health benefits. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between consumption of raisins and raisin-containing foods with nutrient intake and dietary quality in children. METHODS: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for 2001-2012 in those 2-18 years of age (n = 20,175) were used. Consumers of raisins (n = 154, 51.6% female) and raisin-containing foods (n = 1,993, 52.5% female) were defined as reporting any consumption of raisins and raisin-containing foods, respectively, during the first 24-hr diet recall. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2010. Regression analyses were conducted comparing consumers and nonconsumers using appropriate sample weights and adjusted for demographic and lifestyle covariates with significance set at p < 0.01. RESULTS: Regarding "nutrients of public health concern/shortfall nutrients" and "nutrients to limit," raisin consumers had higher intakes of dietary fiber (23%), potassium (16%), magnesium (12%) with lower intakes of added sugars (-19%) than nonconsumers. Similarly, consumers of raisin-containing foods also had higher intakes of dietary fiber (15%), potassium (5%), magnesium (11%), iron (6%), vitamin A (10%), and vitamin E (13%) and lower intake of sodium (-5%). Consumers of raisin and raisin-containing foods had higher intakes of fruits (60%, 16%, respectively), whole fruits (119%, 23%, respectively) and whole grains (44%, 93%, respectively) and had a better diet quality as per higher total HEI 2010 scores (22%, 8%, respectively) than nonconsumers. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, consumption of raisins or raisin-containing foods was associated with better nutrient intake and diet quality in American children.

The Antioxidant Activity of Pistachios Reduces Cardiac Tissue Injury of Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) in Diabetic Streptozotocin (STZ)-Induced Hyperglycaemic Rats.

Diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for the development of heart pathology. Myocardial infarction is the cause of death occurring after prolonged ischemia of the coronary arteries. Restoration of blood flow is the first intervention against heart attack, although the process of restoring blood flow to the ischemic myocardium could cause additional injury. This phenomenon, termed myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI-R) injury, is characterized by the formation of oxygen radicals. Pistachios have significant glucose- and insulin-lowering effects and can improve the inflammatory contest by downregulating both the expression and the circulating levels of several metabolic risk markers. The monocyte/macrophage cell line J774 was used to assess the extent of protection by natural raw (NP) and roasted salted (RP) pistachios against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. Moreover, antioxidant activity of NP and RP was assessed in an in vivo model of paw edema in rats induced by carrageenan (CAR) injection in the paw. This study evaluates the antioxidant properties of pistachios on the inflammatory process associated with myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) in diabetic rats. Rats were pre-treated with either NP or RP pistachios (30 mg/kg) 18 h prior to the experimental procedure. Results: Here, we demonstrated that treatment with NP reduced myocardial tissue injury, neutrophil infiltration, adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, P-selectin) expression, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß) production, nitrotyrosine and PAR formation, NF-κB expression and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2) activation. This data clearly showes modulation of the inflammatory process, associated with MI-R injury, following administration of pistachios.

Association of raisin consumption with nutrient intake, diet quality, and health risk factors in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2012.

Raisins are one of the most commonly consumed dried fruits. Because of their unique nutrient profile, raisins may have some distinctive health benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the cross-sectional association between raisin consumption and nutrient intake, dietary quality, body weight, and metabolic syndrome risk factors in adults. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2001-2012 (n = 29,684) were used. Raisin consumers (n = 458, 60% female) were defined as those having any amount of raisins during the first 24 h dietary recall. Diet quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010). Covariate (demographic and lifestyle)-adjusted regression analyses were conducted using appropriate sample weights and significance was set at p < 0.01. Raisin consumers had higher intakes of energy (9%); higher intakes of 'nutrients of public health concern/shortfall nutrients', such as dietary fiber (34%), potassium (16%), magnesium (22%), vitamin C (24%), and vitamin E (22%); and lower intakes of 'nutrients to limit', such as added sugar (-17%), saturated fat (-15%), and sodium (-10%), than non-consumers. No associations were observed for intakes of calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, and folate. Consumers had higher intakes of total fruit (72%), whole fruit (111%), vegetables (22%), and whole grains (109%), and had a higher diet quality, as indicated by 25% higher total HEI-2010 scores than non-consumers. Compared to non-consumers, raisin consumers had a lower body weight (-4.2%), body mass index (-5.2%), and waist circumference (-3.8%), were 39% less likely to be overweight or obese, and had a 54% reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, raisin consumption was associated with better nutrient intake, diet quality, and weight parameters, and with lower risk of being obese and having metabolic syndrome in US adults.

The Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Potential of Pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) In Vitro and In Vivo.

Several reports have demonstrated the effectiveness of pistachio against oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, we investigate if polyphenols extracts from natural raw shelled pistachios (NP) or roasted salted pistachio (RP) kernels have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties at lower doses than reported previously, in both in vitro and in vivo models. The monocyte/macrophage cell line J774 was used to assess the extent of protection by NP and RP pistachios against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. Moreover, antioxidant activity of NP and RP was assessed in an in vivo model of paw edema in rats induced by carrageenan (CAR) injection in the paw. Results from the in vitro study demonstrated that pre-treatment with NP (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/mL) and RP (0.01 and 0.1 mg/mL) exerted a significant protection against LPS induced inflammation. Western blot analysis showed NP reduced the degradation of IκB-α, although not significantly, whereas both NP and RP decreased the TNF-α and IL-1ß production in a dose-dependent way. A significant reduction of CAR-induced histological paw damage, neutrophil infiltration and nitrotyrosine formation was observed in the rats treated with NP. These data demonstrated that, at lower doses, polyphenols present in pistachios possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This may contribute toward a better understanding of the beneficial health effects associated with consumption of pistachios.

The effect of sun-dried raisins (Vitis vinifera L.) on the in vitro composition of the gut microbiota.

Modulation of the human gut microbiota has proven to have beneficial effects on host health. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of sun-dried raisins (SR) on the composition of the human gut microbiota. A full model of the gastrointestinal tract, which includes simulated mastication, a dynamic gastric model, a duodenal model and a colonic model of the human large intestine, was used. An increase in the numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli was observed by plate-counting in response to the addition of either SR or FOS after 8 and 24 h fermentation. A significant decrease in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes was observed in SR samples after 8 and 24 h fermentation. FOS resulted in the greatest production of short chain fatty acids. Sun-dried raisins demonstrated considerable potential to promote the colonization and proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the human large intestine and to stimulate the production of organic acids.

Pairing nuts and dried fruit for cardiometabolic health.

Certain dietary patterns, in which fruits and nuts are featured prominently, reduce risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, estimated fruit consumption historically in the U.S. has been lower than recommendations. Dried fruit intake is even lower with only about 6.9 % of the adult population reporting any consumption. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee identified a gap between recommended fruit and vegetable intakes and the amount the population consumes. Even fewer Americans consume tree nuts, which are a nutrient-dense food, rich in bioactive compounds and healthy fatty acids. Consumption of fruits and nuts has been associated with reduced risk of cardiometabolic disease. An estimated 5.5 to 8.4 % of U.S. adults consume tree nuts and/or tree nut butter. This review examines the potential of pairing nuts and dried fruit to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors and focuses on emerging data on raisins and pistachios as representative of each food category. Evidence suggests that increasing consumption of both could help improve Americans' nutritional status and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

5-Lipoxygenase metabolite 4-HDHA is a mediator of the antiangiogenic effect of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Lipid signaling is dysregulated in many diseases with vascular pathology, including cancer, diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and age-related macular degeneration. We have previously demonstrated that diets enriched in ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) effectively reduce pathological retinal neovascularization in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy, in part through metabolic products that suppress microglial-derived tumor necrosis factor-α. To better understand the protective effects of ω-3 PUFAs, we examined the relative importance of major lipid metabolic pathways and their products in contributing to this effect. ω-3 PUFA diets were fed to four lines of mice deficient in each key lipid-processing enzyme (cyclooxygenase 1 or 2, or lipoxygenase 5 or 12/15), retinopathy was induced by oxygen exposure; only loss of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) abrogated the protection against retinopathy of dietary ω-3 PUFAs. This protective effect was due to 5-LOX oxidation of the ω-3 PUFA lipid docosahexaenoic acid to 4-hydroxy-docosahexaenoic acid (4-HDHA). 4-HDHA directly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and sprouting angiogenesis via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), independent of 4-HDHA's anti-inflammatory effects. Our study suggests that ω-3 PUFAs may be profitably used as an alternative or supplement to current anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment for proliferative retinopathy and points to the therapeutic potential of ω-3 PUFAs and metabolites in other diseases of vasoproliferation. It also suggests that cyclooxygenase inhibitors such as aspirin and ibuprofen (but not lipoxygenase inhibitors such as zileuton) might be used without losing the beneficial effect of dietary ω-3 PUFA.

Polyphenol content and health benefits of raisins.

The health benefits of grapes and wine have been studied and publicized extensively, but dried grapes (raisins, including "sultanas" and "currants") have received comparatively little attention. The purpose of the review was to summarize the polyphenol, phenolic acid, and tannin (PPT) composition of raisins; predict the likely bioavailability of the component PPT; and summarize the results of human intervention studies involving raisins. The most abundant PPTs are the flavonols, quercetin and kaempferol, and the phenolic acids, caftaric and coutaric acid. On a wet weight basis, some PPTs, such as protocatechuic and oxidized cinnamic acids, are present at a higher level in raisins compared to grapes. In human intervention studies, raisins can lower the postprandial insulin response, modulate sugar absorption (glycemic index), affect certain oxidative biomarkers, and promote satiety via leptin and ghrelin. However, only limited numbers of studies have been performed, and it is not clear to what extent the PPT component is responsible for any effects. More research is required to establish the bioavailability and health effects of the PPT component of raisins, the effects of raisins on health biomarkers in vivo in humans, and how these effects compare to grapes and wine.