A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition finds that fat in pistachios nuts might not be completely absorbed by the body.
The calorie information you see on the side of a food packet is obtained by 'burning' the food in a device called a calorimeter. From this the boffins can tell how much is protein, carbohydrate or fat. All well and good, but the human digestive system isn't a simple piece of lab equipment. There are far too many factors that come into play, including the persons gut health, and what else is being ingested at the time.
A great example of this is broccoli, which contains plenty of vitamins A,E & K, all of which are fat soluble. But unless some fat accompanies the broccoli, these vitamins have little chance of being absorbed by the body. Similarly, a certain amount of the fat in foods isn't absorbed, particularly in fiber rich foods, as certain kinds of fiber can bind to fat. This appears to be the case of pistachios, which to have 5.9% less calories when digested (burned) by a human being than when measured in a calorimeter.
A great example of this is broccoli, which contains plenty of vitamins A,E & K, all of which are fat soluble. But unless some fat accompanies the broccoli, these vitamins have little chance of being absorbed by the body. Similarly, a certain amount of the fat in foods isn't absorbed, particularly in fiber rich foods, as certain kinds of fiber can bind to fat. This appears to be the case of pistachios, which to have 5.9% less calories when digested (burned) by a human being than when measured in a calorimeter.
cashew, almond, walnut, pine nut, peanut, pecan, pistachio |
Even better, pistachios are regarded as a mindful snack, partly because they require attention to get the shells off, and partly because the stack of shells serves as a reminder of how many have been eaten.
Whats my opinion? When it comes to snacking, go nuts!
"..research shows in-shell snackers eat 41-percent fewer calories than those who snack on shelled nuts. We also found that in-shell pistachios offer a visual cue to help reduce intake. When leftover shells are cleared immediately, snackers eat up to 22 percent more compared to leaving left over shells as a reminder of consumption."Pistachios are also a good source of fiber and protein. Providing about 49 kernels per 30-grams (approximately 1 ounce) serving, pistachios offer the most nuts per serving when compared to other popular snack nuts - comparatively, almonds have 23 in a serving, walnuts 14 halves and cashews, 18.
Whats my opinion? When it comes to snacking, go nuts!
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