Benefits Of Pistachios During Pregnancy

Written by

LMU (Germany)-certified Pregnancy Nutrition and Lifestyle expert

pista during pregnancy

Image : Shutterstock

From baked foods to soups and salads, the flavor of a number of dishes can be enhanced by adding a few pistachios. These delicious and crunchy nuts, loaded with excellent nutrients, are also considered to be one of the healthiest nuts to consume during pregnancy. But, you should be mindful of when, why and how to eat them. Here, MomJunction discusses eating pistachio nuts during pregnancy, and how you and your baby can benefit from them.

Is It Safe To Eat Pista During Pregnancy?

Yes, it is safe to include pistachios, albeit in moderate amounts, during pregnancy (1). They are power-packed with protein, fiber, potassium, folate, calcium, and iron, all of which are important for the growth and development of the fetus.

Back to top

What Are The Benefits Of Pistachios During Pregnancy?

The nutrients present in pista are beneficial during pregnancy and aid in the healthy development of the baby. The nutritional benefits include:

1. Aids fetal development:

Pistachios contain a good amount of protein that is essential for the development of your unborn baby’s tissues and muscles (2). It also keeps your weight under check (3).

2. Balances lipid levels:

The high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in pistachios lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol levels, therefore, balancing lipids (4).

3. Boosts immunity levels:

Pistachios are rich in antioxidants including carotene, polyphenolic substances, and vitamin A and E that help boost immunity (5).

4. Prevents anemia:

Rich in iron, pistachios help in the formation of red blood cells. Including these nuts in your diet sufficiently will prevent anemia, especially during pregnancy when your body needs more than the usual amount of blood (6).

5. Treats constipation:

Being rich in fiber, pistachios aid easy digestion and regulate bowel movements. They can also provide relief from constipation that develops due to hormonal changes in early pregnancy (7).

6. Anti-inflammatory nature:

Pistachios are anti-inflammatory in nature and help in fighting joint pains and swelling that are common during pregnancy (8).

7. Good for fetal brain development:

Pistachios contain good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids, which are essential for the brain development of the baby (9).

Keep reading for the complete nutritional profile of pistachios.

Back to top

Nutritional Value Of Pistachios

Nutrients present in 100 grams of raw pistachios are as follows (10):

NUTRIENTAMOUNT
Calories560kcal
Water4.37g
Carbohydrates27.17g
Sugars7.66g
Protein20.16g
Fiber10.6g
Fat45.32g
Vitamins
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)0.870mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)0.160mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3)1.300mg
Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)1.700mg
Folic acid (Vitamin B9)51mcg
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)5.6mg
Retinol (Vitamin A)516IU
Alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E)2.86mg
Electrolytes
Potassium1025mg
Sodium1mg
Minerals
Calcium105mg
Iron3.92mg
Phosphorus490mg
Magnesium121mg
Zinc2.20mg
Lipids
Total saturated fatty acids5.907g
Total monounsaturated fatty acids23.257g
Total polyunsaturated fatty acids14.380g

g=grams; mg=milligrams; IU=International Units

While pistachios are nutritious, their benefits are greater only when you consume them in the right quantity.

Back to top

How Many Pistachios Can You Eat Per Day?

You may have up to ½ an ounce or approximately 24 pistachios per day (1). You should not eat more than the suggested quantity as it could lead to excess essential oils in the body that could be harmful to the brain (11).

Back to top

What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Eating Pistachios During Pregnancy?

Some things you should keep in mind while including pistachios are:

  • They have fructans that will cause digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and flatulence (12).
  • Roasted nuts coated in salt can have high sodium content that may elevate blood pressure (13). So it is best to choose the plain, unsalted variety.

A few precautions while including pistachios in your diet can be a good idea.

Back to top

How To Include Pistachios In Your Diet?

Here are a few interesting ways in which you can incorporate pistachio nuts into your diet:

  • Toss some pistachios to the fruit bowl, and consume it fresh.
  • Make a rough powder of them, and use as a dip to chicken before frying or grilling.
  • Sprinkle finely diced pistachios to oatmeal, yogurt or cereals for a nutritious breakfast.
  • Mix in a milkshake along with almonds, cardamom, and saffron for a super-filling beverage.

Do not worry about eating pistachios unless you have been specifically advised not to eat them by your health care provider. Include your daily serving of these nuts in whichever variety you prefer. Remember to stick to the permissible limit though.

Back to top

How have you included pistachios in your pregnancy diet? Do you know any interesting recipes for desserts? Write to us in the below comment section.

References:

1. Healthy Eating During Pregnancy; UC Davis Medical Center (2013)
2. Eating Healthy During Pregnancy; clinicaltrials.gov
3. Bridget Swinney; Eating Expectantly: Revised and Updated; page 50
4. Pistachios; Colorado State University (2017)
5. Mercedes Victoria Urquiza-Martínez & Bertha Fenton Navarro; Antioxidant Capacity of Food; Free Radicals and Antioxidants An Open Access, Peer Reviewed Journal (2016)
6. Iron Deficiency Anemia; Virginia Commonwealth University (2014)
7. Fiber; Oregon State University (2018)
8. Helieh S. Oz; Nutrients, Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases; Nutrients. (2017)
9. Rachel Scherr et al.; Nutrition and Health Info Sheet: Omega-3 Fatty Acids; The Regents of the University of California (2016)
10. Basic Report; Pistachio nuts, raw; USDA
11. Mary Purdy; Your Brain On Food: Nutrition For The Mind; Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine
12. Amy Fedewa & Satish S. C. Rao; Dietary fructose intolerance, fructan intolerance and FODMAPs; Curr Gastroenterol Rep (2015)
13. Understanding the DASH Diet – 9.374; Colorado State University (2018)

 

Recommended Articles:

Click
The following two tabs change content below.

Rebecca Malachi

She is a Biotechnologist with a proficiency in areas of genetics, immunology, microbiology, bio-engineering, chemical engineering, medicine, pharmaceuticals to name a few. Her expertise in these fields has greatly assisted her in writing medical and life science articles. With 8+ years of work experience in writing for health and wellness, she is now a full-time contributor for Momjunction.com. She is passionate about giving research-based information to readers in need. Apart from writing, she is a foodie, loves travel, fond of gospel music and enjoys observing nature in silence. Know more about her at: linkedin.com/in/kothapalli-rebecca-35881628
Featured Image