Pistachios good for you

Pistachios lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, say Pennsylvania state University scientists. When people with high cholesterol added 85g of shelled pistachios - about two handfuls - to their daily diets, their LDL ( bad ) cholesterol dropped 12 percent. Credit the high content of unsaturated fats and antioxidants, both of which help prevent arterial plaque, says study author Sarah Gebauer, PhD.

They’re not just snack food though. Canadian researchers found adding pistachios to a carbohydrate-rich meal can significantly decrease your blood-sugar response.