Pistachios Promote Healthy Weight Goals

When considering your options for a snack, reach for a handful of in-shell pistachios.  K. Kennedy-Hagan, from Eastern Illinois University (Illinois, USA), and colleagues studied 118 faculty and staff at a midwestern US university, all of whom were provided a pre-weighed 16-ounce bowl filled with four ounces of in-shell pistachios to keep on their desk over the course of two workdays, separated by a day of no pistachio consumption. Participants were told they could consume pistachios at their leisure during the day and were also provided a second 16-ounce bowl to discard the pistachio empty shells. The subjects were randomized into two groups. For the first group, the bowls with pistachio shells were not emptied until the end of the day. For the second group, the bowls with pistachio shells were emptied every two hours. Pistachios were added in two-ounce increments if the amount in the bowl had been reduced to approximately half or less of the starting amount. When leftover pistachio shells remained on the desk throughout the day, calorie consumption of pistachios decreased by 22%, as compared to when nut shells were routinely removed.  Writing that: “Leaving pistachio shells as a visual cue to consumption may help consumers consume fewer calories,” the researchers provide evidence that pistachio nut shells can provide important "visual cues" as a reminder of consumption that translate into reduced calorie consumption.