Pistachios nuts has been shown to reduce hypertension "significantly" during sleep, Daily Express reported.
The study, published in the journal of the American Heart Association, conducted experiments on a sample of 30 adults, all of whom were diabetic at the outset of the study.
Researchers set out to compare the effects of a moderate-fat diet containing 20% of daily energy from pistachios to a low-fat control diet on blood pressure.
Participants were split into two separate groups, the first of which consumed a control diet containing low-fat/ high-carbohydrate snacks. The second group, on the other hand, consumed a moderate-fat diet containing pistachios. Both groups adhered to their respective diets for four weeks before undergoing a series of tests.
As the diet period came to a close, subjects had their blood pressure checked, alongside heart rate variability, and other markers for cardiovascular disease.
The researchers noted: "The pistachio diet significantly reduced total peripheral resistance, increased cardiac output, and improved some measures of heart rate variability. Systolic ambulatory blood pressure was significantly reduced […] following the pistachio diet, with the greatest reduction observed during sleep."
The researchers concluded: "A moderate-fat diet containing pistachios modestly improves some cardiovascular risk factors in adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes."
Healthline supports these findings, stating that the lowering effects of pistachios on blood pressure are greater than those seen with any other nuts.
Beyond their benefits for blood pressure, pistachios also contain the amino acid L-arginine, which is converted into nitric oxide in the body.
