We know pistachios can help reduce the risk of heart disease and can incorporated as a healthy snack in a weight management plan but new research has shed light on the role pistachios may play in reducing the risk of certain cancers including lung cancer.

Earlier this month, research from Texas Woman’s University was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Conference.  The researchers found that eating about two ounces (68 grams) of pistachios per day raised blood levels of gamma-tocopherol by 24 percent, compared to those who did not eat pistachios.  Gamma-tocopherol possesses anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Pistachios provide 6.36 mg of gamma-tocopherol, more than most other snack nuts. 

Kelly Plowe, MS, RD

Although she still remains a Boston sports fan, Kelly has changed her east-coast ways, adapting to the California lifestyle.