"Until now, little has been known about pistachios and pistachio oils' anti-inflammatory properties," said Dr. Constance Geiger, nutrition expert for the Western Pistachio Association (WPA) and its nutrition education Web site TheGreenNut. "This new research both supports and strengthens pistachios' standing as a food that offers important health benefits, especially for helping to reduce the risk of heart disease."

Study Method

A mouse macrophage cell line--a line of large white blood cells that ingest foreign particles and infectious microorganisms--was treated with pistachio oil, and numerous DNA experiments were performed to evaluate gene expression.

The Results

Researchers found that pistachio oil significantly affected genes involved in immune response, defense response to bacteria, and gene silencing. In particular, Ifit-2 was the marker (or genetic indicator) most dramatically reduced--thus, determined to be sensitive to pistachio and bioactive molecules present in pistachios.

SOURCE Western Pistachio Association