Stress is an everyday part of life, but such is particularly heightened among people with Type 2 diabetes. This is due to their higher risks to heart disease. Thankfully, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that one way to lessen stress levels in the body, especially for those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, is to consume pistachios on a daily basis.
The study was conducted at Penn State University by Sheila G. West and colleagues, wherein the effects of pistachios were investigated based on the responses to standardized stress tasks by Type 2 diabetes patients. These patients, who were generally considered "healthy" and had "well-controlled" Type 2 diabetes, were asked to consume the typical American diet of 36 percent fat and 12 percent saturated fat. This went on for the first two weeks of the study. Meanwhile, for the next two weeks the participants were randomly asked to consume one of two test diets, one of which included two servings of pistachios each day- around 150 pieces of pistachios.
After the four- week process, the researchers measured the participants' blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance while at rest and during stress-inducing tests. Results showed that after the pistachio diet, blood vessels appeared to be open and more relaxed even during the stress tests. It was also discovered that the pistachio diet reduced vascular restriction. This allows lesser workload on the heart, therefore reducing the body's response to stressors.
Also, the researchers found that pistachios help in improving heart rate variability. Heart rate variability indicates heart function as controlled by the nervous system. The pistachios seemed to have been responsible in increasing the activity of the vagus nerve, which is an essential aspect of the parasympathetic nervous system. Diabetes damages the parasympathetic nervous system, but pistachios might help regulate this, based on the research findings.
