Dietary intake of pistachios or mixed nuts results in higher systemic antioxidant capacity with minimal effects on bone in adolescent male rats.

Wickman BE, Clayton ZS, Rochester E, et al.

J Nutr Sci. 2023;12:e11. Published 2023 Jan 24.

Excess oxidative stress induces bone loss while increasing antioxidant capacity promotes protective effects on bone. Nuts are rich in antioxidants; therefore, this study tested the hypothesis that compared to a control diet high in fat (40 % energy) and cholesterol, diets containing isocaloric amounts of pistachios (8·1 % g/g) or mixed nuts (7·5 % g/g) for 8 weeks would result in greater bone health in male adolescent (3 weeks; a state of continued skeletal growth) Sprague-Dawley rats.

Dietary intake of pistachios or mixed nuts results in higher systemic antioxidant capacity with minimal effects on bone in adolescent male rats. Therefore, pistachios and mixed nuts may increase tibial density, in part, due to increasing antioxidant capacity. Longer dietary interventions may be necessary to elicit detectable changes in other bones (e.g. femur) and to detect potential mechanisms for the possible bone protective effects of nuts.