Pistachio nut consumption modifies systemic hemodynamics, increases heart rate variability, and reduces ambulatory blood pressure in well-controlled type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial.

Sauder KA, McCrea CE, Ulbrecht JS, Kris-Etherton PM, West SG.

J Am Heart Assoc. 2014;3(4):e000873. Published 2014 Jun 30.

This study assessed the effect of pistachio consumption on BP, systemic hemodynamics, and heart rate variability in adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes.

Researchers enrolled 30 adults (40 to 74 years) with type 2 diabetes in a randomized, crossover, controlled feeding study. After a 2-week run-in period, participants consumed a low-fat control diet (27% fat) containing low-fat/high-carbohydrate snacks and a moderate-fat diet (33% fat) containing pistachios (20% of total energy) for 4 weeks each, separated by a 2-week washout.

Results showed that a moderate-fat diet containing pistachios modestly improves some cardiovascular risk factors in adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes.