Adding pistachios to a daily diet for 12 weeks significantly increased macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and may be an effective dietary intervention to preserve eye health.
The advice comes from a United States study,1 which found that eating 57 grams of shelled pistachios daily, significantly increased MPOD by week six, which was maintained through week 12.
There were similar increases in serum lutein concentrations at week 12.
There were no significant changes to either MPOD or serum lutein concentrations in a control group, who did not eat pistachios.
The study authors said pistachios were “the only tree nut to contain substantial amounts of lutein”
…. our findings suggest that inclusion of pistachio nuts in a healthy diet could be an effective dietary strategy
“MPOD has been inversely associated with incidence of AMD (age-related macular degeneration), the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Higher lutein intake has been shown to increase MPOD and to protect against AMD,” the study authors wrote.
“Nut consumption has also been reported to decrease the risk of AMD. However, a specific relationship between pistachio intake and AMD prevention has not been evaluated.”
The authors concluded that although further research was needed, “our findings suggest that inclusion of pistachio nuts in a healthy diet could be an effective dietary strategy for promoting eye health”.
Reference
1.Scott TM, Ogunbodede O, McKay D, Johnson EJ. Pistachio consumption increases macular pigment optical density in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2024 Oct 17:S0022-3166(24)01099-X. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.10.022.
