Low in calories yet high in protein

While nuts have numerous health benefits, they are often heavy in calories. Pistachios, fortunately, are one of the lowest-calorie nuts. Pistachios have 159 calories per ounce (28 grams), compared to 185 calories in walnuts and 193 calories in pecans. Pistachios are second only to almonds in terms of protein content, accounting for around 20% of their weight. They also have a larger proportion of essential amino acids (protein building blocks) than any other nut.

These amino acids are deemed important since your body cannot produce them and you must receive them from your diet. Other amino acids, on the other hand, are regarded as semi-essential, which means that they can be essential under specific conditions, depending on the individual's health. L-arginine, which amounts to 2% of the amino acids in pistachios, is one of these semi-essential amino acids. In your body, it is transformed into nitric oxide, a molecule that helps your blood vessels to expand, so increasing blood flow.