Wonderfully delicious pistachio nuts have long been cherished as the symbol of wellness and robust health since ancient times. The kernels are enriched with many health-benefiting nutrients essential for the optimum health.

A 1-ounce serving of pistachios, or about 49 kernels, provides you with 13 grams of fat — one of the lowest fat contents of all nuts. Eleven of those grams are from healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, while only 2 grams are from saturated fat. According to a review of studies of pistachios, published in 2016 in Nutrition Today, a wealth of research suggests that consuming these tiny nuts may support hearth health by improving cholesterol levels — both raising “good” HDL cholesterol and lowering “bad” LDL.

In addition, pistachio consumption appears to lower blood pressure, which also positively affects cardiovascular health. A review of clinical trials published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2015 found that, among all tree nuts, pistachios show the greatest potential to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers.