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J. Nutr. First published March 31, 2010; doi:10.3945/jn.109.117366
 Journal of Nutrition, doi:10.3945/jn.109.117366
Vol. 140, No. 6, 1093-1098, June 2010
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© 2010 American Society for Nutrition

Nutrient Physiology, Metabolism, and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions

Pistachios Increase Serum Antioxidants and Lower Serum Oxidized-LDL in Hypercholesterolemic Adults1,2

Colin D. Kay3,4,6, Sarah K. Gebauer3,5,7, Sheila G. West3,4 and Penny M. Kris-Etherton3,5,*

3 Department of Nutritional Sciences,; 4 Department of Biobehavioral Health, and; 5 Integrative Biosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802

Pistachios are high in lutein, β-carotene, and {gamma}-tocopherol relative to other nuts; however, studies of the effects of pistachios on oxidative status are lacking. We conducted a randomized, crossover controlled-feeding study to evaluate 2 doses of pistachios on serum antioxidants and biomarkers of oxidative status in 28 hypercholesterolemic adults (LDL-cholesterol ≥2.86 mmol/L). Participants consumed 3 isoenergetic diets for 4 wk each after a 2-wk baseline Western diet. Experimental diets included a lower-fat control diet without pistachios (25% total fat) with 1 serving/d (i.e. 32–63 g/d; energy adjusted) of pistachios (1 PD; 10% energy from pistachios; 30% total fat) or with 2 servings/d (63–126g/d; energy adjusted) of pistachios (2 PD; 20% energy from pistachios; 34% total fat). When participants consumed the pistachio-enriched diets, they had higher plasma lutein (P < 0.0001), {alpha}-carotene, and β-carotene (P < 0.01) concentrations than after the baseline diet. After consuming the pistachio diets, participants had greater plasma lutein (P < 0.001) and {gamma}-tocopherol (P < 0.05; 2 PD only) relative to the lower-fat control diet. After the 2 PD diet period, participants also had lower serum oxidized-LDL concentrations than following the baseline diet period (P < 0.05). After both the 1 PD and 2 PD diet periods, they had lower serum oxidized-LDL concentrations than after the control diet period (P < 0.05). The change in oxidized-LDL from baseline correlated positively with the change in LDL-cholesterol across all treatments (r = 0.42; P < 0.005). After controlling for the change in serum LDL-cholesterol as a covariate, increases in serum lutein and {gamma}-tocopherol following the 2 PD period were still modestly associated with decreases in oxidized-LDL (r = –0.36, P = 0.06 and r = –0.35, P = 0.08, respectively). This suggests that a heart-healthy diet including pistachios contributes to the decrease in the serum oxidized-LDL concentration through cholesterol-lowering and may provide an added benefit as a result of the antioxidants the pistachios contain.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pmk3{at}psu.edu.

Manuscript received 13 October 2009. Initial review completed 11 November 2009. Revision accepted 16 March 2010.

Published online 31 March 2010.