The Western Pistachio Association released the results of a study (that it paid for), showing that eating pistachio nuts may help lower blood pressure, and increase the body's ability to react to stress...

According to groundbreaking results of a study conducted by nutrition researchers at Penn State University and released earlier this year, eating pistachios may reduce your body's response to the stresses of everyday life.

Pistachios, when eaten in both 3 ounce and 1.5 ounce servings, resulted in study participants experiencing a significant reduction of the biological effects of acute stress. During the diets supplemented with pistachios, subjects had lower blood pressure during stress.

Read the full announcement here...
http://sev.prnewswire.com/food-beverages/20071119/AQM06819112007-1.html

Of course, eating pistachios can also increase your stress and blood pressure when trying to crack open a nut that doesn't want to open up.

That's one reason why I like sunflower seeds.