If you're the kind of person that goes crazy for nuts, particularly pistachios, you may be doing your body a favor and reducing your risk of contracting lung cancer as well as other malignant cell growths, by snacking on a handful

a day. A recent study conducted at the Houston Center at Texas Woman's University made just such a conclusion.

Pistachios are rich in a form of vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol, which occurs naturally in plant-derived foods. Vitamin E is a powerful anti-oxidant and works by assisting the body destroy pro-aging and cancer-causing free radicals. The purpose of the study was to see if

eating pistachios every day, about 2 ounces worth, would lead to an increased level of gamma-tocopherols in a person's body which would provide the benefits associated with elevated anti-oxidant levels. The study was led by

Ladia M. Hernandez M.S., R.D., L.D., the senior research dietician in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and is also a doctoral candidate at Texas Woman's University. In the controlled 6-week clinical study, 18 participants

made up the control group and 18 were part of the

intervention group, totaling 36 healthy participants in all.

The study started out with a two week baseline period and after this, the intervention group was provided with 68 grams (two ounces or about 117 nuts) of pistachios for 4 weeks per person. The control group kept up with their normal diet.

"It is known that vitamin E provides a degree of protection against certain forms of cancer. Higher intakes of gamma-tocopherol, which is a form of vitamin E, may reduce the risk of lung cancer," said Hernandez in a news release

from the American Association for Cancer Research.

During and after the study, the participants were measured for their intake response as well as their blood serum levels of gamma-tocopherol. The intake was measured using the Nutrition Data System for Research Version 2007

(http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Nutrition) and the amount of pistachios consumed was observed using diet logs and by weighing the pistachios that were returned.

The Results of the Study

Hernandez and her team found an increased level of gamma-tocopherols in the group who consumed the pistachios versus the control group. This was seen as early as the third or fourth week and continued on well into the fifth and sixth week.

":Pistachios are one of those 'good-for-you' nuts, and two ounces per day could be incorporated into dietary strategies designed to reduce the risk of lung cancer without significant changes in body mass index," Hernandez

said.

Eating pistachios may provide additional benefits as well.Vitamin E has been shown to decrease the damaging effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol by preventing it from

oxidizing and sticking to the artery walls as plaque. It also helps the circulatory system by improving the blood's ability to clot properly and therefore aiding in the healing of wounds.

It is important to remember that the best sources of vitamin E are from foods rather than supplements made with synthetically derived vitamin E. This usually appears on

labels as dl-alpha-tocopher(y)l acetate or

dl-alpha-tocopher(y)l succinate. If you prefer to

supplement a healthy diet with natural vitamin E

supplements then look for all-natural products, devoid of chemical fillers, with the vitamin E ingredient listed as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate or d-alpha-tocopheryl succinate without the (dl) suffix.

The reason for this distinction is because synthetic vitamin E is a byproduct of the petroleum industry and, although molecularly it may look similar to naturally derived vitamin E, the human body can tell the difference

between the two and will metabolize them differently. The body knows what to do with natural vitamin E but has a hard time figuring out what to do with a toxin.

In case you are not a fan of pistachios or you would prefer a variety, other types of nuts high in

gamma-tocopherols include walnuts, peanuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts. The solutions for an optimal diet can truly be found in nature.