WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Eating pistachios every day might
reduce your risk for lung cancer and other malignancies, according to a
new study.

Pistachios are a good source of a type of vitamin E called
gamma-tocopherol.

"It is known that vitamin E provides a degree of protection against
certain forms of cancer. Higher intakes of gamma-tocopherol ... may reduce
the risk of lung cancer," Ladia M. Hernandez, a senior research dietitian
at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a doctoral
candidate at Texas Women's University, said in a news release from the
American Association for Cancer Research.

The study included 18 people who ate 68 grams (about 2 ounces or 117
kernels) of pistachios a day for four weeks and 18 people in a control
group who did not add pistachios to their normal diet.

As the study progressed, those in the pistachio group showed
significantly higher blood levels of gamma-tocopherol.

The findings were to be presented Dec. 8 in Houston at a cancer
prevention conference sponsored by the American Association for Cancer
Research.

"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.

"Other food sources that are a rich source of gamma-tocopherol include
peanuts, pecans, walnuts, soybean and corn oils," she added.

More information

The Office of Dietary Supplements at the U.S. National Institutes of
Health has more about vitamin
E.