Hazelnuts are one of the most nutritious nuts, packed with vitamin E and health benefits. Belonging to the nut family, hazelnuts have a brown shell and a slightly sweet, crunchy nut meat.
Commonly used in dairy, confectionery and baked goods, hazelnuts provide richness and texture to foods like coffee, milkshakes, pastries, cookies, and spreads. Their nutty flavor and buttery texture makes them a perfect ingredient for sweet and savory dishes.
As one of the richest sources of vitamin E, hazelnuts deliver a trove of nutrients and antioxidant power. A one ounce serving of hazelnuts contains a whopping 13 mg of vitamin E, which is 76% of the daily value. Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Hazelnuts also contain healthy fats, protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins, various minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. They help lower cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, prevent heart disease, control blood sugar levels, and promote brain health.
With their butter-like flavor and buttery soft texture, hazelnuts satisfy cravings while boosting health and longevity. High in nutrients but low in calories, hazelnuts can absolutely be part of a balanced diet. Their nutritious and delicious nut meat makes it easy to reap the rewards of good health with every crunchy bite.
As a superfood, hazelnuts deserve a place in your regular diet. From nut butters to salads, granola and more, hazelnuts enhance the nutrition, flavor, texture, and enjoyment of many foods.
Promote Healthy Digestion
Hazelnuts are packed full of fiber, containing an estimated 2.7 grams per ounce. Fiber is essential for digestive health, detoxification and weight management.
A fiber-rich diet helps promote weight loss by assisting in removing bodily toxins. With healthy digestion, you gain increased energy, mental clarity, and a stronger immune system. Dietary guidelines recommend that women consume 25 grams of fiber daily and men 38 grams.
Fiber and fat work together in hazelnuts to ward off cravings, control blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and regulate bowel movements. Proper digestion and metabolism are essential for overall health and wellness.
Promote Brain Health
The body needs amino acids from proteins such as tryptophan and tyrosine to enhance the functioning of the central nervous system. 100g of hazelnuts contains 0.222g of tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in rare foods.
Tryptophan helps boost serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that regulates mood, behavior, digestion, sleep, and pain sensitivity. Low serotonin levels are linked to depression, anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain.
Eating foods high in tryptophan like hazelnuts can help combat these issues and create an overall sense of well-being. In addition to tryptophan, hazelnuts also contain tyrosine, an amino acid precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine.
Dopamine regulates pleasure, reward, movement, cognition, and learning. Norepinephrine acts as a stress hormone and promotes alertness. Adequate tyrosine is important for focus, concentration, motivation, and thyroid health.
Protein from hazelnuts provides the building blocks for a healthy, balanced chemistry in the brain and body. Amino acids work together to transmit signals between neurons, synthesize neurotransmitters, and regulate hormones.
Rich in Antioxidants
Hazelnuts are rich in antioxidants, which help protect your body’s cells from free radicals and oxidative stress. One of the most potent antioxidants in hazelnuts is vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that shields fats in cell membranes from damage.
A one-ounce serving of hazelnuts contains about 21% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E acts as a lipid-soluble antioxidant, protecting fatty tissues throughout your body including the brain, heart, and lungs.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that form as a natural byproduct of metabolism and outside influences like pollution and radiation. While free radicals play some positive roles in the body, too many can cause harm by damaging cells, DNA and proteins.
Antioxidants like vitamin E neutralize free radicals and may help prevent or slow cell damage linked to aging and disease. In addition to vitamin E, hazelnuts also contain carotenoids, flavonoids, quercetin, and resveratrol – potent antioxidants found in plant foods.
Reduce Inflammation
According to research, hazelnuts have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that promote health and well-being. As a source of healthy monounsaturated fats, hazelnuts help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
A 2013 study found that eating hazelnuts daily for 12 weeks significantly reduced the inflammatory markers in overweight participants. By containing monounsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, adding hazelnuts to your diet helps combat inflammation while improving health.
Hazelnuts may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Their anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to benefit heart health, digestion, skin health and brain function.
Studies suggest hazelnuts have hypoglycemic or blood sugar lowering effects that could aid diabetes management. The magnesium, fiber, protein and healthy fats in hazelnuts help regulate blood sugar spikes and crashes after meals.
Boost Immune System
According to research, high amounts of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant properties of hazelnut protect the body from infections and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The high source of Vitamin E found in hazelnuts makes them a great immune system booster. When the body has a virus, the T cells become impaired and can’t fend off infection or illness as they typically do. Vitamin E can help the body produce more T cells, effectively allowing it to fend off the illness. Research has shown this to be most effective in those who already have a Vitamin E deficiency, which is rare.
Improve Fertility
While vitamin E deficiency is rare, eating hazelnuts can help boost vitamin E intake which supports reproductive health. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant protecting fatty tissues in the reproductive organs from damage.
A 2018 study found that a diet high in nuts, including hazelnuts, significantly improve sperm count in men over 14 weeks. By providing healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, nuts like hazelnuts support fertility and reproduction in both men and women.
Amazing For Expecting Mothers
Nuts like hazelnuts are rich in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients that are essential for pregnancy health and baby development. Macronutrients provide the energy for fetal growth while micronutrients support organ development and other critical functions. Hazelnuts contain the most folate out of tree nuts. Folate helps to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in pregnancies. This can be found in most prenatal vitamins. Having hazelnuts during the first trimester of pregnancy promotes a child’s brain development. A study suggests that children of women who had nuts during pregnancy have higher IQ and memory.
According to research, nutrients such as protein, fats, iron and calcium are necessary for a baby’s proper growth and development in the womb. Hazelnuts contain these important nutrients which is why eating them during pregnancy promotes health for both mother and child.
Heart Health
Hazelnuts are great for heart health! Just one month of consuming healthy levels of hazelnuts has been shown in some studies to decrease cholesterol levels. Hazelnuts contain a type of phenolic compound known as monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower cholesterol. Magnesium helps keep blood vessels from constricting and can improve blood flow. Hazelnuts contain roughly 55% of the RDI of magnesium. Eating hazelnuts can also help to regulate and lower blood pressure, according to some studies. Hazelnuts also contain high amounts of oleic acid, which is good for heart health.
Promotes Healthy Skin
Hazelnut oil is widely used in the cosmetic industry for its therapeutic benefits. According to research, phenolic compounds derived from plant-based foods help slow down skin aging, protect the skin from sun damage, and treat various skin issues like wounds, wrinkles, and acne. The Vitamin E in hazelnuts moisturizes and hydrates the skin. It conditions the skin, making it soft, smooth, and radiant. It acts as a natural sunscreen, safeguarding our skin from the harmful effects of the harsh UV rays.
Improves Hair Health
Hazelnuts, being a rich source of vitamin E, are beneficial for hair growth. According to research, vitamin E supplements promote hair growth in alopecia patients. High amounts of protein, zinc, and selenium present in nuts improve scalp health and prevent hair loss. It nourishes hair follicles to promote healthier and stronger hair growth, and it also helps produce collagen and healthier skin cells.
