Health Benefits Uses and side-effects of Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are tree nuts native to the eastern half of North America. Hazelnut trees are relatively easy to grow and start producing nuts within 4-6 years of planting. The hazel nuts themselves are relatively small, almost large marble-sized, and round. Fresh hazel nuts are mushy but can be rolled into a creamy paste. They have a rich flavor that is still notable in other flavored recipes, including chocolate.
Hazelnuts are packed with nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidant compounds, and healthy fats. Hazelnuts have health benefits, including helping lower blood fat levels, controlling blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and improving blood sugar levels. Above all, they are an excellent and delicious source of nutrients that can be easily incorporated into your diet.
This little nut is a nutritional powerhouse. Native Americans added the nut to tea to cure the honey cycle, and reduce fevers. The bark can be used as a poultice to stop injuries, and treat tumors and wounds. You can use hazelnut oil on your skin as a moisturizer and sunscreen. It is often used in aromatherapy and massage. Since it is edible, the oil can also be used as a salad dressing. This article discusses the health benefits of hazelnuts.
Benefits and Uses of Hazelnut
1. Promotes heart health
Hazelnuts help reduce LDL cholesterol levels by promoting high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which removes bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. The monounsaturated fats in hazelnuts keep bad cholesterol away from the heart and other major organs and prevent atherosclerosis.
This fat helps to raise good HDL cholesterol levels, which means hazelnuts can be particularly beneficial for people with high blood pressure and triglycerides as they will help protect their cardiovascular system so it keeps running smoothly.
2. Promotes digestive health
In addition to cardiovascular benefits, hazelnuts promote digestive health. Hazelnut fiber slows down digestion and keeps your bowel movements regular as it absorbs as it passes through your gastrointestinal tract.
Since irregular bowel movements can lead to other intestinal problems, including constipation or diarrhea, eating a small handful of these nuts on a regular basis as part of a fiber-rich diet can help prevent those problems from occurring.
For those suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Crohns’s disease, eating enough high-fiber foods like hazelnuts is especially important when they don’t have active flare-ups.
3. Help reduce inflammation
Inflammation is associated with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Cold therapy is a traditional method of reducing inflammation and treating arthritis as it reduces swelling near the joint. Hazelnuts are high in phytosterols that have been shown to reduce inflammation in laboratory studies. Just a handful of people can only help keep your hands and feet from hurting.
4. Improve bone health
Many people don’t think about their bones when they eat healthy foods, but healthy bones are associated with a reduced risk of osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
Hazelnuts and other nuts not only increase the mass of good cholesterol, but also protects cardiovascular health, it promotes healthy bone metabolism (osteogenesis). Therefore, including hazelnut in your diet on a regular basis can help improve your bone density over time and reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.
5. Reduces cancer rates
Hazelnuts are high in antioxidant compounds, vitamins and minerals that can provide some anti-cancer properties. Among other nuts like pecans and pistachios, they contain the highest concentrations of classes of antioxidants called proanthocyanidins. Some experiments and animal studies have shown that proanthocyanidins may help prevent and treat certain types of cancer. It is assumed that they protect against oxidative stress. In addition, hazelnuts are rich in vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant that has demonstrated potential protection against cell damage that can cause or promote cancer.
6. Promotes healthy skin
Finally, while most people think chocolate is healthy (full of antioxidants), they forget about hazelnut cocoa butter, which contains some of the same antioxidants that support skin health and can help your skin look younger and healthier. The vitamin E in them is essential for collagen production. Therefore, they can enhance the development of your skin.
7. Helps lose weight
As part of a balanced, calorie-reduced diet and lifestyle, hazelnuts and other nuts can help with weight loss. They are both rich in protein and fiber, which makes you feel full for a long time.
8. May improve the count of sperm in males
According to recent research, including this delicious hazelnut in your daily diet can improve male fertility and vitality. In addition, eating them regularly can improve the quality of sperm produced in the body.
9. Improves the efficiency of your brain
Hazelnuts contain folate, manganese, vitamin E, thiamine and fatty acids that can improve your memory and cognitive function. Nuts can increase the production of serotonin, and epinephrine, therefore, improving mood and alertness.
10. Great for muscle health
A big hazelnut benefit to remember is that it is packed with protein and magnesium so this crunchy nut can be an excellent food option for improving your bone and muscle health in the long term.
11. Maintain diabetes
Eating hazelnuts can help control diabetes. Hazelnuts contain manganese which can help control blood sugar levels in the body. Plus, they’re rich in magnesium and can reduce the risk of diabetes.
Uses of Hazel nuts
People often eat hazelnuts as a snack or add them to salads. Ground hazelnuts can be incorporated into a variety of recipes. Several ready-made hazelnut spreads are high in sugar, and these are best avoided. You can use hazelnut oil on the skin as a moisturizer and sunscreen. It is often used in aromatherapy and massage. Since it is edible, the oil can also be used as a salad dressing.
Check Also: Good Quality Hazel Nuts
Side effects of Hazelnuts
Although hazelnuts are considered safe for most people, they are not recommended for people who are allergic to certain nuts such as pecans and walnuts (also some people who are allergic to peanuts may be allergic to hazel nuts).
When cooking for others, always test nuts before adding them to a dish. To enjoy the health benefits of hazelnuts, a person should be careful about the overall number of calories they consume each day. When adding anything to your diet, it can be easy to take in more calories than you need, and this can lead to weight gain. Like other nuts, hazelnuts are quite an energy dense and therefore can be easy to eat over. An ounce of nuts is the allowable portion size, which is about a small handful.
Therefore, considering the benefits and harms of hazelnuts, it should be used in the right amount as excessive use of any product can harm our health. The above is information provided for general information purposes only. It is recommended to consult a doctor before using hazelnuts for the treatment of diseases.
Conclusion
The information discussed in this article has introduced you to the health benefits of hazelnuts. In this article, you will learn about the benefits, harms, uses, and other health-related information of hazelnuts. I hope the information mentioned in this article will be useful to you. Thank you!
FAQ
1. Is it okay to eat hazel nuts every day?
Ans: The researchers concluded that the best way to reap the health benefits of hazel nuts is to eat them every day without increasing a person’s overall calorie intake. The results of the 2016 survey likewise indicated that hazel nuts can reduce harmful cholesterol masses.
2. Are there benefits to hazelnuts?
Ans: Hazelnuts are packed with nutrients, antioxidant compounds and healthy fats. They may also have health benefits, including helping to lower blood fat levels, controlling blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood sugar levels.
3. Is hazelnut a superfood?
Ans: Hazelnuts in general are known for their heart health and muscle-building benefits. Hazelnuts are rich in magnesium, iron, and vitamins B and C. They are also said to help with diabetes and memory loss. These properties make hazelnuts a superfood.
4. Does eating hazelnuts help you sleep?
Ans: These mushy and slightly sweet nuts are actually high in tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep. Tryptophan produces melatonin, which helps us get a restful night of deep sleep.
5. Are hazelnuts good for the brain?
Ans: Along with walnuts and nuts, they are considered one of the best foods to promote brain health. Being rich in thiamine, selenium, and vitamins E and K, hazelnuts are excellent for brain health and they also improve memory.
6. Do hazelnuts boost testosterone?
Ans: Hazelnut supplementation improved histopathologic variables, sperm quality, seminal plasma and plasma oxidative stress, Seminoles plasma vitamin E and plasma testosterone levels in both groups.