All about hazelnuts: benefits and harms, caloric content, nutritionist's opinion
ALL ABOUT HAZELNUTS: BENEFITS AND HARMS, CALORIC CONTENT, NUTRITIONIST'S OPINIO.
Another name for hazelnuts is hazelnuts. They belong to the family of Hazelna. The height of trees usually does not exceed 5 meters, their trunk is thin. Flowering takes place in mid-spring.
The birthplace of this valuable shrub is the Caucasus and Asia Minor. From these places, it spread throughout Europe, and then was brought to America.
Hazelnuts are rich in antioxidants, useful for the heart, helps to control weight and blood sugar levels. But the nut is not suitable for everyone - it is worth considering contraindications. We understand together with experts why these nuts should be included in your diet.
Calories and nutritional value of hazelnuts.
Like other nuts, hazelnuts are rich in nutrients. It contains a lot of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals [1}:
Kcal: 628
Proteins: 15 g
Fats: 60.8 g
Carbohydrates: 16.7 g
Fiber: 9.7 g.
Polyunsaturated fats make the nut useful for many metabolic processes in the body, despite the high caloric content of the product. It contains omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids, such as oleic acid [2]. Hazelnuts contain iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, vitamins A, E, C, B6 and B12.
Benefits of hazelnuts.
Hazelnuts, the price of which is justified by useful properties, is a necessary component of plant origin in the daily diet. Nutritionists distinguish the following qualities:
Helps the normal functioning of the reproductive system, muscle development and heart function due to the presence of vitamin E and B.
It is the most powerful preventive ingredient against cancer.
Strengthens bones and teeth with calcium in its structure.
Stimulates the production of sex hormones due to zinc content.
Improves water metabolism and heart function due to potassium content.
Normalizes blood composition due to the iron present in the nut.
Contributes to the strengthening and stable development of the entire skeleton.
Stabilizes blood pressure.
Doctors studied the effect of hazelnuts on blood sugar levels on an empty stomach in 48 people with type 2 diabetes. Half of the respondents used hazelnuts as a snack, and the rest became a control group. Eight weeks later, all participants in the experiment took a blood test, which confirmed the decrease in sugar levels in those who ate nuts. The group, which did without a snack, had no health changes. [3]
In ancient times, healers even collected hazel leaves and bark to cure various diseases. Even today, in traditional medicine recipes, you can find ways to combat anemia with powdered kernels, to which raisins are added.
Hazel has a very beneficial effect on a person. The positive impact on women's health is especially noted. Specialists focus on its advantages:
Prevents cancerous tumors in the chest and genitals;
Improves the structure of skin and hair;
Enhances lactation;
Saturates the epidermis with moisture, etc.
All this contributes not only to good health, but also to an attractive appearance. It is also recommended for men to buy and consume hazelnuts. This nut is a great helper for:
Easy transfer of intense physical activity;
Rapid muscle building; muscle mass;
Prevention of inflammation of the prostate gland and impotence;
Significant stimulation of reproductive function;
Improving sperm quality, etc.
In general, experts note the positive effect of eating hazelnut fruits in such diseases:
Hypertension;
Increase in the prostate;
Pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
Obesity;
Trophic ulcer of the shin;
Anemia;
Diabetes;
Capillary hemorrhages;
Phlebites, etc.
Hazelnuts are also used to make milk. It is considered to be one of the most nutritious. In combination with honey, it is recommended for fatigue, avitaminosis, as it is recognized as an effective tonic. Its use is shown for such problems:
Accumulation of slags;
Recovery period after diseases;
Thrombophlebitis, varicose veins;
Diseases of the cardiovascular system;
Increased pressure;
Frequent stresses;
Chronic bronchopulmonary conditions;
Developing dementia;
Reduction of hemoglobin in the blood, etc.
Hazel leaves are also characterized by excellent properties. They are used to prepare a decoction or tea, which has a beneficial effect when:
Diseases of the intestines, liver, stomach;
Inflammatory processes in the body;
Asthma.
It is also used as a hemostatic, diuretic.
Hazelnut in cosmetology.
In this area, it is not the fruit itself that is important, but the oil that is made of it. It has a positive effect on the skin structure, relieves stress and stimulates regeneration processes. It is used for:
Rejuvenation;
Care for problem, oily and mixed skin;
Cleansing and reducing enlarged pores;
Effective and fairly quick elimination of acne;
Treatment of painful boils;
Rapid healing of open wounds;
Getting rid of bags and dark circles under the eyes;
Improving the condition of the skin after prolonged exposure to the sun, frost, wind;
Treatment of couperose by eliminating vascular nets and "stars" on the epidermis.
Despite the naturalness of such a remedy, many active substances contained in it can cause allergies during an overdose.
How to eat and store hazelnuts properly?
Hazelnuts are easy to diversify the diet both as a snack and as part of dishes. Ground and crushed nuts are added to soups, roasts, stews, salads and drinks - as you prefer. The maximum concentration of nutrients is in the peel. But many recipes involve peeled nuts. To remove the skin, they can be baked in the oven for 10 minutes. Purified hazelnuts are used to use it for baking or as a nutritious paste. Common spices - cinnamon, black pepper and turmeric - are perfectly combined with nuts. With their help, you can easily prepare several types of snacks - from sweets with honey to spicy burning. Hazelnut oil can be added to salads and ready-made meat dishes, sauces and dressings.
In shell hazelnuts are stored longer than without it. Therefore, do not rush to peel the nuts if you are not going to eat them in the near future. The storage room should have low humidity and a temperature of 5-10 °C. In shell nuts quickly absorb foreign odors; do not leave them near strongly smelling products. Glassware with a sealed lid is best suited for storage. You can place hazelnuts in canvas bags or clay pots.
Contraindications.
It is recommended to eat no more than 30-50 g of nuts per day, in case of overdose, spasm of cerebral vessels is possible. In addition, it is advisable not to buy peeled nuts - as soon as nuts are deprived of the shell, they begin the process of decay of vitamins and minerals. In addition, there are a number of contraindications:
In diabetes mellitus;
In diseases of the liver, pancreas and intestines;
Those suffering from allergies;
Pregnant and lactating women.
Despite the fact that nuts contain a large number of useful antioxidants, vitamins and trace elements, have a high degree of saturation due to the content of fat and vegetable protein, hazelnuts belong to the category of allergenic products. Therefore, do not introduce them into the diet for children under three years of age, and at primary preschool age their use should be limited to 50 g per week. The exception is children with an increased allergic background; in this case, it is worth abandoning the use of nuts and the products they include (muesli, bars, bakery products).
Hazelnuts are among the top 14 most dangerous food allergens in the world. In addition to the prevalence, allergies to nuts are also characterized by increased risk. It is it that can often lead to anaphylaxis, a severe rapidly progressive allergic reaction that can be fatal. But mainly an allergy to hazelnuts manifests itself in the form of oral allergic syndrome, in which itching or burning occurs in the mouth, in the lip area, feeling of throat swelling, tongue.
How do I know if you have hypersensitivity to hazelnuts? It makes sense to make allergy tests for those who are at risk:
People with symptoms of oral allergic syndrome;
Those who are allergic to birch pollen, because hazel belongs to the birch family, and their allergens are very similar;
People allergic to peanuts - 30-40 percent of them are more likely to develop allergies to hazelnuts;
Those who have symptoms similar to allergies to any other hazelnuts, such as walnuts, almonds, cashews.
Hazelnut proteins are similar to sesame proteins, so those who suffer from hypersensitivity to sesame should also "check" for hazelnuts.