Hazelnut is a food that belongs to what we call nuts, they are products of remarkable energy density, and this has earned it a little-deserved bad name among people who want to keep their body weight at bay.
Hazelnut is a very interesting food that can be part of our usual diet, without this having to mean an increase in weight.
Nutritionally, hazelnuts are foods rich in fats , especially monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber and proteins . They are also rich in micronutrients, providing us with good amounts of magnesium, potassium, calcium, vitamin E, and folic acid.
Monounsaturated fatty acids
First of all, we must bear in mind that the fats that hazelnuts provide us are fundamentally unsaturated fats , especially monounsaturated fats , which are the most interesting from the point of view of cardiovascular care . Specifically, between 77 and 80% of the fatty acids in hazelnuts are of this type.
Potassium
Very present in hazelnuts and basic in our body as it covers fundamental functions such as facilitating nerve conduction and contraction of smooth and skeletal muscle , including the heart, as well as the functioning of the cell membrane and various enzyme systems.
Calcium
We often need to look for foods rich in calcium beyond dairy, especially for vegan or allergy sufferers. Hazelnuts contain around 194mg of Calcium per 100g (among the richest foods in Calcium). Calcium is part of bones and teeth, but it also has regulatory functions as a messenger inside cells.
Magnesium
Magnesium is responsible, among other functions, for maintaining proper functioning of muscles and nerves , it also participates in the regulation of cardiac contraction and supports a healthy immune system.
Vitamin E
Hazelnuts also contain vitamins that provide us with very interesting functions. The vitamin E has antioxidant functions , protecting body tissues from damage caused by free radicals. It also participates in the formation of red blood cells and helps keep the immune system strong.
Folic acid
The folic acid or vitamin B9 involved in cell proliferation, involved in the production of red blood cells and in the development of the nervous system.
Fiber
They are rich in fiber, therefore and due to their fat content, they contribute to generating a remarkable feeling of satiety. Fiber contributes to the improvement of intestinal transit and in the West a higher fiber intake is related to a healthier lifestyle.
4 Health benefits of hazelnuts
- For endurance sports, hiking and mountaineering : as hazelnut is a small food, it weighs little and provides us with a high nutritional density, it is one of the things that is worth carrying in the backpack when we are doing resistance tests, crossings of mountain or mountaineering. They will provide us with a large amount of potassium and magnesium, very interesting to replace losses due to sweating and muscle wasting . Also vitamin E, with antioxidant properties.
- For situations of constipation : the fiber and fatty acids of the hazelnut will contribute to the improvement of intestinal transit, which is why they are an interesting food for those who suffer from constipation problems . We must bear in mind that we are going to ingest the highest fiber content when we take them raw with skin.
- For Vegans : Nuts in general and hazelnuts in particular are always a good idea when it comes to finding nutritious foods. In the case of vegans in which the lack of dairy intake can compromise calcium requirements, hazelnuts can contribute in a good way to rebalance the diet by contributing to calcium intake.
- For pregnant women and the little ones : these small balls are usually well accepted by children and are a very nutritious food that is easy to take as breakfast or a snack, taking into account that in very young children they must be chopped or crushed. In pregnant women they can represent another source of folic acid essential for the development of the neural tube of the fetus.
When is it not advisable to take them?
- In babies and boys and girls under three years of age : what we will have to avoid in these cases is the intake of whole hazelnuts, due to the risk of choking . However, their intake if they are ground or chopped very tiny as part of other preparations, for example, do not entail any problem.
- In people who suffer from dental problems : in this case it happens a bit like with babies and young children, a person with teething problems will not be able to chew hazelnuts correctly, and this can lead to poor digestion and risk of choking, especially in the case of elderly people who also have symptoms of solid dysphagia.
LITTLE GREAT FOOD
Hazelnut, like most nuts, is a food with high energy density, but it also contains an interesting amount of fiber that plays fundamentally two roles: providing an important feeling of satiety and slowing down and hindering the absorption of certain nutrients. a fact that contributes to reducing the caloric potential of these small fruits.What you should know…
- Season : hazelnuts are typical autumn fruits, although they begin to be full at the end of July, as the saying goes: “for Santa Magdalena (July 20), the hazelnut is full”.
- Benefits : its content in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E with antioxidant properties and fiber makes hazelnuts a heart-healthy fruit.
- Ideal for : they are easy to transport and very nutritious so they are very good to carry with you, on a mountain excursion …
