9 Reasons to Eat More Hazelnuts

Who doesn’t love the decadent combination of chocolate and hazelnuts? It’s a flavor combination that is hard to beat. But, you don’t just have to pair hazelnuts with chocolate to enjoy their delicious taste. Actually, there are many reasons to start incorporating hazelnuts into your daily diet. Here are some of my favorite reasons.

1. NUTRIENT BOOST

Just one ounce (28 grams, or about 20 hazelnuts) of hazelnuts daily provides 4.2 grams of protein, 4.7 grams of good carbs, 2.7 grams of fiber, 87 percent of your daily manganese requirements, 24 percent of your copper and 21 percent of your vitamin E requirements, as well as 12 percent each of your daily thiamine (vitamin B1) and magnesium requirements per day.

2. REDUCE THE RISK OF DEATH FROM HEART DISEASE

One study found that a healthy diet can cut the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by almost half. The researchers identified that a diet with a low intake of nuts and seeds was the leading dietary risk factor for death from cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for 11.6 percent of deaths due to CVD. Add more hazelnuts to start reaping the heart health rewards. 

3. HELP PROTECT THE EYES

Hazelnuts contain a wide variety of carotenoids, including: alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, meaning that they offer excellent support for your eye health.

4. THE CONTAIN POTENT ANTI-CANCER COMPOUNDS

Hazelnuts, like many other nuts, contain compounds known as proanthocyanidins, which are well-documented anti-cancer compounds which may help in the prevention or treatment of cancer.

5. THEY PROMOTE BOWEL HEALTH

Twenty hazelnuts contain about 2.7 grams of fiber, which not only helps to keep you regular, but acts as food for the beneficial bacteria that reside in your gut.

6. THEY MAY HAVE ANTIVIRAL EFFECTS

Hazelnuts, like most tree nuts, contain a wide variety of phytonutrients, some of which have antiviral effects and may help to keep viruses like those behind the dreaded cold and flu, at bay.

7. THEY HELP TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Eating hazelnuts on a daily basis may help to regulate cholesterol levels.

8. THEY ARE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Because hazelnuts contain a wide variety of phytonutrients, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity, eating them on a daily basis may help reduce inflammation in your body.

9. PROMOTE SKIN HEALTH

Because hazelnuts are a rich source of tocopherols, which are necessary for healthy skin, eating them on a regular basis will help promote healthy skin.

HOW TO GET MORE HAZELNUTS IN YOUR DIET

Choose fresh, raw hazelnuts from the refrigerator section of your health food store since other options tend to be rancid. You can snack on hazelnuts on their own through the day or chop them and add them to salads, yogurt, a bowl of fruit, quinoa or rice salads, or chopped and added to previously-cooked vegetable dishes or to encrust foods like fish. They are also delicious when eaten alongside some dried fruit like tart cherries, raisins or apricots. And, of course, hazelnuts can be added to your favorite baked goods or served over a bowl of ice cream (plant-based, of course!), or dipped in dark chocolate for an amazing treat.