Eating a healthy balanced diet is a key part of losing weight and staying in great shape. As part of that, you should look to include healthy snacks that you can turn to instead of sweet treats.

Nuts and seeds are an excellent addition to any diet, and the health benefits of hazelnuts make them worth considering.

In this article we’ll look at:

• Why healthy nuts and seeds are important
• Hazelnut health benefits
• Hazelnut nutrition information

Healthy nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are actually a vitally important part of a healthy and balanced diet. The monounsaturated fats in nuts and seeds helps the body fight off disease and keep the health healthy. Not only do they have these healthy fats, they also contain important vitamins and nutrients that help people reach their health goals.

Nuts and seeds also provide plant-based protein. When added to a diet rich in lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, nuts can help significantly reduce the risk of both cancer and heart disease. Nuts and seeds can also help reduce inflammation. Inflammation has now been linked to almost every type of disease from heart disease to Type II Diabetes. By upping the intake of nuts in the diet, inflammation can be managed leading to a healthier and less disease susceptible life.

If added to the diet in the proper amount, nuts and seeds not only help prevent heart disease, they also improve mental strength, fight off infections and diseases, reduce inflammation, curb hunger and deliver the protein bodies need to run efficiently and effectively.

Hazelnut health benefits

While common nuts like almonds, pistachios, and peanuts are the ones that people typically reach for first, the hazelnut is actually packed full of nutrients and more.

By adding these slightly sweet nuts to the diet, many people see a reduction in body fat, feel stronger and more alert, and more. The health benefits of hazelnuts can make a dramatic impact on achieving health and fitness goals. From nutrition to skin health, hazelnuts are a good part of a balanced diet.

• Decreases risk of heart disease – Because they are high in unsaturated fats, hazelnuts are great for preventing heart disease and heart problems. One of the primary reasons they are so efficient at preventing these is due to their oleic acid content. Oleic acid has been proven to decrease levels of bad, LDL cholesterol while increasing levels of good cholesterol and decreasing blood pressure. Studies have shown that people who regularly consume hazelnuts typically see a decrease of 27% in their bad cholesterol. Hazelnuts also contain magnesium, which has been proven to promote the healthy rests in-between heart contractions. By taking these healthy rests, the heart does not overexert itself keeping it strong and healthy.

• Reduces Risk of Cancer – Hazelnuts contain beta-sitosterol as well as alpha-tocopherol. Beta-sitosterol is a compound that has been proven to reduce the risk of both prostate and breast cancer and alpha-tocopherol can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as 50%. Both of these compounds work together to eradicate malicious cells in the body which halts the development potential of cancerous cells.

• Improve Muscle, Bone, and Joint Health – Thanks to the hazelnut’s magnesium and manganese content, eating these nuts can improve muscle, bone, and joint health. Magnesium has long been proven to be an important player in increasing muscle strength and decreasing muscle soreness and fatigue while manganese both increases bone density and fights osteoporosis.

• Getting daily amount of Vitamin E – Vitamin E plays an important role in the body. From helping skin stay clear and healthy to strengthening the immune system and reducing the risk of anemia, the body needs Vitamin E to operate efficiently. Hazelnuts have a naturally high Vitamin E content making them a great source for this important nutrient.

• Maintains Nervous System Health – The Nervous System is an important part of the body that needs to be carefully taken care of. Hazelnuts can help maintain the health of the Nervous System thanks to the amount of Vitamin B6 in them. This vitamin is required for the creation of myelin which forms the sheath of nerves that increase the speed and efficiency of the electrical impulses the Nervous System relies on to operate correctly.
  

  Hazelnut health benefits

• Help Maintain Digestive System Health – Hazelnuts have a high fiber content which means that they help both food and waste move efficiently and efficiently through the digestive tract. Making sure the body gets enough fiber is a key part of helping one feel full and thus promoting weight loss.

• Maintain Healthy and Beautiful Skin – As mentioned above, hazelnuts contain Vitamin E. This is an important vitamin for skin health as it protects the skin from harmful ultraviolet light and prevents premature aging. Additionally, hazelnut oil, when massaged directly onto the skin, can also act as a great moisturizer for healthy and radiant skin.

• Promote Weight Loss – Thanks to the combination of protein, healthy fat, and fiber in hazelnuts, they have actually been shown to promote weight loss. The protein and fiber help people feel fuller longer, reducing the impulse to snack or overeat. Over time, this can lead to significant weight loss which has its own major health benefits.

• Improve Brain Function – Hazelnuts levels of vitamin E, manganese, thiamine, folate, and fatty acids all contribute to them being an excellent brain boosting food. All of these important vitamins and minerals have been proven to improve memory, sharpen cognitive skills, combat depression, and suppress anxiety.

Hazelnut nutrition

Hazelnuts are a nutritionally impressive tree nut. They are full of nutrients that are important for the body to function efficiently like Vitamins A, B, C, and E as well as Magnesium, Manganese, Iron, Zinc, and more.  In one 100 gram serving, raw hazelnuts have 628 calories and provide 20% of the daily recommended dose of essential nutrients. A 100 gram serving accounts for 93% of the recommended daily value of total fat but the fat is composed of healthy fats like monounsaturated fat and oleic acid.

How does fit into your diet?

Despite the high calorie content of hazelnuts, you can still enjoy them in small quantities as part of a healthy balance diet. The key is portion control, if you’re on a fast day, weigh out the quantity of nuts that you want to eat to stay without your calorie limits, and make sure you don’t go over that amount! Better still, schedule a small amount of nuts in your meal plan.

Once you’ve been doing it for a while you’ll know roughly how many you can enjoy without consuming too much and putting on weight!