Hazelnut is a delicious nut fruit (shell fruit). Tasty nature, the hazelnut is also easily incorporated in many recipes and mixtures of muesli or dried fruits to refuel.
It is known to be a source of manganese, copper, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, or vitamin B1.
The hazelnut would be full of health benefits such as an effect on a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, or type 2 diabetes.
In a study published on December 1, 2018 in Journal of Nutrition, researchers reveal that hazelnuts improve micronutrient levels in older adults.
HAZELNUTS AND MICRONUTRIENT LEVELS
Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two essential micronutrients.
In this study, 32 people aged 55 and over ate about 57 grams of hazelnuts a day for 16 weeks.
The results showed an increase in blood levels of magnesium and elevated urinary levels of a product of degradation of α-tocopherol (alpha tocopherol), commonly called vitamin E.
THE POWER OF HAZELNUT
The results of this new study are important because many people do not consume sufficient amounts of micronutrients.
Older people are particularly at risk, and lower levels of micronutrients are associated with an increased risk of aging-related health problems, including Alzheimer's disease.
The coexistence of undernourishment, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies, what we call the triple burden of malnutrition, is spreading and now affecting every country in the world. The international community must urgently resolve this situation, by encouraging a radical change in our food systems. José Graziano da Silva, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Press release, December 2018.
HAZELNUT IS A NATURAL MULTIVITAMINE
The researchers point out that this is one of the first times a study of this type has focused on the elderly.
To obtain these results, the researchers used a variety of hazelnuts from Oregon (United States), and indicate that they are not very different from other varieties of hazelnuts. These hazelnuts are part of the global hazelnut sector, with Turkey and Italy.
At present, the French sector only weighs 1% on the hazelnut market for industry, dominated by Turkey (75%) and Italy (10-15%). via businesscoot
Oregon hazelnuts
In this study, researchers used a new biomarker, an alpha-tocopherol metabolite, to determine if nuts had improved vitamin E levels in the research subjects.
Although it is difficult to determine the changes in alpha-tocopherol levels in the blood of older adults, as they tend to increase cholesterol levels, which leads to a greater amount of tocopherol in the blood, instead, they looked for urine to see the amount of vitamin E catabolite. The catabolite should only increase if the body gets enough vitamin E.
The catabolite is alpha carboxyethyl hydroxychromanol, abbreviated α-CEHC. It's basically a vitamin E molecule whose tail has not been chewed, which is part of the natural process of breakdown of vitamin E as the body uses it. The researchers say they have seen urinary levels of α-CEHC that are increasing in almost all participants.
In addition, blood tests showed a decrease in glucose and low density lipoprotein, also called "bad" cholesterol, in addition to an increase in magnesium.
Finally, the authors conclude by stating that these findings show that hazelnuts are good for health. "The results demonstrate the power of adding hazelnuts to your diet. Vitamin E and magnesium are two of the most under-consumed micronutrients in many populations. It is also an excellent source of healthy fats, copper and vitamin B6. Hazelnuts are a perfect alternative to multivitamins, since they represent a multivitamin in a natural form. "
Do not wait to have nuts in your closet, alone or with other nuts. It should be noted that the industry is taking over the majority of the hazelnut market, since 1/3 of the hazelnut market is consumed only by Ferrero, the producer of a very famous spread that has become very unhealthy for the market. health.
My alternative to this spread is to no longer consume (limit sugar), or to cook a "home", or when the opportunity arises to get me one of my favorite organic spreads: Chocolinette by Noiseraie Productions (the nutty and cashew version is delicious), Nocciolata by Rigoni di Asiago (bluffing as weaning at the famous poison, in addition it's Italian), Chokenut by Noiseraie Productions, Crunchy chocolate by Jean Hervy.
SOURCES :
« Daily Consumption of Oregon Hazelnuts Affects α-Tocopherol Status in Healthy Older Adults: A Pre-Post Intervention Study. », The Journal of Nutrition, 2018; 148 (12): 1924 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxy210
Unicoque, http://www.unicoque.com/