Useful properties and contraindications of hazel

Hazel (hazel) is one of the most popular nut crops, the taste of which is familiar to everyone without exception. In addition to an attractive taste, hazel nuts have a high nutritional value for the human body, they have healing properties.

Therefore, they are often included in the composition of therapeutic diets, recipes for traditional medicine and cosmetology.

Composition of large hazel fruits

Hazel shrubs and trees have a wide distribution area. The range of the plant stretches from the Baltic to the Far East, where it can be found on the edges of mixed forests or along the edges of ravines. The fruits of cultivated species of hazel are called hazelnuts.

100 g of hazelnuts contain:

• fats 62.6 g;
• proteins 13 g;
• carbohydrates 9.3 g;
• dietary fiber 6 g;
• organic acids 0.1 g;
• water 5.4 g;
• ash 3.6 g

Energy value - 653 kcal. Thus, 400 g of nuts fully covers the daily calorie intake of an adult of moderate physical activity.

Vitamins:

• alpha tocopherol (E) 21 mg;
• nicotinic acid (PP) 4.7 mg;
• pyridoxine (B₆) 0.24 mg;
• thiamine (B₁) 0.46 mg;
• riboflavin (B₂) 0.15 mg.

Nuts contain beta-carotene (0.042 mg), which is converted in the body to vitamin A (7 μg).

Macronutrients:

• potassium 445 mg;
• phosphorus 310 mg;
• calcium 188 mg;
• magnesium 160 mg;
• sodium 3 mg.

The nuts contain trace elements iron 5.6 mg, zinc 2.2 mg.

Useful and medicinal properties of the fruits and leaves of the hazel tree

The benefits of hazel are simply invaluable! The composition of large hazelnuts is the perfect combination of healthy fats, dietary fiber and protein. Dietary fiber slows down the release of glucose, which helps the body get energy for a long time. This increases the body's endurance and reduces the recovery time after physical exertion. Therefore, nuts will be useful for athletes, active children, people with increased physical activity at work.

Hazelnuts contain record amounts of potassium and magnesium. These macronutrients are participants in the regulation of acid-base balance, the heart cycle, increasing the tolerance of oxygen deficiency by the myocardium (heart muscle).

Potassium in the body replaces sodium, the excess of which leads to the formation of excessive fluid and is a great burden on the heart. Potassium strengthens the walls of blood vessels, suppressing the development of their permeability.

Nuts will be useful for:

• heart failure;
• ischemic heart disease;
• senile wear and tear of the myocardium;
• atherosclerosis;
• varicose veins;
• angina pectoris;
• sclerosis of cerebral vessels;
• thrombophlebitis;
• hemorrhoids;
• hypertension.

Phosphorus and calcium form a solid bone structure and are participants in the remodeling (renewal) of the skeleton and teeth. Another function of phosphorus is the transfer of energy converted from incoming food to the tissues of muscles, brain and nerves. It accumulates in phosphorus molecules and enters the bloodstream, through which it is carried to all parts of the body. Therefore, muscle contraction and mental activity are impossible without phosphorus. Magnesium reduces nervous excitability and regulates respiratory function.

Therefore, nuts are recommended for use when:

• increased mental activity;
• neuropathies;
• joint diseases;
• bronchopulmonary diseases;
• rheumatism;
• senile dementia.

Stable intake of iron in the body prevents the risk of anemia and supports the endocrine system.

Fatty acids in combination with minerals have a beneficial effect on the digestive system, help to heal ulcers and gastritis. They increase bile secretion and reduce blood toxicity. Therefore, nuts are included in the medical nutrition of patients with hepatitis B.

Zinc is an essential element for men's health. It is involved in the production of the male hormone testosterone, which regulates sexual function and sperm quality.

Vitamin E regulates tissue renewal, which accelerates the healing of wounds, ulcers and skin irritations. For its ability to restore the natural collagen of the skin, it is called the vitamin of beauty. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps to remove toxins from the body. Together with beta-carotene, it improves the function of the lungs and the respiratory system.

Vitamin PP is an irreplaceable participant in the formation of the immune system, metabolism, cellular respiration and redox reactions of the body. B vitamins regulate cell metabolism, promote the absorption of fatty acids and macronutrients.

Contraindications for use

Of course, it does not do without contraindications. Excessive consumption of hazel nuts causes headaches and indigestion. The daily norm of hazel nuts for an adult is 50 g, and for children 30 g. This is about 10-12 kernels.

Nuts are potential allergens. Therefore, they are excluded from the diet of people with body sensitization and autoimmune diseases. These are psoriasis, urticaria, diathesis and dermatitis. With diabetes mellitus, the daily intake of nuts is halved.

It is important for people with liver and pancreatic diseases to consult a doctor before using the product. If you are obese, it is better to refuse to eat nuts.

The benefits of nuts during pregnancy and lactation

During the carrying of a child, structural changes occur in a woman's body. This is due to the appearance of the pregnancy hormones progesterone and relaxin, weight gain and placental pressure on the vessels. Therefore, to prevent complications and the full formation of the fetus, a constant supply of nutrients with food is required.

Foods recommended for pregnancy include hazelnuts. First of all, they provide a stable supply of the most important macronutrients: potassium, calcium and phosphorus. This strengthens the vessels, the failure of which becomes the cause of complications during pregnancy - preeclampsia, varicose veins, edema.

Calcium and phosphorus are involved in the formation of the fetal skeletal system, thereby preventing the development of rickets. The mother's bones are also strengthened, the load on which increases every month.

Vitamin E is essential for the formation of the respiratory system of the fetus. In addition, the substance promotes maturation of the placenta, regulates its functions and cell metabolism, and prevents detachment. Tocopherol is involved in the synthesis of the hormone prolactin, which provides lactation. Vitamin A participates in the formation of fetal visual pigments.

During pregnancy, the body increases the volume of circulating blood to feed the growing uterus. Accordingly, the need for iron, the main participant in hematopoiesis, also increases. Against this background, iron deficiency anemia often develops. Eating nuts prevents this problem.

You need to be more careful when eating nuts during lactation. It is an obligate allergen that can cause an inflammatory reaction in a child's body. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce hazel into the diet gradually, after testing less allergenic nuts: walnuts or pine nuts. The recommended age of the child is 3-4 months.

Forest fruits in folk medicine

Healing properties are possessed by the kernels of fruits, leaves, plyus (green wrappers of nuts) and hazel bark. Young leaves of the plant are harvested in May, and the bark in early spring or autumn.

Best recipes:

• Urolithiasis disease. Ground nuts (200 g) are poured with hot water (200 ml) and kept for 1 hour. Take 50 ml 3 times a day. A positive result is achieved in 10 days.
• Anemia. Chopped nuts (200 g) are mixed with honey (40 g). Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day. This recipe will be useful for hypovitaminosis, muscular dystrophy, rheumatism, heart pathologies.
• Bronchopulmonary diseases. Chopped hazel kernels (100 g) are mixed with hot milk (150 ml). It is taken in a heated state, 50 ml 3 times a day. Treatment continues until positive results.
• Violation of potency. Ground nuts (150 g) are mixed with goat's milk (250 ml). Take 100 ml 3 times a day between meals.
• Dysentery. Dried muffins (20 g) are poured with water (200 ml) and put on low heat for 15 minutes. The remedy is insisted for 1 hour and filtered. Take 4 times a day, 100 ml.
• Hypertension. Juice of young leaves is mixed with honey 1: 1. Take 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day between main meals.
• Jaundice. The crushed leaves (10 g) are infused in white wine (200 ml) for 8 hours and the juice of the golden mustache (25 ml) is added. The infusion divided into 3 parts is taken during the day. The treatment lasts 12 days.
• Inflammation of the kidneys, liver. Hazelnut shells (2 tbsp. L) are steamed with boiling water (0.5 l), insisted for 12 hours. The filtered infusion is taken 3 times a day, 100 ml. The treatment continues for a week. The same remedy will help restore intestinal motility.
• Atherosclerosis. Finely chopped bark (40 g) is steamed in boiling water (0.5 l), insisted for 2 hours. Take 2 tbsp. l. 4 times a day for 10 days.

Hazelnuts are a worthy addition to the diet of adults and children. This is a tasty and nutritious product that strengthens the immune system every day, promotes good mood and energy at any exertion.