Hazelnut, also known as hazel, hazelnut, or mountain chestnut, is the kernel of the hazel, a plant of the Betulaceae family. The fruit resembles a chestnut, being oval-shaped with a yellow-brown outer shell. The kernel is fragrant, sweet, and oily, and it is harvested in autumn when mature. The main producing country is Turkey. In China, large-scale cultivation of hazelnuts is relatively rare, but wild varieties are found in the vast mountainous regions of Northeast and North China, where locals collect them as a mountain product for sale.
Hazelnuts contain 8 essential amino acids required by the human body, as well as various trace elements and minerals. Their content is several to tens of times higher than that of other nuts. Among these, phosphorus and calcium are beneficial for the development of human bones and teeth, while the manganese element has a strengthening and nourishing effect on bones, skin, tendons, ligaments, and other tissues. Hazelnuts are rich in fat, mainly unsaturated fatty acids that the human body cannot synthesize on its own. On one hand, they can promote cholesterol metabolism, and on the other hand, they can soften blood vessels and maintain the health of capillaries, thereby preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and arteriosclerosis. Hazelnuts also aid digestion, stimulate appetite, improve memory, and prevent aging.
Nutritional Components: Per 100g of dried hazelnuts, it contains 7.3g of water, 22g of protein, 44.8g of fat, 9.6g of crude fiber, 3.5g of ash, 14.7g of carbohydrates, 50 micrograms of carotene, 0.15mg of riboflavin, 104mg of calcium, 244mg of potassium, 4.7mg of sodium, 420mg of magnesium, 6.4mg of iron, 12.94mg of manganese, 5.83mg of zinc, 3.03mg of copper, 422mg of phosphorus, 0.78 micrograms of selenium, and 2.9mg of niacin.
Medicinal Effects: Strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, benefits the liver and improves eyesight. It is mainly indicated for post-illness weakness, poor appetite and fatigue, blurred vision, visual fatigue from prolonged use, deficiency of qi and blood, and infantile malnutrition.
Dietary Taboos: Hazelnuts are slippery in nature, so people with diarrhea or loose stools should consume them in moderation.