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We love the hazelnut. Roasted, ground, in nut mixes for nibbling, in cookies, tarts and cakes, as schnapps, liqueur, nougat chocolate or creamy chocolate spread. Without hazelnuts, the world of sweet temptations would be a lot poorer and more boring.

But not only that: the hazelnut – like many other types of nuts – seems to have positive effects on memory and cholesterol levels. Hazelnuts are said to help with weight loss and increase overall performance. Known and valued as a food since time immemorial, hazelnuts often play a role in fairy tales and stories.

A super nut that has always made people happy, smart and slim. And it grows wild and without extensive care on almost every corner of Europe. So off to the next hedge, harvested the hazelnuts there and found the ultimate addition to your own diet? Well, it’s not that simple after all.

A hazelnut tree is not a hazelnut bush

Hazelnut is hazelnut. The small dark brown seeds of the hazelnut bush from the hedge in the nearby forest are collected there, then roasted and processed. Perhaps there are still plantations where hazelnut hedges line up next to hazelnut hedges. But everything here in Central Europe, no long transport routes and controlled quality? Mistake!

Because the majority of the hazelnuts sold in the trade do not come from our native common hazel, Corylus avellana, but from the Lambert’s hazel (Corylus maxima). Both species are closely related, so the term “hazelnut” is a collective term for the fruits of both species.

But while the common hazel develops those shrubs that we associate with “hazelnut”, the Lambert’s hazel grows as a shrub – or as a hazelnut tree. Even if the two varieties are very similar, the Lambert hazel prefers a warmer, more Mediterranean climate. Consequently, almost 90 percent of our hazelnuts sold here come from either Turkey or Italy.

Our ancestors knew: The hazelnut is healthy

The hunters and gatherers of the Stone Age held hazelnuts in high esteem. The extremely high-fat and therefore high-calorie hazelnut was a coveted source of energy in the cold winter and up to spring if stored correctly. Originally probably native to the area of ​​today’s Turkey, the common hazel quickly spread across Central Europe – our ancestors probably brought the hazelnuts with them.

The Romans, Germans and Celts also considered nuts to be valuable food. Of course, nobody was concerned with the ingredients of hazelnuts at the time. But from observation and experience, it was already known back then that nut eaters are healthier and live longer. Scientific studies are now examining these effects, and they seem to confirm the experiences of our ancestors.

What’s in the hazelnut? The ingredients

When it comes to the ingredients of hazelnuts, the fat content comes first at 63 percent. The positive thing about this is that the majority (around 45 percent) are mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids. The associated energy value is negative: 100 g hazelnuts hit the hips with 650 kcal. The many calories have given hazelnuts the reputation of being fattening foods. That is only partially true – because they are also very filling and can lower the cholesterol level. In addition, the hazelnut is full of valuable nutrients. It is rich in B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9), calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace elements such as zinc and copper. That is why nutritionists, including the DGE, even recommend frequent consumption of hazelnuts. Because of the calories but please only in moderation!

Roast hazelnuts – and everything is gone?

The brown nut kernels are usually available roasted, whether as whole hazelnuts, chopped or ground. Now the hazelnuts are heated when roasting in a pan or oven (industrial these are only much larger than at home) – and heat, as is well known, destroys the valuable ingredients in many foods. The same applies to processing in hazelnut cake, hazelnut ice cream or hazelnut liqueur if the hazelnuts are heated at least briefly. However, the hazelnut is an exception: its ingredients, especially the fatty acids, change only minimally when heated. The unsaturated fatty acids and minerals of the hazelnut are retained. However, this also applies to allergens. The allergens are only reduced when they are heavily processed, such as in nougat or hazelnut spreads.

Hazelnut cookies, hazelnut cake and other recipes with hazelnuts

Speaking of processing, let’s take a look at the sweet side of hazelnuts. As a versatile talent, we encounter it in almost all types of sweets. Cookies, nut cake, macaroons and many other baked goods based on hazelnuts make the hearts of those with a sweet tooth beat faster, especially around Christmas.

For those who prefer it spicy, chicken with hazelnuts would be a nice change on the plate. The hazelnut also cuts a fine figure with schnapps or vodka. And as hazelnut milk, the all-rounder is a tasty alternative to cow’s milk.

About the effects and undesirable effects of hazelnuts

What effects does the hazelnut have exactly? Observational studies have shown that regular consumption of nuts can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (such as heart attacks). The risk factors of such diseases are therefore primarily examined: cholesterol levels, blood lipids and blood sugar levels. While hazelnuts seem to have less of an impact on blood lipids and blood sugar, they lower cholesterol levels significantly. One of the secondary plant substances in hazelnuts also had a positive effect on the brain and memory in animal experiments. It is not yet clear why or how exactly the hazelnut works. Still, nuts are a worthwhile area of ​​research in the face of an aging society.

But what works also has side effects. In the case of hazelnuts, these are allergies. These can range from mild (tingling, nettle-like sensation in the mouth) to severe (shortness of breath). Interestingly, hazelnut allergy has different triggers in different groups of people. Children react differently than adults and North/West Europeans differently than Southern Europeans. Since there is no treatment yet, the only option for those allergic to hazelnuts is to avoid products containing hazelnuts. The good news: allergy sufferers with the mild form generally tolerate highly processed products such as hazelnut spreads quite well.

Monopolies and the downside of hazelnuts

The hazelnut is delicious, also and especially healthy for a vegan lifestyle, probably even prolongs life and supports healthy aging. So everything is great, isn’t it? A proverb says that where there is light, there is also shadow – this is certainly true of the hazelnut. Hazelnut bushes thrive best in moderately warm climates. The harvest in Central Europe is correspondingly small. In any case, far too little to satisfy our hunger for hazelnuts in a wide variety of preparation forms.

About 80 percent of the global hazelnut harvest comes from Turkey, around 15 percent from Italy. Concentrating on a single, leading growing area worldwide is accompanied by a variety of problems: Monocultures – in order to be able to meet demand, plant protection products and pesticides are always used. In addition, the harvest volume available worldwide (and thus the world market price) is heavily dependent on the weather in the main growing region. In 2014, for example, a single frosty night in Turkey caused a “hazelnut crisis”. Prices went up, and hazelnut chocolate, nougat and the like became more expensive for us. In order to save the remaining harvest, more fertilizer was used and sprayed.

From an ecological point of view, the quasi-monopoly on hazelnuts is not exactly sensible and sustainable. And that’s not even the hazelnut’s biggest problem.

Harvesting hazelnuts – the dark side of (market) power

The hazelnut harvest is manual work, still. The hazelnuts must be picked individually from bushes or trees. In Turkey, the protection of children and young people is not particularly strictly observed. And because there are not enough adult unskilled workers available to harvest the amount in the short period of time, children from the age of ten work in the Turkish hazelnut plantations. ZEIT has published an article on this subject that is well worth reading.

The fact is well known, including Ferrero, one of the largest confectionery manufacturers and hazelnut buyers. The group disapproves of child labor, but there are no active countermeasures. The German confectionery industry takes a clearer position through its federal association BDSI. By participating in projects to combat child labor and sustainable cultivation methods, the BDSI is at least taking concrete steps to make our sweets more sustainable. Also because that is a criterion for success on the European market.

No hazelnuts are also not a solution

Hazelnuts make up a majority of our favorite bakeries and sweets. But the majority of hazelnuts are produced under ecologically and socially questionable conditions. In terms of sustainability, we would therefore have to do without all products with hazelnuts, grated or roasted hazelnuts and all nut mixtures. At least until all manufacturers have switched to sustainable organic hazelnuts.

A life without hazelnut cream? Never again chocolate? An ugly scenario, we thought. So we started looking for alternatives. And indeed: they exist, the hazelnut from German, organic cultivation. In Bavaria, for example, a number of organic farms have joined forces to grow hazelnuts in plantations and market them together; the fruits are offered in various shops in Germany. However, you have to search specifically, read labels or ask questions to find the “good” hazelnuts. A competent contact is the Association of Bavarian Hazelnut Growers. You can also order regionally grown hazelnuts (shelled/shelled) and hazelnut-based products through his website (simply click on one of the product descriptions and then download the order form).

Of course, you should still avoid industrially processed products, you never know which hazelnuts have actually been processed. Simply make your own hazelnut-based chocolate, biscuits, cakes or Nutella alternative (see our instructions). It may be a bit more complicated, but it is also guaranteed to be organic, sustainable and without harmful additives. In any case, the chocolate tastes even better for us. And maybe the idea of ​​taking the hazelnuts from the nearest hedge, preferably in your own garden, is not so wrong?

The water-soluble vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is known to everyone and experiences a revival every year when the weather is bad. But why vitamin C at all? “It helps against a cold,” is the popular opinion. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Vitamin C strengthens the immune system. However, it has not been scientifically proven that it really has a preventive or healing effect on colds. And if the cold is already there, it comes, stays and goes (as a rule of thumb) for three days each – with or without the administration of ascorbic acid.

Vitamin C: effect

However, vitamin C not only helps the immune system, it can do much more:
As a radical scavenger and antioxidant, it protects cells from premature aging processes
necessary for the formation of collagen (component of connective tissue, teeth, skin, hair and nails)
important for cholesterol metabolism
important for fat metabolism
important for optimal absorption of iron
can increase sperm count
inhibits the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines during digestion
it helps in the formation of messenger substances and hormones

Vitamin C: deficiency

We humans cannot produce ascorbic acid ourselves and therefore have to get it from food. If our body doesn’t get enough of it, it can even lead to a disease: This is how scurvy occurs due to a vitamin C deficiency. Scurvy used to be the leading cause of death among seafarers who lacked access to fresh food at sea. Even today, scurvy still occurs wherever people eat too little C-containing food. If infants are affected, the disease is called “Möller-Barlow syndrome”, but the cause is the same.

Vitamin C deficiency manifests itself as follows:
bleeding gums
susceptibility to infection
poor wound healing
Joint and bone pain due to bleeding under the periosteum
Bleeding of the skin and mucous membranes, organs, muscles
tooth loss
Fatigue, dizziness and exhaustion
muscular dystrophy
joint inflammation
severe diarrhea
cardiac insufficiency
depressions
However, these symptoms can also have other causes.

Vitamin C: overdose

If you take too much vitamin C, you will get digestive problems such as diarrhea from about three to four grams per day. However, such a high intake can only occur through incorrect dosing of food supplements and cannot be achieved with natural foods. To clarify the amount: a heaped teaspoon of powder corresponds to about one gram.

People who are prone to kidney stones or have damaged kidneys should be particularly careful not to overdo it with ascorbic acid-containing remedies. After all, even a dose of one gram per day can lead to side effects.

Vitamin C: the daily requirement

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) revised the reference values ​​in 2015, so that other information can be found in older literature. The DGE differentiates between the requirements for men and women, since the daily requirement also depends on body weight. According to the new guidelines, women should take in 95 mg and men 110 mg of vitamin C with food per day. The requirement increases to 105 mg for pregnant women and 125 mg of vitamin C per day for breastfeeding women. Smokers and also passive smokers have a significantly higher daily requirement of 135 mg (women) or 155 mg (men) per day.

Vitamin C: in which foods?

When it comes to vitamin C, everyone immediately thinks of citrus fruits. But even before lemons, oranges and tangerines ended up in our fruit basket, it was possible to have enough of them all year round. There are many locally grown fruits and vegetables that we can use to meet our daily needs.

The star among the local vitamin C bombs is the sea buckthorn. It originally comes from Central Asia, such as Mongolia. To this day, he ensures that people in barren, hostile regions are always well supplied with it. With 450 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, sea buckthorn is a local superfood that is only surpassed by the almost twice as high C content (1250 mg/100 g) of fresh rose hips and makes acerola superfluous.

Citrus fruits come a long way behind with only around 50 mg/100 g. Far better performers: blackcurrants (189 mg/100 g), peppers (139 mg/100 g), kale and Brussels sprouts (105-110 mg/100 g) or strawberries (63 mg/100 mg).

Unfortunately, much of the vitamin content of food is lost during preparation and storage. So make sure you buy food as fresh as possible – preferably directly from the producer – only store it for a short time and wash it undivided. Only cut fruit and vegetables just before eating to get the largest possible portion. Because ascorbic acid is heat sensitive, make sure you keep cooking times as short as possible.

By the way: It is also added to food as a preservative under the E numbers E300 to E304, E315 and E316. Manufacturers use this to protect, for example, apple juice from oxidation and browning; Cooked sausages can be made appetizingly reddish with it. It is also sometimes added to flour to improve its baking properties.

Tips and foods against vitamin B deficiency at a glance. Vitamin B is a vitamin group made up of eight vital substances. Each of the substances can be lacking and is to be compensated for in a targeted manner.

Home remedies and foods with vitamin B

Vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid are particularly important for your health and well-being. The metabolism is disturbed in the event of a deficiency. Stress from long-term stress or caring for relatives is often the result.

The vitamin B deficiency in water-soluble B vitamins

Vitamin B is a vitamin group consisting of eight vital substances. These are the vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin, nicotinic acid), B5 (pantothenic acid), and B6 ​​(pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folic acid), B12 (cobalamin). Women in the first trimester of pregnancy and who want to have children should take 0.4 milligrams of folic acid a day. Vegans may need more vitamin B12. However, excessive doses of B6, folic acid, and nicotinic acid can cause nerve damage. Our tips compensate for a deficiency.

1) Folic acid (B9) in fortified salt

Too much salt is not healthy, so the right salt is important. Salt enriched with folic acids, such as the Bad Reichenhall iodized salt, contains 100 micrograms of folic acid. The German Society for Nutrition recommends 400 micrograms for young people and adults and 600 for pregnant women who can hardly manage with nutrition alone.

2) Folic acid in food

Green leafy vegetables contain a lot of folic acids. Because the vitamin is sensitive to light, air, and heat, eat it fresh or raw. Add legumes and whole grains to your diet. At the top are beef liver (590 micrograms/100 g), wheat germ (520), and chickpeas. Egg yolks are also rich (a 60g egg has 40 micrograms). Many multifruit and multivitamin juices contain folic acid. Frequent consumption and additional vitamin preparations could become too much. Preparations that contain other vitamins or minerals in addition to folic acid have no effect with an adequate diet.

3) Folic acid in the vitamin supplement

With the exception of “Radiopharm” (400 micrograms per tablet), the folic acid preparations tested by Stiftung Warentest were not recommended because they exceeded the recommended intake.

4) Food for vitamin B1 deficiency

Typical symptoms of vitamin B deficiency are also neurological disorders, cardiac muscle weakness, and general muscle atrophy. Memory can suffer in alcoholics. In addition to less alcohol, foods such as fish, grain products, legumes, and pork should be eaten more often.

5) Vitamin B2 for fat and protein breakdown

One to two milligrams of B2 a day protects red blood cells and the lens of the eye and creates healthy skin, mucous membranes, and intact nails. A shortage is rare in this country. Yeast, cereals, legumes and milk, cheese, and offal contain a lot of vitamin B2.

6) Vitamin B3 for more energy

The need for niacin is energy-dependent. It converts supplied fats, carbohydrates, and proteins into energy. A varied, fresh diet easily covers the need. With animal foods such as liver and fish, meat and whey products, as well as whole grain products, legumes and potatoes, mushrooms and bananas, and coffee, you are there.

7) Vitamin B5 for a weakened immune system

The body needs B5 or pantothenic acid for carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism and also for wound healing and a healthy immune system. The vitamin is found in almost all animal and plant foods. The innards such as liver and kidneys, as well as herring, yeast, egg yolks and legumes, cauliflower, and mushrooms, are particularly good.

8) Vitamin B6 for protein metabolism and formation of amino acids

The body needs one to two milligrams per day. The need is usually covered with a balanced diet, even in pregnant women or athletes. There is a lot of vitamin B6 in yeast, cereals, bananas, and vegetables as well as in offal, milk, and eggs.

9) Vitamin B7 Biotin for hair, skin, and nails

The best way to meet your vitamin B7 needs is with a fresh, balanced diet. Food rich in biotin is legumes, whole grain products, soy products, egg yolk, yeast, and nuts.

10) Vitamin B12 for new cells as well as functioning nerves

B12 is important for the synthesis of genetic material, cell renewal, and nerves. In addition, the folic acid needs the vitamin for activation. Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. Only sea buckthorn is an exception when processing the fruit peel.

11) Vitamin B overdose

A vitamin B deficiency cannot occur with a healthy diet, but an overdose can cause damage. Most B vitamins are safe. Exceptions are vitamin B3, B5, B6, and folic acid.

High doses of vitamin B3 cause itching, nausea, heartburn, and bouts of redness and hot flashes. Excessive intake of vitamin B5 leads to gastrointestinal disorders. Prolonged vitamin B6 overdose is neurologically noticeable. A folic acid excess leads to insomnia, nervousness, and gastrointestinal problems. Too much folic acid impairs the effectiveness of anti-epileptic drugs.

Sauerkraut is not only healthy because it contains so many vitamins: it also provides many different minerals. It also promotes a healthy intestinal flora and digestion.

Sauerkraut is made by fermenting white cabbage with lactic acid. During the fermentation process, the sugar in the cabbage is converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. This gives the cabbage its characteristic sour taste and preserves it. Last but not least, this lactic acid fermentation makes sauerkraut so healthy.

Sauerkraut: These nutritional values ​​make it so healthy

With less than 20 kilocalories and 0.4 grams of fat per 100 grams, sauerkraut is ideal if you want to watch your figure. But there are also plenty of reasons to reach for fermented white cabbage more often. For example, it provides the following vitamins:
Vitamin C: Sauerkraut contains vitamin C, but not in high amounts.
Beta carotene: Sauerkraut is rich in beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. It contributes to healthy skin and eyes, supports bone formation and strengthens the immune system.
Vitamin K: Vitamin K is important for healthy bones and blood clotting.
Folic Acid: Folic acid is a B vitamin. The body needs it to form cells and blood.
Vitamin B12: Sauerkraut contains vitamin B12, but only traces of it. Therefore, it is not enough for vegans to reach the recommended daily value.
Sauerkraut contains many minerals, in particular:
Sodium – important for the brain and muscles
Potassium – important for the heart and muscles, as well as cell growth and blood pressure
Magnesium – important for the heart, muscles and bones
Calcium – important for nerves, muscles and hormone balance
In addition, there are also some amino acids and about two to three grams of fiber per 100 grams of sauerkraut.

A healthy intestinal flora with sauerkraut

Even if many people think of indigestion, especially flatulence, when they think of cabbage, sauerkraut is actually very healthy for our digestive system.

On the one hand, sauerkraut is easier to digest than unfermented cabbage because the microorganisms also digest the cellulose during lactic acid fermentation.

Even more important to our gut itself are the lactic acid bacteria: these multiply in abundance during the fermentation process, making sauerkraut an excellent probiotic food. The fermented herb thus contributes to a healthy intestinal flora, which is particularly damaged after antibiotic therapy

By the way: Even if the term “lactic acid” sounds a bit misleading, you don’t need to worry. The lactic acid in sauerkraut is vegan.

Only raw sauerkraut is really healthy

The mildly sour-tasting fermented cabbage is so healthy because it is rich in minerals, vitamins and lactic acid bacteria. It is therefore particularly important that you eat the sauerkraut raw. When it is heated, not only are many vitamins lost, but also the particularly beneficial lactic acid bacteria.

But sauerkraut packaged in cans and jars from the supermarket is almost always pasteurized. Although this still contains lactic acid, the metabolic product of the lactic acid bacteria, it no longer contains living lactic acid bacteria. Such sauerkraut is therefore not probiotically effective and therefore does not contribute to a healthy intestinal flora.

Organic shops and health food stores sometimes sell raw but also often pasteurized sauerkraut. That’s why you should definitely read the packaging or, to be on the safe side, ask in the store whether the sauerkraut is raw, untreated.

But you can also make sauerkraut yourself: All you need is a suitable container, white cabbage and salt – and a few weeks for the fermentation process.

Vitamin B is found in many foods that should be part of a healthy diet. You can find out here which different B vitamins there are, what we need them for and how to avoid a deficiency.

Vitamin B plays an important role in metabolism and blood formation. There are eight different B vitamins in total. These are not consecutively numbered. This is because substances were repeatedly referred to as B vitamins that were ultimately not vitamins. Therefore, the group of B vitamins ranges from vitamin B1 to vitamin B12.

With the exception of B12, vitamin B is found in many plant-based foods. In this way, you can easily cover your need for the first seven B vitamins as part of a vegan diet.

Vitamin B1, B2 and B3 in food

Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine and is particularly important for the breakdown of carbohydrates. The daily requirement for adults is one to 1.3 milligrams. It is found in large amounts in the husks and germs of grain. If you eat enough whole grain products, you don’t have to worry about a thiamine deficiency. Potatoes and legumes are also good sources.
Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin and plays an essential role in various metabolic and growth processes. The daily requirement for adults is one to 1.4 milligrams. Again, whole grains are a good source. In addition, riboflavin is found in relatively high amounts in many animal products, but also in nuts and some vegetables (such as broccoli, asparagus, spinach and mushrooms).
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin or nicotinic acid, is also involved in many metabolic processes. It also helps keep our skin and mucous membranes healthy. The daily requirement is eleven to 16 milligrams. Vitamin B3 is also found in high amounts in animal foods. Whole grain products, legumes, mushrooms, nuts and seeds, and some types of fruit and vegetables are important sources for vegans.

Vitamins B5 and B6

Another B vitamin is pantothenic acid or vitamin B5. Vitamin B5 is also involved in energy metabolism and, together with other vitamins, ensures a functioning immune system. The daily requirement is six milligrams. Since this vitamin B is also found in almost all foods, it is not difficult to reach this value. In this case, particularly good sources are whole grain products, nuts, vegetables and animal products such as eggs and milk.
Vitamin B6 is also known as pyridoxine. In addition to the metabolism (especially of protein), it affects the hormone balance and is important for the nervous system. The daily requirement is between 1.4 and 1.6 milligrams. Vitamin B6 is also found in most foods. It is particularly abundant in green vegetables, whole grain products, legumes, potatoes, nuts, as well as dairy products, eggs, meat and fish.

Vitamin B in food: biotin and folic acid

You can also find vitamin B7 under the names vitamin H and biotin. In addition to its great importance for the metabolism, it is significantly involved in cell formation, as well as DNA and protein synthesis. It also promotes healthy skin and hair growth. The daily requirement is 30 to 60 micrograms and is reached quickly, since biotin is also found in a large number of foods. Egg yolks, legumes, nuts, oats, whole grains, vegetables (e.g. spinach) and fruit (e.g. apples and bananas) are particularly rich in this B vitamin.
Vitamin B9 is usually just referred to as folic acid or folate. It is particularly involved in blood formation and cell division. It also plays a crucial role in embryonic and early childhood development. Women who want to have children should therefore ensure that they are getting enough folic acid before they become pregnant. The daily requirement of folic acid for adults is about 300 micrograms. This value is almost twice as high for pregnant women. Folic acid is found in high amounts in green leafy vegetables such as lamb’s lettuce or spinach, as well as in beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, whole grain products, nuts, egg yolks and other animal products.

Get vitamin B12 from food

With vitamin B12 or cobalamin, the group of B vitamins is complete. It is very important for the formation of new blood cells, cell division, gene metabolism and the health of our nerve cells. Unlike other vitamins, vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed directly through the intestines. It must first combine with a substance from the gastric mucosa, the so-called intrinsic factor.

Since people over the age of 60 generally produce less stomach acid, they are particularly susceptible to a deficiency. The recommended daily dose of four micrograms is therefore sometimes not enough. In this case, it may be necessary to supplement B12 under medical supervision.

Since biologically usable cobalamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, vegans should also supplement B12. As part of a vegetarian diet, you can get B12 from dairy products and eggs. However, there can also be an undersupply here. It is therefore best to have your blood values ​​checked regularly.

If you want to supplement B12, you can resort to capsules, drops, or an occasional B12 injection by healthcare professionals. B12 is also found in very small amounts in fermented products and some types of algae. However, this is by no means sufficient to cover the daily requirement.