Hazelnuts Improve Older Adults' Micronutrient Levels

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition determined the addition of hazelnuts to the diet of older adults for several months can improve their levels of two key micronutrients, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers enrolled 32 people 55 and older to eat about 57 grams of hazelnuts every day for 16 weeks, which led to higher blood concentrations of magnesium and elevated urinary levels of a breakdown product of vitamin E. Oregon State University Professor Maret Traber says her team employed an alpha tocopherol metabolite to discover that hazelnuts had improved participants' vitamin E levels. Blood analysis also indicated decreases in glucose and low-density lipoproteins, as well as elevated magnesium levels. "All of which says that hazelnuts are good for you," Traber notes. "The findings demonstrate the power of adding hazelnuts to your diet, of just changing one thing. Vitamin E and magnesium are two of the most underconsumed micronutrients in the U.S. population, and there's much more to hazelnuts than what we analyzed here. They're also a great source of healthy fats, copper and B6. People don't like taking multivitamins, but hazelnuts represent a multivitamin in a natural form."