Hazelnuts feature in three of the cake recipes in Volume One: Chocolate & Hazelnut Rounds and the Goodie Two-Shoes Extraordinaire Fruit and Christmas Cakes.  They are part of the “sweet” category of foods, and help to bring the spleen and stomach into balance.

There are several health benefits of Hazelnuts:-

• They are a rich source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, like oleic, as well as the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid. This helps the body to lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol whilst increasing the “good” HDL levels
  
  
• Research carried out in suggests that diets high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids can help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes by ensuring healthy blood lipid levels
  
• They are also rich in dietary fibre. This helps us to maintain a healthy digestive system, preventing both constipation as well as diarrhoea
  

• They are exceptionally rich in folate, which is a unique feature of these nuts. 100g fresh nuts provide around 28% of the recommended daily intake. Folate is part of the B Vitamin family and helps to prevent anaemia as well as, most importantly, neural tube defects in newborn babies
  
• They are also a rich source of other B-complex vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
  
• 100g of hazelnuts provides 100% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin E, which is a powerful lipid-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E is needed to maintain the balance of the cell membrane of mucusa and our skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-free radicals
  
• They are also free from gluten and are therefore a safe alternative for Coeliac; gluten-intolerant and wheat-allergic people
  
• They are a rich source of many minerals including manganese, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Copper and manganese are essential for the production of an anti-oxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase, which reduces inflammation in the body. Iron, of course, helps to prevent anaemia and magnesium and phosphorus are important for the maintenance of good bone metabolism