Hazelnut

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Heart and blood health³

  Eating hazelnuts may improve heart risk factors, but studies were limited, so scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Open question

  Treating food allergy⁴

  Hazelnut oral immunotherapy helped some children with hazelnut allergy, but many stopped treatment and some had serious reactions.

• Concern

  Mild food reactions⁵

  In children with hazelnut allergy, small doses of hazelnut caused mostly mild reactions like mouth itching.

• Benefit

  Nut allergy treatment⁶

  In people with hazelnut allergy, hazelnut treatment desensitized 29 of 30, but cross-desensitization to walnut and cashew was unlikely.

• Benefit

  Heart and blood vessel health⁷

  Eating hazelnut with a fast-food meal lowered a blood marker linked to heart vessel problems in people.

Study type not stated

• Concern

  Tree nut allergy⁸

  Hazelnut is a common tree nut that can cause mild to severe allergic reactions in some people.

• Concern

  Mold toxins in nuts⁹

  Hazelnuts can carry mold toxins like aflatoxins, and scientists are still working out how best to spot them all.

• Concern

  Nut allergy that lasts¹⁰

  Hazelnut allergy often starts in childhood and can continue into adulthood for many people.

• Open question

  Liver cancer risk¹¹

  Hazelnut paste can contain aflatoxins, but levels found in Turkey were not a health concern for adults.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.