Un delicate cioccolato amaro sposato con una soave nocciolina piemontese.

Nocciola [noh-chee-OH-lah] , Italian for hazelnut.

Indulgent dark chocolate bar with a crunchy paste made of ground Italian hazelnuts in their own oil.

One of the most unexpected nutritional discoveries of the 1990s was that the frequent eating of nuts appears to dramatically improve health. In particular, nut eating greatly lowers the risk of heart disease.

Also, in a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that the "good fats" in nuts may help improve glucose and insulin stability and lower the risk of type-2 diabetes in women.

Nocciolina Contains 112 grams = 4 oz

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Each box

$14

As a part of the tree nut group, hazelnuts received the first qualified health claim for a food for their positive role in heart health.

A low-carb food item can be achieved by replacing a portion of flour with hazelnut flour.

About 80 percent of the fat in hazelnuts is mono-unsaturated and thus heart healthy.

Hazelnuts are a source of numerous phytochemicals, and the antioxidant vitamin E both, which promote health and prevent chronic disease.

Hazelnuts are a source of folic acid, which decreases the risk of birth defects and heart disease.

Studies show that including nuts in a weight loss regime will result in greater weight reduction over a longer period of time.

Endorsed by Respected Sources

The eating plan known as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension ( DASH ), recommended in the most recent version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which were jointly issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), suggests incorporating 1.5 ounces of healthy nuts, such as hazelnuts, into the diet four to five times per week, depending on caloric intake. Nuts are recommended because they are good sources of energy, magnesium, potassium, protein and fiber.

Hazelnuts offer the most heart-healthy monounsaturated fat per serving of all popular nuts, and they're among the lowest in saturated fat.

It is not completely understood just why nuts are so consistently found to be healthy. Nuts contain low levels of saturated fats and high levels of unsaturated fats. Consequently, as would be expected, studies have clearly shown that nut consumption lowers blood cholesterol levels. No doubt the lower cholesterol lowers the risk of heart disease.

Interestingly though the cholesterol is lowered by a larger amount than would be expected just from the favorable fatty acid composition of nuts. However the reason for this is not clear. Nuts though are good sources of fibre, vitamin E, folic acid, copper, magnesium and the amino acid arginine, for each of which there is evidence of a role in preventing heart disease. Nuts are the best dietary source of manganese and contain plant sterols, the compounds now added to some margarines to reduce cholesterol adsorption from food, and are a good source of boron.

Hazelnuts first caught the attention of the scientific community because of their key role in the Mediterranean diet. Researchers observed that the people of the Mediterranean region enjoyed a diet high in fat while avoiding the problems with heart disease that is so pervasive in the West. In fact, Mediterranean cuisine is high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may also be the key disease-fighting ingredient in nuts.

Rich in Antioxidants & Disease-Fighting Nutrients
Not only are hazelnuts a high-quality source of protein and fiber, they also contain a variety of antioxidants such as vitamin E and a host of phytonutrients that benefit the immune system. Hazelnuts are a rich source of nutrients that have cardioprotective benefits. These nutrients include arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels, folate and heart healthy B vitamins. In fact, hazelnuts have the highest concentration of folate among tree nuts. Folate reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects, and may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, Alzheimer's disease and depression. Hazelnuts also contain the blood pressure-lowering minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium. Additional research linking nuts to reduced cancer risk has also shown that the amino acid arginine may inhibit tumor growth and boost immunity.

Several studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is associated with significantly lower risks of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and many types of cancer. Despite having a rather high proportion of the calories supplied by fats and oils (mainly olive oil) in their diets, people from Mediterranean countries have very low incidences of coronary heart disease, the lowest among industrialized nations as well as very low incidences of most cancers. Also important is that they consume considerably more nuts ( 8–12 kg per year per capita) compared to much lower amounts (1.5 to 2 kg) in the USA.

Studies have confirmed that in addition to the cardiac benefits of consuming nuts, the risks of having a stroke, of developing type 2 diabetes, of developing dementia, of advanced macular degeneration and of gallstones have all been found to be lowered by eating nuts.

Calculations suggest that daily nut eaters gain an extra five to six years of life free of coronary disease14 and that regular nut eating appears to increase longevity by about 2 years.

The more often nuts are eaten the better as the benefits appear to increase as the frequency of nut consumption increases. The risk of fatal coronary disease and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes both appear to decrease steadily as nut consumption increases from less than once a week to once or more per day.

Just what quantity of nuts should be eaten? Studies suggest that 30 to 60 grams (1-2oz) of nuts should be consumed daily to gain the maximum benefits seen. Whether even larger amounts confer further benefits is currently unknown.

Nuts are of course a fatty food and many might worry that they will put on weight by eating more nuts. After all, 30 grams (or one ounce) of most nuts contain about 800 kilojoules (200 kilocalories). Happily though, on present evidence, nuts do not seem to cause weight gain.

Let our ultra indulgent dark chocolate bar with Noccilina Piemontese, the best crunchy ground hazelnuts and hazelnut oil paste , seduce you with a luxurious elegance that is capable of evoking an impressive range of natural flavors and moods.