Fagus sylvatica
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
The small triangular nuts of the beech tree, produced abundantly only in occasional mast years and gathered historically for oil pressing and famine food rather than as a regular crop. The USDA reference entry is for dried nuts.
Also known as Beech mast, Buckmast
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
There is no human research on beechnuts and blood lipids. They are a foraged food with essentially no nutrition literature attached to them.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 576 kcal | 29% |
| Protein | 6.2 g | 12% |
| Total fat | 50 g | 64% |
| Carbohydrate | 33.5 g | 12% |
| Water | 6.6 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 5.72 g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 21.9 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 20.1 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 18.4 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 15.5 mg | 17% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.304 mg | 25% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.371 mg | 29% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.877 mg | 5% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.925 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.684 mg | 40% |
| Folate | 113 µg | 28% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 1 mg | 0% |
| Iron | 2.46 mg | 14% |
| Magnesium | 0 mg | 0% |
| Phosphorus | 0 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 1017 mg | 22% |
| Sodium | 38 mg | 2% |
| Zinc | 0.36 mg | 3% |
| Copper | 0.67 mg | 74% |
| Manganese | 1.34 mg | 58% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Ash | 3.7 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Nuts, beechnuts, dried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170161).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Glycoside
Soap-like glycosides in legumes and quinoa. Bitter, which is why quinoa is rinsed before cooking.
Beechnuts contain fagin and saponin-type compounds implicated in the irritant effect of eating large quantities raw.
Phosphate ester
The main phosphorus store in seeds. Reduces absorption of iron and zinc from the same meal; soaking, sprouting and fermentation lower it.
Polyphenol
Astringent polyphenols that bind proteins and minerals — the reason tea with a meal reduces non-heme iron absorption.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Roasting is the traditional treatment and reduces the irritant fraction that makes raw beechnuts unpleasant in quantity.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Too much
Eating large numbers of raw beechnuts causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and headache, attributed to saponin-type irritants and the alkaloid traditionally called fagin. Livestock poisonings are well documented. Roasting reduces the effect, and small amounts of raw nuts are traditionally eaten without harm, but this is not a nut to eat by the handful uncooked.
Allergy
A tree nut, and appropriate caution applies for anyone with existing tree nut allergy.
Worth knowing
The kernel is tiny relative to the shell, which is the practical reason beechnuts never became a commercial food crop despite being widely available in mast years.