21+ Pros and Cons of Acorns (Explained)

Acorn is a nut of an oak tree. Botanically they are part of the family of Quercus or Lithocarpus genera. Due to their rich constituents acorns are very essential for the body.

It assists lowers asthma and heart health, diabetes mellitus and improves digestion and promotes bone. It also deters the invasion of viruses and bacteria with its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

Acorns contain high nutrition which helps in maintaining a healthy body. Most important are Tannins and flavonoids, which along with the proteins, essential vitamins, mineral contents, and fibers help to boost overall health.

Advantages of Acorns	Disadvantages of Acorns
Acorn Squash Good for Digestion	Acorn poisoning
Anti Asthmatic Effects Of Acorns	May lead to allergic reactions
Boost Bone Health	Can be difficult to prepare
Anti Bacterial and Anti viral Property of Acorns	Raw ones may be unsafe
Acorn Promotes Healing and Growth

Table of Contents

Advantages of Acorns

Acorn Squash Good for Digestion

Acorns have a good amount of fiber, which helps in enhancing digestive health. Fibers assist body in regulating bowel movements by adding fibers to the excreta and checking both constipation and diarrhea.

Acorns are ideal for people facing cramping, irregular bowel movements, bloating, and other gastrointestinal distress.

Moreover, chemicals present in acorns cause the action of an enzyme referred to as the Alpha Glucosidase triggering delaying the process of digestion of starch (carbohydrates) and retarding the conversion of starch (carbohydrates) into glucose or monosaccharose during the method of the digestion. In turn, it successively checks spikes in the glucose levels in the blood.

Consequently, acorns do contribute to the management of diabetes in the human body. Very high fiber contents and comparatively more complex carbohydrates which are abundant in these nuts help in the regulation of proper health in humans.

Anti Asthmatic Effects Of Acorns

Asthma has become very common on now a day. Acorns contain three strong antioxidants that are ellagic acid tannic acid, and Gallic acid. These antioxidants have an inherent anti-asthmatic effect and help bring down asthma symptoms.

Ellagic acid, Gallic acid and tannic acid diminish the secretion of enzymes in the human body which otherwise increases inflammation of nasal paths which will causes difficulty in breathing.

Narrowing the airways of the human respiratory system, reactive oxygen species, are controlled by the antioxidants which are in acorns and consequently enhances the management of asthma.

Acorns oils are considerably richer in unsaturated fat in comparison to saturated fat and it helps improve cholesterol levels in the blood and even safeguard against heart ailments like atherosclerosis.

It also helps to check obesity and several heart diseases which are caused because of saturated fats.

Boost Bone Health

Being rich in potassium, phosphorous, and calcium acorns also help to improve bone health and causes detrimental effects on medical conditions triggering the onset of osteoporosis.

The most important function of phosphorus is in the development of teeth and bones. It has an important role as it is used by the human body to regulate the use of fats and carbohydrates.

It is also required by our body to make protein for the growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues and cells. Potassium supports normal blood pressure and helps muscles to contract.

Calcium is one of the most vital minerals for bone mineral density. It is found in high concentrations within the acorn. Thus, the consumption of acorns can boost bone health.

Anti Bacterial and Antiviral Property of Acorns

Acorn is very rich in tannins which are very effective as an anti-bacterial agent against various bacteria. It also helps in healing injuries because of its astringent property.

It also checks the development and spread of microbes and bacteria and thus inhibits the further spread of bacterial contamination. Thus consumption of acorns definitely helps in eliminating the bacteria from our body.

Healthy enzymes present in acorns save the cells of the human body by inhibiting the contact between the cells and the virus.

They significantly prevent the replication and multiplication of viruses and consequently, they inhibit the spread of viruses to various parts of the human body.

Acorn is a very effective antiherpetic herbal medicine and does possess anti-viral activity because it contains flavonoids and tannins. Herpes virus is the major reason of viral infections in individuals having a poor immune system.

Acorn Promotes Healing and Growth

Proteins are vital components of our healthy body and acorns have a high quantity of protein in them. This supports the development of new cells and tissues, rapid healing following injury or illness, and repair of damaged areas.

Because of having a higher proportion of protein in the human body composition, the cell growth and development process in enhanced, by the intake of an acorn.

Acorns also contain B vitamins like niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B12. They, therefore, help in regulating the metabolic activities along with a number of enzymatic processes in the body which are vital for overall human health.

Disadvantages of Acorns

Acorn poisoning

Oak toxicity commonly known as acorn poisoning happens when too many buds or acorns are ingested and the gall tannin, found in acorn foliage creates gastrointestinal and kidney related problems.

Overconsumption of acorn nuts also cause stomach upset and nausea because of the tannin present in the acorn.

Tannins in raw acorns act as anti-nutrients, lowering our absorption of many food compounds. They are also associated to some type of cancers and may also cause liver damage when eaten in high amounts. Some people report constipation and nausea due to intake of raw acorns, though it has not been confirmed by medical research.

Moreover, the tannins make these nuts of a bitter flavor. Medically it is not recommended to eat raw acorns.

Though, one can easily remove the tannins by soaking or boiling the raw acorn. By boiling the raw acorn, one makes them safe to eat and eliminates their bitterness.

May lead to allergic reactions

Acorns are nut from oak tree and nuts are among the most common allergens worldwide. As per online data available, up to 2% of the U.S. population is allergic to one or more tree nuts, prominent among them are acorns.

Among the most common allergic reactions to tree nuts, scratchy throat, mild itching, and watery eyes to anaphylaxis which is a potentially life-endangering response that may cause to extreme difficulty breathing are major reactions.

If one is allergic to other tree nuts, they do not eat acorns unless their healthcare practitioner has cleared it’s consumed for them.

Can be difficult to prepare

Collecting the acorns and preparing eatable items from them can be very time-consuming. As it is available in wilds, orchards, and our neighborhood, they are not usually sold in neighborhood grocery stores.

One has to visit big stores of capital or shop them online if they are unable to forage it in their own neighborhood. One has to leach them of their tannins to lower their bitterness and make sure that they are good to eat.

It can be done by soaking or boiling them. Apparently, it appears that this process is very simple, it is actually cumbersome especially as other nuts are easily available and much easier to eat.

Raw ones may be unsafe

Though many fruits and nuts can be consumed raw, acorns have to boil or soak. It is because of the tannins in raw acorns are anti nutrients. They reduce the absorption of certain food enzymes.

Most people say that it caused them nausea. They are the cause of constipation to people who reportedly consumed raw acorns, though this has not been established by the research.

They also have a bitter flavor caused by the tannins. They are carcinogens and may cause damage to our liver when consumed in high amounts