Macadamia Nut Health Benefits
World's Finest Nuts--Heart-Friendly Snacks That Reduce Cholesterol
May 9, 2008
Macadamias are considered the world’s finest nut, a delicious snack food that garners high marks for flavor and crunchy texture. The story doesn’t end there, however. Macadamias are full of goodness.
Medical researchers and food scientists have been studying macadamia nuts. Macadamias are a tree nut and in recent years tree nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, and pistachios, have received attention for their potential in relation to human health.
Nuts, in fact, are an important part of the Mediterranean Diet, a traditional eating pattern that has been recognized as a dietary model for reduction of risk factors for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other serious health conditions. The Mediterranean Dietary Pyramid includes daily consumption of tree nuts such as macadamias.
Benefits of Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts provide a wide range of beneficial compounds. They are a high energy food, full of protein and fiber and loaded with other important nutrients that, in concert, impact favorably on human health.
Macadamia Nut Nutrition Information
- Antioxidants
- Fiber
- Phytochemicals
- Protein
- Minerals
- Monounsaturated fats
- Vitamins
Macadamia Heart Health Benefits
- A trial to study serum lipid effects of a high monounsaturated fat diet based on macadamia nuts demonstrated that, as compared to the typical American diet, a diet that included macadamia nuts (37% energy derived from fat) rendered beneficial effects on cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
- One study demonstrated that macadamia nut consumption benefited 17 hypercholesterolemic men. Over a 4-week period, the men were given 40/90 g/d of macadamia nuts. At the end of the study, their total and LDL cholesterol levels had decreased by 3.0 and 5.3%. HDL had increased by 7.9%. The study supported the benefits of macadamia nuts as part of a healthful diet. (M.L. Garg, P. Rudra, R. Blake, R. Wills, 2003, Journal of Nutrition, 133:1060-3)
Macadamias contain natural oils. They are high in heart-friendly monounsaturated fat, which contains oleic fatty acid as well as paimitoleic fatty acid (also present in fish oils). Macadamias come in tops for containing the highest amount of monounsatarated fatty acids in a natural food.
Versatile Macadamia Nuts
Macadamias have a rich, buttery flavor that makes them unbeatable. They can be eaten raw or roasted, whole or chopped. The nuts are used in different menu items, ranging from macadamia nut coffee, to macadamia nut pesto to macadamia nut butter. Favorite snacks include chocolate covered macadamia nuts or white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
Popular Macadamia Nut Recipes
- Macadamia nut crusted chicken or halibut
- Chocolate macadamia nut pie
- Macadamia nut shortbread
- Pineapple macadamia nut cake
- Macadamia nut bread
- Coconut macadamia nut cookies
- Macadamia-chocolate biscotti
Macadamia nuts offer a winning combination: delicious nutty flavor and significant nutritional benefits. Truly, eating macadamias for health has never been easier.
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