Macadamia nut, a source of healthy nutrients

The macadamia nut is one of the most unique, delicious, and most nutritious nuts in large part because they are rich in monounsaturated fats.

What is the macadamia nut?

Macadamia nuts are delicious nuts that come from the tree that gives their name. Also, the Macadamia tree ( Macadamia integrifolia ) which is native to Australia. Likewise, they have a very special flavor and similar to butter with a very creamy texture.

This dried fruit is classified within neutral fruits. What’s more, they belong to the same group as other neutral fruits such as coconut, avocado, walnut, peanut , chestnut , almond, hazelnut, cocoa , peanut or corozo . They are fruits are foods with a high content of essential nutrients that are very beneficial for our health.

The macadamia nut is also known by the name of macadamia nut, bush nut, maroochi nut, and Queensland nut. The aborigines of Australia, where it is from, call it kindal kindal or jindilli.

Macadamia nuts are nuts with a shape similar to that of hazelnut and with a whitish or cream color inside. Spherical dried fruit that has a hard and smooth brown skin, which in turn is inside a green skin.

It is a fruit with a characteristic almond flavor, slightly sweet and creamy texture that is widely consumed by people around the world. It is an exclusive fruit in high demand with a price somewhat more expensive than the rest of its competitors.

What is the origin of the macadamia nut?

The Australian aborigines used it as one of their staple foods , but it was not discovered to the rest of the world until the first contact with the British Empire. Because of this contact they made him known after colonization.

It was then that the macadamia tree began to be cultivated by horticulturists from different areas who saw its commercial interest that led to an increase in its consumption.

Currently it is grown mainly in warm and subtropical climate areas such as Hawaii, California, Florida, Central America, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya and Israel among other regions.

In addition, this tree or in some cases shrubs, measures from 2 meters and can reach up to 12 meters in height. They are very leafy and always stay green.

How do you eat macadamia nuts?

The most nutritious and healthy recommendation is to eat these types of foods, I mean nuts, it is raw, but macadamia nuts can be consumed both raw, roasted or salted.

This food is ideal as an aperitif and can be perfectly combined with cheese paste or pâté. In the kitchen they are used in different recipes as a garnish for exquisite dishes , to thicken sauces . Toast and crushed are also used to prepare a type of butter .

We can incorporate them into different types of food such as curries, salads, vegetables, rice, cookies, cakes and ice creams and get recipes with healthy properties for our body.

Nuts are products that are always very combinable in all kinds of recipes in which we want to add them. Within the classification of nuts, macadamia nuts are foods that make our recipes an exquisite dish with innumerable benefits that we have to add to our usual consumption.

Properties of the macadamia nut

Macadamia nuts are caloric and rich in healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Likewise, the fats that these nuts provide us are monounsaturated. Therefore, these fats are favorable for the health of the heart, the circulatory system and ideal for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

Likewise, they are low in carbohydrates, also in sugar and with a moderate contribution of fiber.

Average nutritional value per 100 grams of macadamia nut

Macadamia nut benefits

The macadamia nut is a dried fruit that attracts for its exquisite flavor and its delicate texture. In addition, it is distinguished by its properties and health benefits.

It has an ideal nutritional value, since it is a magnificent source of protein and, to a lesser extent, of fiber. In addition, it provides us with a large amount of healthy fats that correspond to approximately three-quarters of its weight.

That is why they are healthy and provide various benefits to our bodies. We can distinguish the following:

1. Beneficial for regulating cholesterol

The fats they provide us are mostly monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil or avocado oil . Therefore, they are healthy and essential to avoid cerebrovascular problems .

In this same sense, these nuts have properties that with their consumption help reduce cholesterol problems. It is because they provide us with fats, known as monounsaturated .

Therefore, they are heart-healthy , so they can help us reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the blood.

2. Favorable for people with diabetes

These foods provide us with few carbohydrates and sugar. They also contain a moderate level of fiber. This balanced combination of nutrients means that it can be favorable so that blood sugar levels do not increase.

As a consequence, it can be beneficial for people with diabetes. 

3. Healthy energy intake

Due to its great contribution of calories, it has health benefits recommended for people who make great physical efforts and high-performance athletes.

4. For a healthy heart

Macadamia nuts can lower your risk of heart disease.

They are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. For this reason, eating these nuts on a regular basis can reduce risk factors for heart-related diseases.

Also, in this study it is detailed how the consumption of macadamia nuts helps to significantly reduce the risks of heart disease.

5. A dried fruit with antioxidants

Like most nuts, macadamia nuts are great sources of antioxidants. In fact, these substances help us neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage, increasing the risk of disease.

The flavonoids found in this food help us fight inflammation and lower cholesterol. Another antioxidant present is tocotrienol, a form of vitamin E that stands out for its antioxidant action. It is present in some vegetable oils, such as macadamia, which protect our body from cell damage and diseases.

6. Ideal for weight loss diets

Although they are rich in calories, these foods can be beneficial for weight loss. Due to the contribution of protein and fiber that causes us to feel full.

In addition, these investigations show that part of the fats that nuts provide us can remain in the fibrous wall of the fruit during digestion. As a result, they provide us with fewer calories than expected.

7. They can improve gut health

Its fiber content helps regulate intestinal transit and avoid constipation problems. Additionally, the soluble fiber in nuts can act as a prebiotic.

Consequently, it is beneficial for intestinal bacteria, aiding digestion and improving intestinal health.

8. Other benefits for our health

In addition, thanks to its protein content in these nuts, it is a good complement for vegetarian, vegan or low-protein diets. In addition, they provide polyphenolic flavonoids with antioxidant action.

This food provides us with B vitamins with essential properties for the nervous system and for cellular metabolism. In addition, it provides an appreciable dose of vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol.

Due to its vitamin C content, it helps us to strengthen our immune system and because of its calcium and phosphorus content it helps us with the strengthening and development of bones and teeth.

We must also highlight the content of magnesium, manganese and its low sodium content that these nuts provide us.

Macadamia oil

We have to unblock the special benefit that macadamia nuts provide to the nutrition of our skin, since macadamia is used in natural cosmetics thanks to the extraction of the nutritious Macadamia oil . In addition, the oil is obtained from the cold pressing of the seeds of this fruit, obtaining an oil with properties for the skin that we can incorporate into different cosmetic products.

It is widely used by the cosmetic industry thanks to the fact that they are composed of essential fatty acids with many benefits for our skin and in general for our health . It is widely used in the formulation of natural cosmetic products such as shampoos and hair masks to give it that desired natural shine.

Macadamia oil benefits

However, what is perhaps not so well known about this product is that it can also be very beneficial for a perfect and intensive hydration. It also softens, hydrates and regenerates the epidermis of our skin with different formulations of macadamia soap and macadamia moisturizer that provide our skin with a smooth and hydrated texture.

Thanks to the oil extracted from its seeds, it becomes a perfect component to delay aging and delay the appearance of the dreaded wrinkles. Being of vegetable origin , it penetrates the skin very easily, restoring elasticity and leaving the face silky and healthy.

The use of this product in natural hair cosmetics has also been well known for a long time. As it is of vegetable origin, it is ideal for nourishing the scalp , which absorbs it quickly, remaining fully hydrated.

In addition, Macadamia seed oil for hair is especially recommended for people who have damaged, dull and dull hair . It is impregnated in the hair follicles and strengthens it thanks to the different fatty acids and lipids it contains.

Conclusions

In conclusion, with macadamia seed oil, in addition to radiant, hydrated and healthy skin, you will achieve a more resistant , hydrated and ultimately beautiful mane thanks to this natural ingredient.

Also, this dried fruit is rich in calories and fat. However, most of them are unsaturated and they are good for our heart , for our circulatory system. Also, help reduce cholesterol and improve our health in general.