Eating Macadamia Nuts Benefits Your Health In These Specific Ways
Macadamia is a class of four types of trees indigenous to Australia.
It is part of the plant family Proteaceae which have amazing health benefits.
They are local to northeastern New South Wales and focal and southeastern Queensland.
Three types of varieties are economically significant for their natural product.
Different names incorporate Queensland nut, hedge nut, Maroochy nut, bauble nut, and Hawaii nut.
Macadamia nut was the main origin of bushfood for the Native people groups who were the first occupants of the zone.
Types of macadamia nuts
Macadamia nuts have main 2 types
- One is Macadamia tetraphylla (rough shell) 65% to 75% oil and 6% to 8% are sugars.
- The other one is Macadamia integrifollia (smooth shell) has 85% oil and 4% sugar.
Nutrition Profiling:
- One ounce (28 grams) gives calories 203 kcals, 23g of fat, 4g, of carbs, 2g of protein. Fiber 3 grams.
- Macadamia nuts are rich in oil, minerals magnesium (9% of DV), manganese (58% of DV) iron (6 % of DV), phosphorus (27% of DV), calcium (9% of DV), copper (11% of DV), thiamine (22% of DV) and vitamin B6 (5% of DV).
Health benefits of macadamia nuts
1. Improves cholesterol
Macadamia nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids MUFAs and PUFAs. They have a property to maintain a blood lipid profile.
They have been appeared to improve blood lipid profiles and in this way especially helpful in the anti- hypercholesterolemic effect.
Macadamia nuts might be valuable when taken alone or in the mix with conventional pharmacotherapy. In this way, it can decrease the danger of cardiovascular problems.
Other than fats, macadamia nuts have some potential dietary constitutes.
These have the quality to decrease LDL, VDLs cholesterol, and triglycerides. And this, in turn, has an impact on blood cholesterol levels.
2. May reduce diabetes risk
Several studies prove that increase concentration of palmitoleic acid present in macadamia nuts lead to decreasing the risk of diabetes.
This is possible because of an increase in insulin sensitivity. It also helps in the prevention of other metabolic disorders.
The results are shown by improved degrees of hemoglobin A1C. A marker of A1C is a 3-month blood sugar control value. Eating these nuts helps in maintaining normal HbA1C value.
3. Helps in weight loss
Macadamia nuts are rich in palmitoleic acid and fiber. And this helps to reduce hunger and increase satiety levels.
It also does this by avoiding the spikes of blood glucose level.
The greater the palmitoleic acid in the blood, the greater it decreases lipogenesis.
In this way, fats are not stored in adipocytes TGs (triglycerides). This reduces the risk of unwanted weight gain and helps in weight loss
4. Has anticancer properties
One of the important health benefits of macadamia nuts is it’s anticancer effects.
Palmitoleic acid, tocopherols, flavonoids, and other antioxidants are present in higher amounts in macadamia nuts.
They are rich in vitamin E. This decreases oxidative stress and helps in cancer prevention.
Also, these properties may kill necrotic cells that may cause malignancy or any inflammation in the body.
In other words, they fight with the harmful free radicals in the body.
5. Supports brain health
Macadamia nuts are rich in tocopherols and tocotrienols are plant compounds.
This bioactive nutrient helps in promoting brain health. By reducing oxidative stress of free radicals.
And protect the brain cells from a disease such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. In depression and anxiety, also lower mental stress.
6. Improves cardiovascular health
Thromboxane is responsible for the aggregation of platelets. Prostacyclin is antiaggregatory.
Macadamia nuts lower the overall thromboxane to the prostacyclin ratio which decreases the risk of clotting.
It mainly lowers arteriosclerosis or cardiovascular disease. It does this by maintaining a normal platelet count which is a result of lowering low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides.
Macadamia nuts can able to modulate blood plasma lipid levels.
7. Helps wounds heal
Palmitoleic acid is abundant in macadamia nuts. This helps in fast wound healing.
It also improves skin health, appearance, and elasticity.
Palmitoleic acid may influence the function of immune cells and cytokines.
The development factors are associated with the injury, healing cycle, and fibrosis which speed up the recovery of wounds.
Takeaway
The results of all the different studies show point to an important conclusion:
Consuming a diet high in palmitoleic acid such as MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) is vital for health. And macadamia nuts contains a lot of that.
It helps in decreasing the cholesterol blood levels. The effects of macadamia nuts are not only influencing the plasma lipid level.
Fiber present in nuts also helps in weight loss or prevents gaining weight.
The property of being rich in antioxidants also helps in the prevention of cancer and boosts your brain health.
One of the health benefits of eating macadamia nuts is that it also lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
These fats also help to maintain skin integrity by accelerating the healing process of the wound.
In conclusion, combined with the consumption of macadamia nuts physicians or dietitians should recommend these nuts and other tree nuts as part of a healthy diet of an individual.
This little moderation in a diet helps in avoiding all health risking condition and diseases.