Macadamia nuts are popular for their sweet, delicious flavor. These nuts, which are native to the North Eastern portions of Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, Brazil, Central Americas, and South African are also packed with healthy nutrients. Read on to learn more about macadamia nuts health benefits.

8 Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts

Here are some things the delicious macadamia nuts can do for your health:

1. Prevent Heart Diseases

Macadamia nuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, the healthy type of fats that protect the heart by reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, thus helping reduce your risk of developing coronary disease. 

2. Keep You Full for Longer Time

The high fat content of luscious macadamias can help curb your appetite and keep you full much longer than any sweet treat. They contain palmitoleic acid, which enhances fat metabolism and reduces storage of fat.

3. Destroy Free Radicals

Macadamia nuts health benefits mostly come from their high antioxidant content. They contain flavonoids, which help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals and environmental toxins. Flavonoids act as antioxidants, which destroy free radicals, thus protecting your body from chronic diseases, including cancer.

4. Promote Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails

Macadamia nuts are an excellent source of antioxidants, calcium, potassium, protein, and dietary fiber. However, they are low in sodium. These factors help make your hair, skin and nails healthy, thus giving you a younger look. Macadamia nuts also contain a monounsaturated fat called palmitoleic acid, which promotes oil production in your scalp. This help replenish the hair follicles, which moisturizes and rejuvenates your hair. 

5. Strengthen Bones and Teeth

Macadamia nuts are abundant in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which play an important role in promoting mineralization of the bones and teeth. They also contain manganese, which helps in the deposition of new bone so that your skeleton becomes stronger as you age.

6. Support Digestive Health

Another one of the macadamia nuts health benefits is that they aid in digestion. They contain dietary fiber, both the soluble and insoluble types, which help promote satiety and provide roughage which sweeps toxins out of your body.

7. Ensure Proper Growth of Brain and Nervous System

Macadamias contain nutrients like vitamin B1, magnesium, copper, and manganese which aids in the production of neuro-transmitters, or chemicals used by your brain cells to send signals. Copper also ensures proper growth, promotes efficient use of iron, facilitates enzymatic reactions, and improves the health of your connective tissues, eyes and hair.

8. Fight Chronic Inflammation

Consuming foods that are rich in omega-6 fatty acids contributes to chronic inflammation, which leads to chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. On the other hand, eating foods that are rich inomega-3 fatty acids can help fight inflammation and chronic disease. Macadamias are known to be high in omega-3 and low in omega-6 fatty acids, which make them truly healthy to eat. Studies show that people who regularly eat nuts like macadamias have a lower risk of heart disease than those who do not consume them.

Nutrition Facts of Macadamia Nuts

Macadamias are a rich source of energy, providing 712 calories per 100 grams. Macadamia nuts health benefits come from the fact that they are also packed with several vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. They provide 9 g of fiber per 100 g serving. They are an excellent source of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, andzinc, as well as B complex vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and riboflavin.

How to Eat Macadamia Nuts Healthily

• Raw macadamia nuts are cut open using nut-sheller machines or hand held pliers. They can be eaten raw or roasted, sweetenedorsalted. They are crunchy, and pleasantly sweet with a nutty aroma.
• These nuts can easily blend with other sweet delicacies. When roasted, they can be crushed and sprinkled over desserts, salads, and other recipes.
• You can also sprinkle macadamia chips or halves sundaes, ice cream, and other desserts.
• They are often used in baked products such as biscuits and cakes.
• Use macadamia butter, which is rich in protein and gluten free, to prepare salad dressings, sandwiches, and sauces.

• Use macadamia oil like olive oil. Its sweet delicious flavor makes a variety of foods more delicious with its sweet flavor. It is widely used as cooking oil and dressing in the preparation of seafood, meat and vegetable dishes in various cuisines.

Precautions

Allergic reactions to macadamia nuts are quite rare, unlike other tree nut reactions such as those resulting from cashews and pistachios. However, they might trigger hypersensitivity reactions in some people who are sensitive to certain food substances prepared from nuts. The symptoms of these reactions may range from gastrointestinal disturbances like vomiting, painful abdomen anddiarrhea to respiratory tract disturbances like throat pain and swelling, chest congestion, and breathing difficulty. Caution must be exercised by people with known allergic reaction to nuts when eating food preparations containing nut products.