Did you know that macadamia nuts have a higher total fat content than most types of nuts, including cashews, pistachios, almonds, peanuts, and walnuts? However, macadamia nuts largely contain monounsaturated fats that have numerous health benefits. In fact, over 75 percent of the total fat content in macadamia nuts is monounsaturated fats.

Improve Heart Health

Macadamia nuts have high quantities of monounsaturated fats that contribute to better cardiovascular health. The consumption of 8–42 g of macadamia nuts everyday leads to about 10 percent reduction in the levels of bad cholesterol often implicated in the onset of cardiovascular disease.

Promote Weight Loss

Macadamia nuts can help in weight management. These nuts contain a lot of fiber and protein that provide a greater feeling of satiety, thus helping reduce food intake. Besides, macadamia nuts contain palmitoleic acid, a type of omega-7 fatty acid that aids in weight loss.

Cancer Prevention

Macadamia nuts have anticancer properties because they have tocotrienols and flavonoids. Tocotrienols help in cancer prevention due to their strong antioxidant properties. On the other hand, flavonoids assist by eliminating the free radicals often implicated in the onset of cancer.

Improve Brain Health

Macadamia nuts contain tocotrienols, a type of antioxidant that possess brain-protecting properties. Tocotrienols guard brain cells against the damaging effects associated with glutamate. As a result, these antioxidants prevent the onset of brain disorders such as the Alzheimer’s disease.

Diabetes Management and Prevention

The inclusion of macadamia nuts in the diet also helps people with diabetes to improve glycemic control. These nuts particularly play a key role in lowering the fasting blood sugars. According to a recent study, consuming 56 g or about 2 ounces of tree nuts daily that include macadamia nuts for 8 weeks leads a significant reduction in fasting glucose levels.

Boost Gastrointestinal Health

The consumption of macadamia nuts also contributes to better gastrointestinal health. These nuts contain a significant amount of fiber that serves as a substrate for good gut bacteria. In turn, these bacteria provide short-chain fatty acids that help in managing inflammation in the stomach. As a result, macadamia nuts help in the prevention of inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease.

Categories: Health and wellness

Tags: Health, Health Benefits, Healthy foods, Heart health, Macadamia, Macadamia Nuts, Nutrition