A ‘Fat’tastic Nut!

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a big proponent of nuts. I’ve written at length about some of my favorites, in fact. But there’s one nut I haven’t dedicated much ink to: the macadamia.

When I think about it, I can’t come up with a good reason for why I have yet to write about macadamias. Perhaps it’s due to their steep price (macadamias can fetch $30 to $40 for two pounds). Or perhaps it’s due to the faulty assumption that their high fat content makes them the unhealthiest nut on the block and I’ve just been too lazy to correct that impression. If that is indeed the case, I apologize; a clarification is in order.

While it’s true, macadamias have the highest fat content compared to its nutty brethren; the fat it does contain is the healthy kind – the monounsaturated kind. We know how beneficial the monounsaturated fat is that’s found in olive oil, right? Well macadamias contain more unsaturated fat than olive oil does! In fact, it’s estimated that 80 percent of the macadamia kernel is oil – making it the ideal ingredient cosmetic companies use in lotions and creams to keeps its customers’ skin looking healthy.

But the nutritional benefits of the macadamia nut go far beyond the skin. According to a study published in the April 2008 edition of the Journal of Nutrition, macadamia nut consumption contributes to the protection against coronary heart disease by lowering one’s cholesterol levels.

When the researchers analyzed the diets of men and women in a randomized study, one group consumed a macadamia-rich diet, the other an “average American diet.” After five weeks, the researchers found that the LDL cholesterol levels (the “bad” kind) in the macadamia-rich group was much lower than those who consumed a diet not consisting of macadamias.

Another study in Japan, this one with females as its subjects, discovered similar results. In the Japan study, after just three weeks of consuming a diet rich in macadamias, the women lowered their LDL cholesterol levels. And by “rich in macadamias” I mean that the subjects were consuming an average of 20 grams of macadamias a day (less than an ounce) – hardly a difficult or cumbersome task.

One ounce of macadamias is the equivalent of about 10 to 12 kernels. You should be eating some kind of nut every day, and macadamias are a great source. As far as calorie count and fat content, one ounce is about 200 calories, with 21 grams of fat. I know that may sound like a lot, but remember, macadamias are almost entirely composed of natural oil, and 17 of the 21 grams of fat in an ounce of macadamias are of the monounsaturated kind. Remember: not all fat is built the same.

Studies indicate that those who eat tree nuts, like macadamias, weigh less than those that don’t eat them, so if you’ve ever been fearful of nuts for their high fat content – or if you’re worried that consuming them to lower cholesterol levels will somehow lead to weight gain – let those fears subside! Like anything, you don’t want to go “nuts” eating nuts, as excessive consumption will show up as excess fat. But a handful a day of flavorful nuts like macadamias will do great things for your skin, your cholesterol levels, and your waistline!