Top 4 Nutritional Benefits of Macadamia Nuts and 7 Fun Facts

Out of other nuts and seeds, macadamias are one of the highest in fat content, even next to other tree nuts like pine nuts and walnuts.

This aspect gives them their savory buttery-rich texture that can be hard to stop eating. One ounce of macadamia averages about 16.5g of monounsaturated fat, 3.4g of saturated fat and 0.4g of polyunsaturated fat.

Comprised mostly of the MONOUNSATURATED FATS, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid, macadamia nut consumption has been shown in research to reduce total LDL cholesterol and support cardiovascular health.

PALMITOLEIC ACID, also called omega-7, is abundant in macadamia oil (at 17% or greater). It is also found concentrated in human breast milk, animal fat and some other plant sources like marine algae oil and sea buckthorn oil.

Although more research is needed, some evidence shows that palmitoleic acid may improve glucose metabolism and provide an anti-inflammatory influence in animals tested.

Macadamia nut oil is also a source of saturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid and arachidic acid, but is the lowest in polyunsaturated omega-6 and omega-3 compared to all other nuts and seeds.

Although the macadamia nut is somewhat sweet, it only contains about 6-8% sugar. Likewise, about 88% of the calories in the white kernels come from FAT, 4% from protein and 8% from carbs.

One Ounce of Raw Macadamia Nuts:

TOTAL CALORIES - 201 (842 kJ)

• Fat - 178 (745 kJ)
• Protein - 7.7 (32.2 kJ)
• Carbohydrates - 15.8 (66.2 kJ)

Along with Brazil nuts and pecans, this aspect makes them a very suitable option when adhering to a ketogenic diet.

If one ounce of macadamia nuts has around 4.0g total carbs minus 2.4g fiber, this would provide an ideal net carb amount of 1.6g, which is the true value when trying to achieve ketosis.

It usually only takes a small amount of macadamia nuts to satisfy the appetite, making it a perfect snack food in between meals.

Despite their high-fat content, eating macadamias isn't associated with an increase in body weight in obese individuals, according to one trial.

Generally, however, it is best to limit intake to one serving a day or about one ounce or 10-12 macadamia kernels. This would equate to approximately 27% of the DV for total fat for a daily 2,000-calorie adult diet.

Likewise, eating too many nuts can cause mucus buildup, congestion and can be too acidic for some people.

The nutrient value of macadamia nuts can vary depending on many factors. Compared to other nuts and seeds, however, they rank lower in most vitamins and minerals.

Generally, they are known to be higher in manganese, copper and thiamin.

Raw Macadamia Nuts (One Ounce 28g)

• Manganese - 1.2mg, 58%
• Copper - 0.2mg, 11%
• Thiamin - 0.3mg, 22%

Other top nutrients include magnesium, iron, phosphorus, B6, niacin and riboflavin.

On average one ounce of raw macadamia nuts may contain:

• Fat - 21.2g, 27% DV
• Fiber - 2.4g, 10% DV
• Protein - 2.2g, 4% DV
• Carbohydrates - 4.0g, 1% DV
• Calories - 201, 10% DV

(Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie daily adult diet.)

Although many people consider macadamia nuts a Hawaiian delicacy, the tree is actually indigenous to Australia.

Native to subtropical rainforest locations of New South Wales as well as Queensland, wild macadamia was once utilized by the original aboriginal peoples as a bushfood source.

The botanist-labeled genus term "macadamia" was named after John Macadam in 1857, but earlier aborigines called it different names including: bauple, gyndl or jindilli and boombera.

The two main cultivated species are Macadamia integrifolia (smooth-shelled) and Macadamia tetraphylla (rough-shelled), also called "bush nut".

The most cultivated variety, Macadamia integrifolia, has a round brown smooth shell surrounding a cream-colored nut.

This shell is one of the hardest and thickest in the tree nut kingdom and very difficult to crack open. This is the main reason macadamias are often sold pre-shelled.

Special nutcrackers can be used, however, to apply enough pressure to crack the shell in half and pick out the nut.

Although macadamias are lower in unstable heat-sensitive polyunsaturated fats, their higher oil and moisture content makes them more prone to rancidity.

If you're interested in getting the most nutrition out of your macadamia nuts, we would advise the raw unroasted variety or mildly dry roasted nuts.

Why? Because while dry roasting is a common technique utilized to create a crunchier texture and toasty flavor, raw or lightly roasted nuts will retain more of their healthy fats and nutrients.

While excessive roasting is known to decrease nutritional value, some research on mild dry roasting techniques showed that maintaining a temperature of 125°C (257°F) for 15 minutes was able to decrease moisture content and chances of rancidity.

Australian macadamia species were introduced to the islands of Hawaii in the 1880s where they were cultivated on a large scale. They were once in fact the leading producers worldwide.

Today, however, the top commercial producers are South Africa (*) followed closely by Australia.

Two macadamia nut brands we purchased in 2023 were both sourced from Kenya, a country in East Africa.

Macadamia nuts are up there with pine nuts as one of the more expensive nut types.

In 2023, they typically can range from 20-40 dollars per pound depending on quality or if organically certified.

The cost is due to the higher demand and lower supply as well as the shell cracking process needed.