What is macadamia nut oil?
Macadamia nut oil is a luxurious and flavorful oil that is extracted from fresh round macadamia nuts, which can be used in a variety of ways and comes packed with incredible health benefits. It has a beautiful golden color and smells and tastes delicious!
Why is it so good for you?
Every incredible spoonful contains vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, which are excellent for maintaining a healthy heart, mind, skin, hair, and body.
It can be used in cooking, baking, frying, and in dressings and sauces. Many commercial cooking oils are very unhealthy for you, which means that the simple switch to macadamia oil will boost your health with minimal effort and maximum flavor.
Where does it come from and where can you get it?
Macadamia trees are native to Australia and were first discovered in the late 19th century by a botanist, who named the tree after his friend, John Macadam. They are now grown all over the world, including Hawaii, South Africa, Costa Rica, Malawi, Kenya, and Israel.
It can be bought in health food stores all over the world and is now even available in some supermarkets. Being an excellent oil to use topically or to drizzle over and into your favorite dishes, macadamia oil is an excellent and healthy investment in any pantry.
What Are the Health Benefits of Macadamia Nut Oil?
1..Lowers Cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol, needs to be balanced with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to keep the cardiovascular system healthy. If LDL levels get too high it risks the development of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart failure.
Macadamia nut oil is the perfect addition to a cholesterol-lowering diet, containing plenty of Omega 3’s and 6’s in the perfect ratio to balance out LDL and HDL levels. It also helps the body to get rid of excess LDL cholesterol, keeping the heart and arteries supple and healthy.
2. Increases Energy
Just one tablespoon of the oil contains 120 calories and 13.7 grams of healthy fat, which helps to naturally increase energy. It’s also loaded with phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which helps to revitalize the cells in your body, leaving you feeling energized and nourished from the inside out.
3. Anti-Aging
One of the key ingredients in many anti-aging cosmetic products is Vitamin E oil, something which macadamia oil naturally offers. Studies have shown that Vitamin E oil rejuvenates the growth of skin cells, which keeps skin young, supple, and healthy.
It also contains 16-23% of palmitoleic acid, which is a powerful fatty acid that prevents premature aging. The Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids in macadamia oil are also natural anti-inflammatories, which is excellent for keeping skin toned and glowing.
4. Reduces the Risk of Disease
Research has shown that the powerful antioxidant compounds in macadamia oil make it excellent for reducing the risk of developing several diseases, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and chronic fatigue. Antioxidants help to reduce free radical damage from exposure to environmental pollution, the sun’s UV rays, and chemicals, which reduces oxidation and keeps them in a healthy state.
5. Keeps Bones Healthy
Macadamia nut oil contains Vitamin K, which is essential for maintaining healthy teeth and bones. It’s also a natural anti-inflammatory, which helps to reduce joint pain and the painful symptoms of arthritis.
6. Great for Eyes
As we age, the chances of developing cataracts and losing vision increases, something which macadamia oil can help to prevent. The combination of eye-healthy Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, iron, and antioxidants makes it a great addition to your diet to keep your eyes healthy.
7. Healthy Hair and Lips
The nourishing and hydrating properties of macadamia nut oil makes it the perfect beauty product for maintaining gorgeous hair and glowing lips. It’s 100% natural and offers best nourishment hair follicles, whether applied topically or if healing from the inside out, and research has shown that it can help to prevent hair loss, dandruff, and dull hair color. The Vitamin E and iron helps to boost circulation to lip tissues, leaving it feeling plump, hydrated, and super healthy.
8. Weight Loss
One would think that an oily, fatty product like macadamia oil would do anything but cause weight loss but research has shown that the monounsaturated fat in macadamia oil helps to stimulate natural weight loss. It also contains Omega 7 fatty acids and palmitoleic acid, which has been proven to naturally reduce cravings while boosting fat burn.
Caution: It is calorically dense, so a little bit will go a long way when it comes to weight loss efforts.
9. Good for the Brain
The Omega 3, 6, and 7 fatty acids are excellent for keeping the brain tissues healthy as well as boosting memory retention, cognitive function, and mental energy. Macadamia oil also contains a small amount of iron, which stimulates red blood cells to carry more oxygen to the brain, leaving you feeling fresh and ready to tackle the day. It also contains trace amounts of copper, which has been shown to increase the firing power of neurotransmitters in the brain, which helps to improve problem-solving and calculative thinking.
How to Use It?
With a smoke point of 413 degrees Fahrenheit (210 degrees Celsius), macadamia nut oil is excellent to use for frying, cooking, and baking, adding a rich and nutty flavor to any dish while boosting its nutritional content.
Being light and less greasy than many oils, it can also be used topically as a makeup remover, skin and hair moisturizer, eye serum or as a deep cleanser. The high amount of phytochemicals and Vitamin E that it contains helps to keep skin and hair nourished, healthy, and young.
Combining macadamia oil to vinegar or lemon juice makes an excellent salad dressing, but it can also be used on its own as a light and tasty dressing.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/
https://www.theheartfoundation.org/heart-disease-facts/heart-disease-statistics/
https://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis.php
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09637480410001725175
