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Macadamia nut

The macadamia nut is the seed of the macadamia tree, which is native to Australia and is also grown in Hawaii, California and Florida. Roasted macadamia nuts are a popular snack. Some people also use macadamia nuts as a medicine to lower cholesterol levels.

How do macadamia nuts work?

Macadamia nuts contain monounsaturated fatty acids and plant compounds that could lower cholesterol levels.

How effective are macadamia nuts?

Macadamianuts may be effective when used to lower cholesterol levels. Eating macadamia nuts as part of a healthy diet appears to lower total cholesterol levels and levels of 'bad' LDL cholesterol and increase levels of 'good' HDL cholesterol. However, these changes are not huge. Men with high cholesterol levels who ate 17 to 37 macadamia nuts per day for four weeks were able to lower their total cholesterol levels by 3% and their LDL cholesterol levels by 5%, and increase their HDL cholesterol levels by about 8%.

Safety and side effects

Macadamia nuts are safe and harmless as a food and appear to be safe and harmless for most people when used medicinally. In rare cases, macadamia nuts can cause allergies.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Macadamia nuts are safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women in normal dietary quantities. However, larger medicinal amounts should be avoided as a precaution until more is known.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of macadamia nuts with medications or supplements.

Dosage

The following dosages have been investigated in scientific studies:

Oral

To lower cholesterol levels: 40 to 90 grams (about 17 to 37 macadamia nuts) per day.

References

  1. Curb JD, Wergowske G, Dobbs JC, et al. Serum lipid effects of a high-monounsaturated fat diet based on macadamia nuts. Arch Intern Med 2000;160:1154-8.
  2. Garg ML, Blake RJ, Wills RB. Macadamia nut consumption lowers plasma total and LDL cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic men. J Nutr 2003;133:1060-3.
  3. Knight TE, Hausen BM. Dermatitis in a nutshell: occupational exposure to Macadamia integrifolia. J Am Acad Dermatol 1996;35:482-4.
  4. Lerch M, Egger C, Bircher AJ. Allergic reactions to macadamia nut. Allergy 2005;60:130-1.
  5. Pallares DE. Allergy to macadamia nut. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2000;85:385-6.
  6. Teuber SS, Brown RL, Haapanen LA. Allergenicity of gourmet nut oils processed by different methods. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;99:502-7.