Weight gain While macadamia nuts are high in good fats, they are also high in calories, meaning that their high consumption poses a risk of weight gain. Half a cup of these nuts contains about 475 calories, which may constitute a meal for some people. The fat content of macadamia nuts is higher than that of other popular nuts such as almonds, cashews and walnuts. A 50-gram package of macadamia nuts contains 38 grams (g) of fat.
Despite being high in calories, macadamia nuts can help you lose weight. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends eating 1.5 ounces of nuts a day to reduce the risk of heart disease. And as an added bonus, additional research has shown that eating nuts can help curb weight gain.
Because of the amount of fiber, fat and protein in nuts, hunger is satisfied for extended periods of time, which can prevent you from becoming too hungry and then overeating, says Ellen Albertson, PhD, RD, founder of Smash Your Scale and author of The Diabetic and The Dietitian. Nuts also require a lot of chewing, which has been shown to generate a satiety signal. See more snacks that help you lose weight here. Macadamia nuts are loaded with micronutrients and offer lots of vitamins and minerals in one serving.
In general, nut intake is also related to a decrease in blood sugar and body weight in people with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes (17, 18, 1). Macadamia nuts don't seem to have any negative side effects on pregnant women and people with celiac disease. Interestingly, a small study conducted on people with high cholesterol found that a diet rich in macadamia nuts reduced levels of this blood marker as much as a low-fat, heart-healthy diet recommended by the American Heart Association (1). For the average person, an occasional serving or two isn't a bad idea, but when it comes to macadamia nuts, it's best to consume them in moderation.
This is due to the risk of cross-contamination or your accidental exposure to small amounts of nuts. Elizabeth Neale receives funding from Nuts for Life, the California Walnut Commission, the International Nut and Nut Council, and the Illawarra Institute for Medical and Health Research. Macadamia nuts also contain plant compounds called flavonoids, which can fight cancer by destroying harmful free radicals in the body. As part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, macadamia nuts can help you lose weight, think clearly, maintain strong bones, and avoid cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Eating macadamia nuts instead of other foods that are high in fat or calories can provide their benefits without adding calories or fat to the diet. Studies that looked at people's eating habits and body weight over a long period of time have found that people who eat nuts regularly tend to gain less weight over time than people who don't. When it comes to the wide variety of snacks on the market, macadamia nuts aren't the worst option for waking up in the afternoon. Nibbling on just half a cup of macadamia nuts a day can reduce bad cholesterol and, with it, the risk of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and related cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation.
Recent studies have also suggested that providing people with nuts helps improve the overall quality of the types of food they consume. .
