Macademia in shell (100g)

Macadamia nuts are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Their potential benefits include weight loss, improved gut health, and protection against diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.

Here are 10 health and nutrition benefits of macadamia nuts.

Macadamia nuts are calorie-rich nuts that are high in healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. One ounce (28 grams) offers (1Trusted Source):

• Calories: 204
• Fat: 23 grams
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 4 grams
• Sugar: 1 gram
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Manganese: 58% of the Daily
  Value (DV)
• Thiamine: 22% of the DV
• Copper: 11% of the DV
• Magnesium: 9% of the DV
• Iron: 6% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 5% of the DV

Macadamia nuts are also rich in monounsaturated fats, a type of fat that may boost heart health by lowering your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels (2Trusted Source).

These nuts are low in carbs and sugar and have a moderate fiber content. This combination makes them unlikely to spike your blood sugar levels, which may be especially beneficial for people with diabetes (3Trusted Source).

Summary Macadamia nuts are rich in vitamins,
minerals, and fiber, yet low in carbs and sugar. What’s more, they boast healthy
monounsaturated fats.

Like most nuts, macadamia nuts are a great source of antioxidants.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage and increase your risk of conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).

Additionally, macadamia nuts boast some of the highest flavonoid levels of all tree nuts. This antioxidant fights inflammation and helps lower cholesterol.

Macadamia nuts may lower your risk of heart disease.

Various studies suggest that eating 0.3–1.5 ounces (8–42 grams) of these nuts daily can lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by up to 10% (2Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 12).

Interestingly, a small study in people with high cholesterol noted that a diet rich in macadamia nuts reduced levels of this blood marker as much as a heart-healthy, low-fat diet recommended by the American Heart Association (13Trusted Source).

What’s more, eating 1.5–3 ounces (42–84 grams) of macadamia nuts each day may significantly reduce markers of inflammation, such as leukotriene B4. Inflammation is a risk factor for heart disease (9Trusted Source).

Researchers believe the heart benefits of macadamia nuts may come from their high monounsaturated fat content.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, including high blood sugar and cholesterol levels, that raise your risk of stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes (15Trusted Source).

Research shows that macadamia nuts may protect against both metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

For instance, one recent review linked diets rich in tree nuts, including macadamia nuts, to reductions in fasting blood sugar levels.

The diets included in this review had people eat 1–3 ounces (28–84 grams) of tree nuts per day. They experienced significantly improved levels of hemoglobin A1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control

Despite being rich in calories, macadamia nuts may help you lose weight.

This may be partly explained by their amounts of protein and fiber, two nutrients known to reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness