Macadamia Nut
Macadamia integrifolia
An Australian nut. The FDA allows a limited claim that eating 1.5 ounces a day may reduce heart disease risk, as part of a diet low in saturated fat.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- ToxicityNothing recorded
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Macadamia Nut?
- Plant family
- Proteaceae, the protea family, which includes macadamia
- Parts used
- The nut
- Where it grows
- Eastern Australia
- Genus
- Macadamia
- Species
- integrifolia
Traditionally used for
- Food
- Heart health
Traditionally described as
- High in unsaturated fat
Health topics
Where Macadamia Nut appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- High Cholesterol
The FDA allows a limited heart-health claim; one trial found a small, uncertain drop in cholesterol.
Safety
How much to use
Macadamia nuts are very high in fat, about 38 g per 50 g of nuts, mostly the unsaturated kind.[1]Health agency
What does the research say?
Research in people
In 2017 the FDA allowed a qualified health claim: supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of macadamia nuts a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. The FDA called the evidence consistent but limited, and it applies when the nuts replace other sources of saturated fat.[1]Health agency
In a 2023 trial, 35 adults with belly fat added macadamia nuts (about 15% of their daily calories) to their usual diet for 8 weeks. They didn't gain weight or body fat, and their cholesterol fell slightly, though not by a statistically meaningful amount.[2]Study
In short
Very high in fat and calories.
Sources
- [1] FDA Completes Review of Qualified Health Claim Petition for Macadamia Nuts and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease — US Food and Drug AdministrationGovernment health agency
- [2] Macadamia nut effects on cardiometabolic risk factors: a randomised trial · DOI: 10.1017/jns.2023.39Peer-reviewed study
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.