Macadamia is native to eastern Australia (including the state of Queensland), it is a Proteaceae, a family of plants from the southern hemisphere mainly present in Australia, New Caledonia, South Africa.
Two species of macadamia have edible nuts: Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla, these two species hybridize which complicates their determination, other species (M. jansenii and M. ternifolia) may contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides.
Macadamia intergrifolia is most cultivated for its nuts.
The Queensland walnut is a decorative tree which can reach a large size (20 to 30 m), its foliage is evergreen, simple leaves in groups of 3 to 4, slightly thorny.
The small, often white flowers are grouped in fragrant panicles, sometimes of several hundred elements.
The fruits hang in small clusters, they are rounded green drupes 2 to 4 cm in diameter which contain a nut with a very hard wall.
The very white oilseed kernel adheres to the wall of the nut and is difficult to extract.
The Queensland walnut or macadamia has been successfully introduced into many tropical or sub-tropical countries (for example Hawaii, New Zealand, West Indies, Reunion, south and central America, south-Africa but also California or certain countries in southern Europe; those where the orange trees can be grown in the open field).
THE OILY MACADAMIA NUT, ITS INTEREST IN DIETETICS
The macadamia nut is very rich in lipids (around 75%), it contains 7 to 8% proteins and 12 to 13% carbohydrates.
The fatty acid composition of its oil is dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid approximately 55%, palmitoleic acid approximately 25%); there are few lipids with polyunsaturated fatty acids (around 2% linoleic acid or omega 6) and around 11 to 12% saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic).
It is therefore a nut whose lipid content is quite stable, resisting rancidity rather well but which provides very little unsaturated fatty acid lipids necessary for the proper functioning of the body (omega 6 and especially omega 3) .
People with hypercholesterolemia with an LDL-HDL imbalance should limit the consumption of these nuts because dietary studies show that there is an increase in “bad cholesterol” (LDL); but if these same people substitute macadamia nuts in their diet instead of other lipids full of saturated fatty acids (coconut, palm oil, butter, margarine) or fatty meats, the effect will be very positive and we will observe a relative increase in “good cholesterol” (HDL).
People without blood lipid imbalance can consume these nuts with complete peace of mind, they provide minerals and trace elements (including a little selenium), B group vitamins and a little vitamin E. We must of course take into account of their significant caloric value.
MACADAMIA NUT OIL
Macadamia oil is an oil with cosmetic properties: softening, soothing, protective, useful for protecting integuments or soothing irritated skin.
It is well tolerated (when you are not allergic to nuts (mainly peanuts), slightly filters UV radiation and applied with a light massage increases superficial circulation.
It is a good massage oil which does not leave any oily film on the skin
It can be combined with essential oils.
Examples:
with clary sage essential oil for oily or acne-prone skin (10 drops HE for 10 ml macadamia oil),
with lavender essential oil (10 drops HE for 10ml macadamia oil) care for normal, protective and moisturizing skin
with wintergreen essential oil (30 drops HE for 10 ml macadamia oil) in massage to alleviate rheumatic, muscular or joint pain).
It can be used as a spray or by applying a few drops to the ends of the hair to give shine and suppleness to the hair or simply to detangle it.
TOXICITY OF MACADAMIA NUTS TO DOGS
Macadamia nuts, lightly toasted and salted in cocktail mixes or coated in chocolate, are popular with dogs but can seriously poison them.
Dogs ( but also cats) who consume at least 2g of macadamia nuts per kg of weight present within a few hours (3 to 6 hours) digestive disorders (vomiting) and various neurological disorders (pseudo paralysis, tremors, balance disorders, muscle weakness). generalized).
Everything returns to normal generally within 24 hours but if the dose ingested is large, the dog must be induced to vomit as soon as possible.
EXTRACTION OF MACADAMIA NUTS
The kernel of the fresh macadamia nut adheres to the wall of its very hard shell and it is difficult to obtain a whole kernel by fracturing it.
When it is a little drier, its extraction is slightly easier.
Fresh macadamia nuts are “sweet” and become more “gouty” as they mature for a few weeks in their shells.
There are manual press-type tools that allow you to fracture the rigid shell from which the kernel has become detached by drying, but this requires dexterity.
Copyright 2024: Dr Jean-Michel Hurtel
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PHYTOTHERAPY, MEDICINAL PLANTS, AROMATHERAPY, ESSENTIAL OILS