Showing posts with label monounsaturated fatty acid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label monounsaturated fatty acid. Show all posts
Lower Cholesterol Diet
american heart association,
cholesterol,
ketogenic diet,
macadamia nut oil,
macadamia nuts,
mediterranean diet,
monounsaturated fatty acid,
proteaceae
Macadamia Nuts in the Diet Lower Cholesterol
by E. Farnworth
October 2001 No.134
How many times have you said, "nuts to the diet." Well now perhaps it should be "nuts in the diet." It seems that macadamia nuts may be a good addition to the daily diet, particularly if you want to reduce blood cholesterol levels.
Nuts are generally high in fat which is usually bad. But it all depends on the type of fat. Like olives, macadamia nuts contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids have been shown in many studies to reduce levels of blood cholesterol. Attention was directed towards monounsaturated fatty acids when it was observed that people eating a "Mediterranean diet" had lower than expected rates of cardio-vascular disease.
Macadamia nuts like all non-animal foods contain no cholesterol. But they are remarkable in the fact that their fat contains over 86% monounsaturated fatty acids. The average macadamia nut will also add about 18 calories to your diet.
Oil from the macadamia nut is used in the cosmetic industry because of similarities between the nut oil and human skin. Macadamia nuts grow best on volcanic soil in tropical climates and problems related to the harvest of the nuts affects their cost.
Because of the high calorie content of the nuts, the researchers warned that the macadamia nuts should be used as a substitute for sources of saturated fats in the diet. Simply eating macadamia nuts on top of a normal diet would only add extra calories and probably negate any benefits.
Eating healthy does not mean eating boring, low fat tasteless food. Careful planning, knowing what is in the food we eat and how these nutrients affect our metabolism allow us to eat and enjoy even exotic nuts like macadamia nuts.
| Macadamia Nut Facts | |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name : | Macadamia spp. Proteaceae |
| Common Names: | Macadamia, Australian nut, Queensland Nut |
| Origin : | native to southeastern Queensland, Australia |
| World Supplier: | Hawaii is the largest producer of Macadamia nuts |
| Cultivation : | full sun, but in hot climates partial shade, rich soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5; will not tolerate soil or water with high salt concentrations; brittle branches can be damaged by wind, especially when laden with a heavy crop of nuts |
| Harvest: | it is difficult to tell when the nut is mature; nets are often placed beneath trees to catch ripe nuts |
- Reference
- Curb, J.D., Wergowske, G., Dobbs, J.C., Abbott, R.D., Huang, B. 2000. Serum lipid effects of a high-monounsaturated fat diet based on macadamia nuts.Arch. Intern. Med.160:1154-81
- Macadamia cultivation2
- Australian Macadamia Society
Scientific Findings on Nutritions
american heart association,
cholesterol,
david curb,
epilepsy,
ketogenic diet,
ketosis,
macadamia nuts,
monounsaturated fatty acid,
packard children hospital,
palmitoleic acid,
standford
More Scientific Findings on Nutrition of Macadamia Nut -- Ketogenic Diet
The diet is high in fat, and low in carbohydrate and protein, which results in ketosis. In addition, fluids are limited, which helps contribute to the diet's success. This ketotic state exerts an anti-epileptic effect, though its precise mechanism of action is not completely understood.
'I wanted you to know how your nuts are such a great part of my 3-year old daughter's life', wrote a devoted mother of her daughter's dietary changes.
'My daughter has severe Epilepsy and after trying over 15 different drugs and drug combinations, her doctor suggested that we take her off all the drugs and try the Ketogenic diet. This diet consist of 96% fat and only 4% protein and 2% carbos ... hmmm. That IS your Macadamia nut!! All food is weighted to the 1/10 gram and is VERY strict.'
'Your nut is the ONLY truly yummy food that my daughter can have, (well that is not true, she could have a black olive ... which would you choose?) She eats 7.5 grams of your nuts with every meal and it meets so many of her nutritional needs!'
'She still has a few seizures, but much less than before this diet and she is not all "drugged up!"'
'I just wanted you to know we love your product!Thanks for being so pure!'
Follow this link to Ketogenic Diet Packard Children's Hospital
Stanford University Medical Center for more information on this diet.
Macadamia nuts may be high in fat, but they need not be a dietary no-no for the cholesterol conscious, according to University of Hawaii research presented during an American Heart Association scientific conference in San Antonio, Texas.
'Macadamia nuts have a bad reputation for having a lot of fat, but it turns out the fats don't impact cholesterol' comments University of Hawaii Professor of Medicine, J. David Curb, principal investigator of the federally-funded research project.
The Diamond Head Nutrition Research Study, named for the location of Kapiolani Community College campus where study volunteers dined during the three-month investigation, compared three diets: a typical American diet containing 37% of calories from fat, a similar diet with the fat calories derived from macadamia nuts, and the American Heart Association's 'prudent diet' (30% of calories from fat). All meals were prepared and eaten in the college cafeteria. Volunteers -- 30 men and women age 18-59 ate each of the 3 diets for 4 weeks. Calories were adjusted to maintain constant weight levels; menus contained common local foods.
Blood lipid-analysis indicates cholesterol levels on the macadamia nut diet were similar to the low-fat diet and lower than the typical American diet. The macadamia nut diet produced lower triglyceride levels than either of the other diets.
The results echo findings of a preliminary study in which volunteers ate a diet containing large quantities of ground macadamia nuts for 1 month. Despite an increase in the proportion of fat in their diets, volunteers showed no significant change in weight or cholesterol levels. No negative side effects from eating the macadamia nut diet were observed.
Macadamia nuts, like olive oil, are high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid believed to be beneficial in cutting cholesterol, Dr. Curb observes. The nuts are the only food to also contain significant amounts of palmitoleic acid, another monounsaturated fatty acid.
A long-term study is needed, but results to date are heartening both for guilt-plagued consumers who have a taste for nuts and for macadamia nut growers selling to a health conscious market, Curb says.
Composition of 1/4 pound of | Fatty Acid Composition of macadamia nut oil | |||||
Nutritional Values | Minerals: | Fatty Acid | Percent | |||
Calories | 727 About 18 per nut | Potassium, mg. | 373 | Oleate | 67.14 | |
Protein, g. | 9.23 | Phosphorous, mg. | 171 | Palmitoleate | 19.11 | |
Fat, g. | 78.21 | Magnesium, mg. | 119 | Palmitate | 6.15 | |
Carbohydrates, g. | 78.21 | Calcium, mg. | 36 | Eicosenate | 1.74 | |
Thiamine, mg. | 0.22 | Sodium, mg. | 6.6 | Stearate | 1.64 | |
Riboflavin, mg. | 0.12 | Iron, mg. | 1.8 | Arachidate | 1.59 | |
Niacin, mg. | 1.16 | Zinc, mg. | 1.44 | Linoleate | 1.34 | |
Cholesterol | None | Manganese, mg. | 0.38 | Myristate | 0.75 | |
Copper, mg. | 0.33 | Laurate | 0.62 | |||
Macadamia Nut oil is primarily Mono-unsaturated. Consequently, there is no cholesterol and your body does not turn it into cholesterol. | ||||||
Source: Dr. Catherine G. Cavaletto, University of Hawaii. Published in the 1983 Yearbook of the California Macadamia Society. | ||||||
University of Hawaii study
Macadamia Nuts Lower Cholesterol
By The Associated Press
A diet rich Macadamia nuts can lower cholesterol levels, according to a University of Hawaii study.
The study said a diet high in monounsaturated fats -- which are in macadamia nuts -- 'appears to lower serum cholesterol levels when total energy balance and percentage of energy from fat are maintained'.
It was published in the American Medical Association's : 'Archives of Internal Medicine'.
Macadamia nuts lower cholesterol in the same way olive oil does, researcher Dr. David Curb said. Olive oil also is a source of monounsaturated fat.
The study involved 30 people who tried 3 different diets for 30 days each. The first diet was a typical American diet high in saturated fats from meat and dairy products; the second was a low-fat diet endorsed by the American Heart Association; and the third was macadamia nut-based.
The American and macadamia nut diets provided 37% of calories from fat while the association diet provided 30% from fat.
The macadamia diet resulted in lower cholesterol levels than the other two diets.'We're not advocating that people go out and go on nut diets," Curb said.
'We have shown these can be part of a healthy diet, that there is no need to avoid nuts.' Curb said other tree nuts have the same cholesterol-lowering effect.
Smoke Point?
grape seed oil,
macadamia nut oil,
macadamia nuts,
monounsaturated fatty acid,
omega 6,
peanut oil,
smoke point
Q: What is the smoke point of MacNut Oil and aren't there oils with higher numbers?
A: The smoke point of MacNut Oil is 410°F. This high number allows you the flexibility to use MacNut Oil at higher temperatures than most oils. While some coconut oils do have a higher smoke point (450°F), it is also very high in saturated fats (91%) - which may be dangerous to your heart. Peanut oil, is about the same, (450°F); and is very high in the pro-inflammatory type of omega-6 fatty acids (33%) as is the case with grape seed oil - 400°F smoke point but 72% of the dangerous omega-6 fatty acids. Smoke point isn't the whole story either. Some oils form free radicals and trans fats before they smoke.
Monounsaturated Fat?
hydrogenated fats,
mac nut oil,
mac nuts,
macadamia nut oil,
mediterranean diet,
monounsaturated fat,
monounsaturated fatty acid,
saturated fats
Q: Isn't fat bad for people with heart disease?
A: Certain fats such as hydrogenated fats and some saturated fats have been shown to be a problem, but not the monounsaturated fats found in MacNut Oil. MacNut Oil is 85% monounsaturated fatty acids. A review of the clinical studies shows that a diet high in monounsaturated fats, like the Mediterranean diet, has many health benefits. Please see some of the exciting research about monounsaturated fats in our MacNut Oil Attributes section. In fact, the American Heart Association has given a heart-healthy seal of approval to MacNut Oil.
Canola Instead?
canola,
fda,
fibrotic lesions,
mac nut oil,
macadamia nut oil,
macadamia nuts,
monounsaturated fatty acid,
omega 6,
rancid,
trans-fatty acids
Q: Why is MacNut Oil better than Canola?
A: So glad you asked. Well, for one thing MacNut oil certainly tastes better. But more importantly, the fatty acid profile is much more healthful. The amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats in canola averages around 60% - a far cry from the 85% in MacNut Oil. In addition, canola oil has 23% of the type of omega-6 fatty acids that can lead to inflammatory conditions such as heart disease and arthritis. MacNut Oil on average has just 3% omega 6 fats and they are balanced in an ideal (1:1) ratio with the anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids.
Another reason is that canola oil turns rancid (develops free radicals) quite quickly when heated. So, although canola oil has a smoke point of 400ºF it begins to degrade chemically at much lower temperatures. It also develops trans-fatty acids at a lower heat. In fact, canola oil can sometimes start out with up to 4% trans-fatty acids just because of the way it is processed. Please remember that these trans fats (e.g. in margarine and shortening) are the unhealthiest fats in our diets. In multiple studies, canola oil has been shown to lead to fibrotic lesions of the heart, vitamin E deficiencies, and it seems to retard growth. Probably for that reason, the FDA forbids the use of canola oil in infant formulas. Oh, and the "Super Canola" oil (a genetically-engineered mystery substance) has a higher smoke point, but otherwise the same problems as the regular canola.
Another reason is that canola oil turns rancid (develops free radicals) quite quickly when heated. So, although canola oil has a smoke point of 400ºF it begins to degrade chemically at much lower temperatures. It also develops trans-fatty acids at a lower heat. In fact, canola oil can sometimes start out with up to 4% trans-fatty acids just because of the way it is processed. Please remember that these trans fats (e.g. in margarine and shortening) are the unhealthiest fats in our diets. In multiple studies, canola oil has been shown to lead to fibrotic lesions of the heart, vitamin E deficiencies, and it seems to retard growth. Probably for that reason, the FDA forbids the use of canola oil in infant formulas. Oh, and the "Super Canola" oil (a genetically-engineered mystery substance) has a higher smoke point, but otherwise the same problems as the regular canola.
