Study: Macadamia nuts good for the heart

[Samuel]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070502-10150600-bc-us-nuts.xml

Study: Macadamia nuts good for the heart

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 2 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have discovered eating macadamia nuts can result in a reduction of cardiovascular disease risks.

Penn State researchers led by Amy Griel found macadamia nuts contain 59 grams of monounsaturated fat per 100 grams of nuts, compared with other tree nuts that contain between nine grams and 46 grams.

The researchers found a daily diet containing 1.5 ounces of macadamia nuts, as compared with a standard U.S. diet, reduced total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The Heart Healthy and standard American diets were also matched for total fat. The Heart Healthy diet with macadamia nuts had 7 percent saturated fat, 18 percent monounsaturated fat and 5 percent polyunsaturated fat. The standard American diet had 13 percent saturated fat, 11 percent monounsaturated fat and 5 percent polyunsaturated fat.

The macadamia nut diet included macadamia nuts as a snack, mixed into meals, as a salad topping, and in cookies and muffins.

Macadamia nuts are native to Australia but are mostly grown commercially in Hawaii.

The research that included Griel; Deborah Bagshaw, Amy Cifelli, Yumei Cao, and Professor Penny Kris-Etherton was supported by The Hershey Co. and the National Institutes of Health.

[mike_d]

They are also good for the waistline as few portable foods satisfy appetite quicker, I just wish they were cheaper. I found a large can at Wal*Mart for about $5 which isn't bad-- next time ill stock the freezer. Walnuts are also a good nut for heart health.

[kaypeeoh]

I saw Atkins on TV once and he raved about macadamias, calling them his comfort food.

[Nancy LC]

Trader Joes has them for a pretty good price. I think it's around $6 for a pound.

I was wildly crazy about them when I was a kid but they don't taste nearly as good to me any longer. :(

[LilithD]

But, but, but aren't we all meant to be eating low fat, and these things are full of FAAAAT.... (running away screaming and waving arms)...

[kyrasdad]

I love macadamia nuts, but I can't eat them very often. Or any other kind of nuts for that matter. They encourage me to pig out. If I buy a can of almonds it won't last two days. There is something about nuts that just makes me want to eat all that I can find. So when I do eat them, I buy an individual serving size at the grocery store. Which is kinda limiting; you can rarely find anything but peanuts, almonds, cashews, or pistachios (and often, just peanuts).

[Nancy LC]

I finally got the nut bingeing thing under control. But I had to buy raw and/or unsalted nuts at first.

[Frogbreath]

I buy them raw from our health food coop and I like them better than the roasted salted variety. I keep them in the freezer which slows down my consumption a little.

[Nancy LC]

I think it might have been raw nuts we had when I was young. I'll have to try to find them.

[kaypeeoh]

I finally got the nut bingeing thing under control. But I had to buy raw and/or unsalted nuts at first.

That worked for me as well. First I cut out the salted nuts and finally the roasted almonds. Now I buy raw almonds and find it easier to not eat too many at any one time.

[LC FP]

59 grams of monounsaturated fat per 100 grams of nuts
Is this really possible? What the heck else is in a nut besides monounsaturated fat?

[Dodger]

Is this really possible? What the heck else is in a nut besides monounsaturated fat?According to the USDA database, macadamia nuts have (per 100 grams):

Saturated fats 12.1
Monounsaturated fats 58.9
Polyunsaturates fats 1.5
Protein 7.9
Carbohydrate 13.8
Water 1.4

[LC FP]

Thanks Mike

I hope someone's working on a macadamia nut with only 7% saturated fat. And maybe more fiber.

[tjf9]

I portion out my nuts into snack bags - 1 oz per - every time I buy nuts. That keeps me from eating more than an ounce at a time.

[Nancy LC]

Nothing ever stopped me from ripping open a 2nd or 3rd bag of anything. :p

[kyrasdad]

I portion out my nuts into snack bags - 1 oz per - every time I buy nuts. That keeps me from eating more than an ounce at a time.

I'd put some in the bags, eat some, put some in the bags, eat some. Then eat the bags, pretty much all of them. :)

[mike_d]

I was wildly crazy about them when I was a kid but they don't taste nearly as good to me any longer. :(My brother said the same thing when I gave him some of mine, but he's on very low-fat. I seem to remember they had more nutty flavor 20 years back-- at least in the cookies :yum:

Maybe like everything else speed of production has replaced quality and in this case flavor? I should look for the Australian ones I think :idea:

[brobin]

Nuts.. the low carb equivalent of eating a bag of chips... :)

I too have to battle the urge to over eat nuts. I think for me they are the salty snack chips use to be for me. They can really screw up your diet if you are not careful.

[pauleo]

here's a way to eat nuts without pigging out (works for me anyway) -

put some (canned) coconut milk in a bowl
add some chocolate powder if you like it and mix it in
throw the nuts into the coconut milk mix and eat it all with a spoon

i can also work my way though a _lot_ of nuts when they are on their own, but eating them like this slows me down so i only eat a reasonable amount

[ValerieL]

Good point about the unsalted nuts being less binge-worthy (I'm paraphrasing). I can't buy salted nuts without demolitioning the bag. I've taken to buying very small portions at the bulk food place for the snack I want at that very moment only. But... I can leave a bag of unsalted almonds in my cupboard for ever and only grab a 1/2 ounce when I need a small quick snack. Maybe I'll try some unsalted macadamias (I love them) and see if that works.

[Nancy LC]

Strangely enough I stopped bingeing on nuts after just eating raw/unsalted for awhile. Now I don't even binge on salted ones. Although I don't buy them very often either. I actually prefer them raw and unsalted... except I do like those almonds they have in the vending machines with the flavors. But they're expensive and only come in 1 oz packages.