To stay healthy and prevent the effects of aging, one must restrict omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, such as margarine, shortenings and salad oils made predominantly from corn oil and regular safflower and sunflower seed oil. Macadamia oil is a healthy alternative, as it contains monounsaturated fatty acid (the ‘good’ fat) and very little polyunsaturated fats. Macadamias are a good source of protein, carobohydrates and dietary fibre, offering excellent health benefits for diabetics and vegetarians. PLUS there is NO CHOLESTEROL in Macadamia nuts!
The table on the right indicates the most common edible oils ranked from worst to best by percentages of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids:
| Safflower regular | 77% |
| Sunflower regular | 69% |
| Corn Oil | 61% |
| Soybean Oil | 54% |
| Walnut Oil | 51% |
| Sesame Seed Oil | 41% |
| Peanut Oil | 33% |
| Canola Oil | 22% |
| Flaxseed Oil |
16% |
| Olive Oil Extra Virgin | 8% |
| MACADAMIA NUT OIL | 3% |
NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF A MACADAMIA - Per 100g:
| Calories | 720 | Zinc | 1.29mg | |
| Protein | 8g | Copper | 0.57mg | |
| Total fat | 76g | Manganese | 3.04mg | |
| Saturated fat | 12g | Selenium | 3.60mcg | |
| Monounsaturated fat | 59g | Vitamin C | 0.70mg | |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.5g | Thiamin | 0.71mg | |
| Linoleic acid (18:2) | 1.30g | Riboflavin | 0.09mg | |
| Linolenic acid (18:3) | 0.20g | Niacin | 2.27mg | |
| Cholestrol | 0 | Pantothenic acid | 0.60mg | |
| Carbohydrate | 13g | Vitamin B6 | 0.36mg | |
| Fibre | 8g | Folate | 10mcg | |
| Calcium | 70mg | Tocopherol, alpha | 0.57g | |
| Iron | 2.65mg | Total Phytosterols | 114mg | |
| Magnesium | 118mg | Campesterol | 7mg | |
| Phosphorous | 198mg | Beta-sitosterol | 107mg | |
| Potassium | 363mg | |||
| Sodium | 4mg | |||
| Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17, 2004 | ||||
