Oil is one of the most valuable staples in the culinary world. And for a good reason! It’s what helps creates flavorful browning and delicious creaminess you love in many of your favorite foods.
Oil is one of the most valuable staples in the culinary world. And for a good reason! It’s what helps creates flavorful browning and delicious creaminess you love in many of your favorite foods.
You may be familiar with some of the typical oils used for everyday cooking, like olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil to name a few, but how much do you know about cooking with macadamia nut oil?
Let’s explore exactly what macadamia nut oil is, why it’s considered one of the healthiest oils on the market, and how you can start enjoying its benefits today!
What is Macadamia Nut Oil?
Simply put, macadamia nut oil is the liquid fat that is extracted from macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts that are slated for macadamia nut oil go through a cold press process to obtain the liquid gold we love to cook with.
After their outer shells are removed, the kernels are run through a cold press to extract their natural oils.
Then, the oil is collected and distributed for a range of applications. According to Trends in Food Science And Technology, the “fatty acid composition of macadamia oil allows for its diverse use in many industries,” like food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical.
Who knew such a tiny morsel had so much to offer?!
Macadamia Nut Oil Benefits and How to Use It
Macadamia oil is one of the healthiest oils on the market because it has a very high level of monounsaturated fats which are the ‘good fats’ your body needs.
In fact, macadamia nut oil contains more than 80% monounsaturated fats which is an even higher percentage than olive oil’s monounsaturated fats (at about 75%).
Because of this high composition of ‘good fats,’ macadamia nut oil has a range of health and practical benefits. Spoiler alert–some may surprise you!
- Health
The abundance of ‘good fats’ allows macadamia nut oil to offer a range of health benefits. According to the American Heart Association, these types of fats can help lower levels of bad cholesterol, which in turn can lower your risk of heart attack, heart disease, and even stroke.
Macadamia nut oil also contains certain antioxidants and vitamins, like tocotrienols and vitamin E, which may protect against a variety of health conditions, including cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
The combination of these ‘good fats,’ antioxidants, and vitamins also helps reduce inflammation throughout the body, helping your body heal more naturally and can even help protect against free-radical damage.
This makes macadamia nut oil a great option when compared to more harmful fatty oils like animal-based oils, vegetable oil, or seed oils.
- Taste
Because of its higher concentration of ‘good fats,’ macadamia oil is considered a more stable oil. This means it typically has a longer shelf life than oils with higher levels of saturated fats that oxidize more quickly.
When used in cooking, macadamia oil has an incredible and mild taste. Its delicate and neutral flavor means it can be used as a finishing oil for salads, soups, or pasta, as well as the perfect cooking oil for nearly any hot meal.
It boasts a high smoke point (around 410 degrees Fahrenheit), making it an ideal choice for pan searing, oven roasting, or (everyone’s favorite) air frying! Additionally, its high smoke point reduces the formation of harmful radicals that are commonly produced by oils with lower smoke points. You don’t have to worry about losing the nutritional value of the oil either, studies have found that heating the oil does not affect its nutritional value or flavor, so you can cook with it confidently without sacrificing taste or health benefits.
Plus, macadamia nut oil is a great way to add creaminess to your smoothie–and another avenue to get those oh-so-precious ‘good fats.’ Talk about an impressive oil!
- Cosmetics
Here’s a surprising way macadamia nut oil shines! Macadamia nut oil is used very extensively in the skincare and haircare industry because of its rich smoothness and hydrating vitamins.
Most oils used in cosmetics are barrier oils meaning that they sit on the surface of the skin and act as a barrier to moisture loss. Macadamia oil, on the other hand, has unique properties that allow it to absorb very well into the skin, moisturizing and hydrating from within to fully replenish the skin, rather than sitting on the surface.
Often anti-aging cosmetic companies will mix macadamia oil with other ingredients that don’t penetrate the skin as a way to improve the penetration of these other ingredients.
Macadamia oil is particularly great for older skin. In fact, scientific studies carried out in multiple hospitals demonstrated that a daily application of macadamia oil-based cream will firm the skin and significantly reduce the number of skin tears that are common in older people.
When used in hair care, macadamia oil may help detangle hair, smooth flyaways, enhance conditioners, and even nourish your scalp. Feeling creative? You can also use macadamia nut oil in its raw form to make your own skin and hair care!
But keep in mind that while macadamia nut oil is safe to use for these applications, cosmetic macadamia oil is typically refined which means the oil is further processed to remove the color and any scent, so it may be slightly different than the macadamia nut oil you have in your pantry.
Rethinking the Standard
One of the biggest misconceptions in the history of our nutritional landscape is that all fats are bad. Thankfully, Love Macadamia ™ is here to remind you that the reality is that some fats are good and some fats are bad, but that doesn’t mean you should completely cut out all fats from your diet. Instead, try switching out the bad fats for the ‘good fats’!
Finding healthy alternatives to the staples you used growing up can help introduce more healthy fats into your diet. ‘Good fats’ like those found in macadamia nut oil have a range of health benefits and can add an unmatched quality to your culinary masterpieces.
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*The nutrition information is in alignment with the United States of America Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. This may differ in other countries.
