An expensive and very healthy macadamia nut is considered an exotic delicacy. However, since its properties have a beneficial effect on the body and appearance of the person, it is worth trying it at least once and make sure that it is worth the money spent. What he is so good - we find out further.
Where grows
Macadam exotic nut is from Australia, hence its second name is Australian. Now, more than 50% of the harvest comes from other countries - it is also cultivated in Brazil, the USA and South Africa. Of the 9 plant species, only 2 produce edible fruits. 
The cost of a nut directly depends on its extraction - the fruits are small and hard to collect. They grow on evergreen trees up to 15 m tall. The macadamia tree has dark green elongated leaves with streaks up to 30 cm long, gathered in bunches of 3-4 pieces. The plant is blooming from the beginning of spring with white, pink or purple - the flowers are placed on separate long hanging branches.
Did you know? Macadam Walnut was the first currency to trade between Aborigines and Europeans.
The tree can bear fruit all year round - nuts ripen from March to September. The fruits look like this - spherical with a conical apex, up to 3 cm in diameter, with 1-2 seeds inside. The outer skin is green, firm. The Macadamian nut itself resembles a forest nut, and its taste is similar to it. It differs in its tenderness and fragility. It is difficult to separate from the shell.
One tree per year can bring up to 100 kg of fruit. By the way, there are nuts only from 8 years of life of the plant. You can collect nuts only with the help of special equipment. 
Calorie and chemical composition
This nut is small, but very high in calories - 100 g of the product contains more than 700 kcal. Therefore, a handful of delicacy for a long time will satisfy hunger and saturate the body with useful substances. Almost 80% of the composition are fats, 7% are proteins, 8% fiber, more than 4% carbohydrates, there is also water and ash.
A lot of product and of vitamins - Groups B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9), C and E.
There are such macronutrients:
- potassium (more than 300 mg per 100 g);
- phosphorus (up to 200 mg);
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- sodium.
Trace elements:
- iron;
- zinc;
- copper;
- selenium;
- manganese.
Read also about the beneficial properties of walnuts (including for men), shells and green walnuts, as well as the drying and storage of walnuts, the best varieties, agricultural cultivation, and the fight against diseases and pests.
Energy ratio of components:
- proteins - 4%;
- fat - 95%;
- carbohydrates - 3%.
What is useful macadamia nut
For several thousand years, the Australian aborigines have used macadamian nuts for medicinal purposes. They are included in the daily diet of local residents.
If you regularly eat a treat, the level of cholesterol in the blood will never rise above the norm. They also help in the treatment of such diseases:
- migraine;
- bone problems;
- avitaminosis;
- arthritis;
- varicose veins;
- cellulite;
- angina.
Important! Poor weight gain and lag in children are a reason to add a nut to the child's diet.
Also, with constant use of this product reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Macadamian delicacy will help establish potency and menstrual cycle. Omega-3 improves blood circulation, which leads to the normal functioning of the genital organs. In addition, amino acids have a positive effect on testosterone. 
B vitamins help restore muscle tone after exercise and ensure the normal functioning of the nerves. Walnut is useful for active people and those who often encounter strong brain loads. After a serious illness, it will help the body to recover.
Palmitic acid is present in the composition, as in human skin, so the nut oil can even regenerate the skin after sunburn. And in general, as a cosmetic, macadam oil has a positive effect on the skin, hair and nails.
Learn what nuts are good for health: cashews, hazelnuts, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts (for women), pistachios, pecans, gray, black, almonds, peanuts.
Is it possible to macadamian nut
Each product has its limitations, including this one. Consider the risk groups that may have negative consequences from the use of the product.
Pregnant
It is recommended to use no more than 4 pieces per day. This dose will be enough to fill the body of a pregnant woman with useful substances, including arginine, which helps in the development of the fetus. More eaten can cause an allergic reaction or hypervitaminosis, if a woman drinks group B vitamins. Otherwise, the nuts are full of beneficial acids omega-3 and omega-6, which can be ingested only with food. 
Losing weight
Vegetable fats, which in the composition of the product quite a lot, activate the process of metabolism. They saturate and help the body acquire the missing elements in case of poor nutrition. The average number of permitted - up to 12 pieces per day.
Important! When using delicacies losing weight, you need to count the number of calories so as not to exceed the rate of energy wasted per day.
How to use in cooking
As a part of a product there is a vegetable protein which cannot completely replace animal. Therefore, those who adhere to a diet without meat are advised to combine a nut with such products - rice, legumes, mushrooms.
It is effective as a supplement to cold and hot salads, desserts, and just as a separate delicacy or snack.
Appreciated in cooking macadam butter - they can refill salads, add it to pastries and desserts for a pleasant aroma. 
How to choose when buying
It is sold in uncleaned (when there are several nuts in the shell) and peeled (by separate kernels). More common in the first embodiment. The core is round and oval, up to 2 cm in diameter.
For purchase it is better to choose the cleared option. With long-term storage of the product in the general shell, toxic substances can form in it. In addition, it will take a lot of time to remove the shell and then clean each core separately.
What you need to pay attention when buying:
- ripe and fresh nut should be weighty;
- the shell must not be damaged;
- if you shake the fruit, the sounds should be absent;
- the surface of the nucleus is smooth, the presence of wrinkles indicates the old age of the fetus;
- the color should be saturated, not dull;
- Nuts should be kept separate from anything that can imbue them with an unpleasant odor.
See also: medicinal properties, the recipe for making jam, tips on growing Manchurian walnut.
How to store at home
For long-term storage, it is necessary to place the product in an airtight container in a dark and dry place. Can be kept in the refrigerator, but in a separate closed vessel. It is best to keep the kernel in the unpurified form - so they can not absorb excess moisture, odors, or even dry out. The temperature should be no higher than 18 ° C, and the humidity is low. 
In salt or sugar, kernels are stored until 4 weeks. But it is not recommended to keep the product for more than a month - it will lose its taste.
Did you know? Macadamia fruits are the most expensive nuts in the world.
Macadamia oil in cosmetology: use and benefits
Australian nut oil is very much appreciated in the field of cosmetology. It is able to saturate the hair with useful elements, nourish them and the skin, while making the appearance healthier. It is added to the mask, makeup and used as a separate beauty tool.
With age, the content in the skin of palmitoleic acid becomes less, which is why the skin begins to age. The oil is able to saturate it with this substance and prevent rapid aging. 
For face and neck
You can tighten the skin, restore its elasticity and healthy color with the help of masks based on healing liquid. It will also help with irritation and inflammation of the skin. Rid of wrinkles.
If you put a little oil on a cotton pad, you get a good cleanser that will help wash away any makeup. You can add it to day or night cream - six drops is enough for a positive effect. You can also just apply it before bedtime - it will help heal scars, smooth wrinkles, soak the skin.
We advise you to read about the use of oils: prickly pears, cloves, citronella, flax, black cumin.
For hair
Strengthen and restore shine to hair can be, if you add a little substance in the appropriate cosmetics. For example - a balm or a face mask. It is also good to moisturize the scalp - soak a finger in the oil and apply it with massage movements to the head. If you mix 2 tablespoons of oil with a spoonful of lemon juice and hold it on your hair for 20 minutes before washing, your hair will become docile, smooth and beautiful.
For hands and body
It is enough to add 5 drops of the product to the hand, foot and body cream - and you can forget about dryness. It is especially good to add it to the cream after sunburn - then a smooth chocolate-colored skin is guaranteed.
Contraindications
This product has no contraindications per se. The only possible problem is allergic reactions caused by individual intolerance. You need to beware of those who have such intolerance to peanuts or hazelnuts.
Read also about the cultivation of nuts: cashews, black walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, as well as types, cultivation, diseases and pests of almonds.
In addition, in no case should not give a treat to pets - it can be a poison for them.
So, the Australian nut is not only tasty and nutritious, but also a very useful product. We must try to at least occasionally indulge yourself with such a delicacy. And if finances allow, the constant use of macadamia nuts will help get rid of many ailments.
