Article By: John Fontana

For some reason, olive oil has become the king of all cooking oils. It’s our nature to get stuck on certain things as “the only option,” and olive oil has definitely landed in that category. Years ago an FDA study stablished that the fat in olive oil was actually heart healthy. The attention olive oil attained from that study helped boost the consumption of it tremendously.

I believe it is important to get a wide variety of foods into your system because no food is perfect nor boasts the power of all. The same is true for oils you use to add flavor to your food. While extra virgin olive oil is a great oil to go with, oils such as flaxseed, coconut and macadamia are all worthy candidates as well.

Macadamia nut oil was featured in Dr. Fred Pescatore’s book “The Hamptons Diet” as the premiere cooking oil. It is starting to gain more attention and is popping up on shelves at grocery stores around the country, but I don’t think many people are aware of the difference between macadamia nut and olive oil. Macadamia nut oil has more monounsaturated fat, a better Omega-3-to-Omega-6 ratio and has a higher smoke point than olive oil. Considering that our country has a big issue with heart disease, eats too many Omega-6 fatty acids and cooks its food on really high temperatures, these are some important considerations. Time to get a bottle of macadamia nut oil for your everyday use.

Why So Good?

Monounsaturated Fat

The fat in macadamia nut oil is 85% monounsaturated fat, compared to the 74% monounsaturated fat in olive oil. Monounsaturated fats are the best type of fats we can consume because they are the best for our heart and the easiest for our body to break down. Monounsaturated fats contain oleic acid, which is very good at getting Omega-3 fatty acids involved in the cell membrane. The Omega-3’s actually help to lower triglycerides (the enemy) and raise good cholesterol (HDL).

Omega-3:Omega-6

Another major benefit is the Omega-3-to-Omega-6 ratio (1:1) found in macadamia nut oil. The modern American has an average ratio of 6:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3, which is not a good thing. Omega-6 has been linked to heart attacks, stroke, arthritis, osteoporosis, obesity and cancer. Studies have also shown that post-menopausal women who consume high amounts of omega-6 are more susceptible to breast cancer. The closer to a 1:1 ratio you can get, the better, and macadamia nut oil will help you reach that optimal ratio.

How To Eat?

Smoke Point

The biggest advantage of using macadamia nut oil during cooking is its high smoke point. After oil reaches its smoke point it starts to release carcinogens and a lot of the positive health benefits of the oil are killed off. While extra virgin olive oil holds a smoke point around 375 degrees, macadamia nut oil can go up to 400 degrees. This may not sound like a big difference, but if you look at the amount of stuff you cook at those two temperatures, you’ll realize the potential impact.

Feel free to use macadamia nut oil in any situation in which you would typically use olive oil. It has a little bit lighter flavor, with a hint of macadamia nut flavor to it, which makes it great with salads. You really won’t notice much of a difference in flavor at all and your body will thank you. Olive oil has been studied to show high levels on phenols, which act as powerful antioxidants, so I am not suggesting you completely replace olive oil with macadamia nut oil. However, there are definitely some great properties to macadamia nut oil that are worth exploring. Check it out and tell me what you think.