| MACADAMIA HEALTH |  |
"You do not need a bypass or tablets to reverse heart disease, you can do it through a healthy diet and lifestyle."
Dr Ross Walker M.B. B.S.(Hons) F.R.A.C.P. Cardiologist Walker Health Resources
Macadamia nuts are wonderful things. Macadamias are the strongest source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, about 80% of a macadamia's energy comes from mono-unsaturated fat, a huge source and more than any other nut. And they don’t contain just oleic acid, which is what you get in olive oil, they contain palmitoleic acid, which is about a third of its fat content. Palmitoleic acid has even better properties than oleic acid by itself. Macadamias also have plant sterols, which drop your cholesterol, not to mention mono-unsaturated fats, which also drop your cholesterol, increase your good cholesterol and keep your triglycerides low. Macadamias nuts also contain a fair amount of fibre. Macadamias have a lot of proteins - amino acids.
One of the major amino acids is L-arginine. The biggest organ in the body is the endophellium, which acts as a barrier to stop blood leaking out. It also contains nitric oxide the biggest vaser dilator in the body; it opens up your blood vessels. When you are put in a situation of terror, when you have to defend yourself or run, your blood vessels open up. They open up because you get an immediate release of nitric oxide. The pre-cursor to nitric oxide is L-arginine. Humans need a huge source of L-arginine everyday. You can get L-arginine from macadamias, walnuts and almonds.
Macadamia nuts have anti-oxidants. Antioxidants are vital for the prevention of cancer, they are also vital for the prevention of heart disease. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals. Macadamias are also full of vitamins and minerals.
Nuts are nature’s health food. Everyone should be having 10-15 nuts per day.
What can macadamias do for you? They decrease your cholesterol, put up your good cholesterol - but they go beyond that. They are also anti-inflammatory. This assists with arthritis and inflammation, and also heart disease.
With heart disease, when you have poisons sitting there and your cell membranes being destroyed the white cells come in and erode those already unstable fatty plaques and it is this inflammation that can often rip open the plaque and cause a problem. The big question in cardiology is why do people have a heart attack now? Why three weeks ago or why in six weeks time? Stress has a lot to do with the precipitation of the heart attack, but so do infections and if you have a whole lot of anti-inflammatory doses from things like macadamias you can reduce the risks.
The palmitoleic acid in macadamias works to stabilise the rhythm in the heart. Omega-3 fatty acids and the palmitoleic acid in macadamias, settles the heart down. So if you are prone to heart disease and prone to irregular heart beats the simple habit of enjoying a few macadamias everyday and some fish two or three times a week can markedly reduce your risks of sudden cardiac death.
Summary
People who have 10-15 natural nuts per day (not roasted or salted) have a 50% reduction in heart disease which has been proven from five different major studies. Just by the simple habit of swallowing some natural nuts everyday. Why is this? It is because of the mono-unsaturated fats, the omega-3, the improvement in the stability of the heart and the proteins that contain L-arginine that open up your blood vessels. The mono-unsaturated fats in macadamias are also 'fat burners' - they don't make you put on weight - unless you over indulge. They also thin your blood, which reduces your thrombosis risk, they improve your fibre and therefore your bowel health and finally they taste fantastic!
An abridged version of a paper presented at the 2002 Conference Proceedings of The Australian Nut Industry Council and The Australian Macadamia Society spoken by Dr Ross Walker M.B. B.S.(Hons) F.R.A.C.P.
Technical Program
Is It All a Big Fat Lie?
Dr Ross Walker M.B. B.S.(Hons) F.R.A.C.P.
Cardiologist
Walker Health Resources
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