Macadamias aren’t just a delicious, healthy snack.
They support your mental wellbeing too. We now have a large body of evidence to show that what we eat has an impact on our mood58. For instance, we know that a Mediterranean style diet that includes regular nut consumption has a positive impact on reducing symptoms of depression56,59,60.
A large review found that people who eat more nuts, such as macadamias, tend to have a lower risk of depression and a better overall mood61. Another study, of over 70,000 people, found eating nuts at least three times a week to be linked to a 25% lower risk of depressive symptoms62.
Helping happy hormones
This positive effect is in part thanks to activity in the gut. In fact, some scientists call the gut ‘the second brain’ because the two organs work so closely together59. The dietary fibre in the food we eat is central to good gut health. Macadamia nuts are around 7% total fibre and some of that fibre is prebiotic fibre which acts as food for the microflora (bacteria and fungi) in the gut11.
The gut microflora ferment this prebiotic fibre, producing short chain fatty acid gases that have positive effects on the creation of the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin63. In fact, around 90% of serotonin is actually produced in your gut64. By feeding your gut bacteria with the prebiotic fibres present in macadamias and other nuts, you are stimulating a healthy colony of gut bacteria to aid this serotonin-producing process7.
Supporting mood and mental health
Macadamias also contain copper, magnesium and manganese that aid in the maintenance of neurotransmitters. These are chemicals that send signals around the brain. Healthy neurotransmitter activity is key to good mental health.
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