They were discovered South of Brisbane in 1828 by the noted explorer and botanist Alan Cunningham and then named in the honour of Dr. John Macadam, the Secretary of the Philosophical Institute of Victoria. Also known as the Bush, Baphal or Queensland nut, the Macadamia has been a prized delicacy of Australia's Indigenous people for thousands of years.

Macadamia nuts are rich in Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Calcium. They contain significant levels of Zinc, Copper and Selenium. They also contain Vitamin E (a powerful anti-oxidant), Thiamine [B1], Riboflavin [B2], Niacin, Pantothenic Acid and Folate. Macadamias are a high energy food and contain no cholesterol, and are also a good source of protein and dietary fibre. The oils in macadamia nuts contain at least 78% monounsaturated fats, the highest of any oil including olive oil. Research is showing that monounsaturated fats can assist in lowering blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Australia leads the world in the product research, growing and processing of these deliciously versatile nuts.

As far back as 1854 the Europeans had identified it as a major component of the head of sperm whales, and in 1896 in seal oil. In 1924 the Japanese looked for it in a wide range of Pacific fish and whales, particularly in the blubber of humpback whales.

While this acid is present in most fats and oils, it is only found in small amounts in land organisms. The macadamia is unique in that it produces a lot of oil with a high concentration of Palmitoleic acid. Approximately 80% of the macadamia is monounsaturated fatty acids, of which 17-21% is palmitoleic acid. To date, this is the highest concentration of this healthful acid found in any vegetation. Even in marine animals, the presence of palmitoleic oil is accompanied with equally high levels of long chain saturate acids.

As macadamia nuts are a fully renewable resource, it is a superb alternative to killing whales for this acid.

Benefits of Macadamia Oil:

• 80% of its total composition is made up of monosaturated fatty acids.
• It is highly resistant to oxidation and hence has a good shelf life.
• The oil is expeller pressed with water cooled shafts to prevent denaturation colour fixation and deterioration caused by heat build-up during pressing.
• There is no solvent extraction.
• Has a light odour and taste so does not detract from food either cooked in oil or served fresh as salads with macadamia oil dressing.
• Emulsifies well to form a good base cream for skincare products.
• Has good penetrating ability and is used for aromatherapy.

Macadamia nut oil is finding interesting applications in mature and/or dry skin formulations and studies recently indicate that Palmitoleic acid, found in the sebum (especially that of infants, children and teenagers) appears to diminish the ageing process. The application is believed to aid its replenishment in maturing skin.