Dates may have powerful health benefits, such as boosting energy, boosting iron in the body, and aiding digestion. Rich in nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, dates are loved around the world. Due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-tumor properties, these dried fruits may prove beneficial in treating various ailments.
What are the dates?
Date palms are the sweet, chewy fruit of the date tree. Dates have been a staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years. Dates and dates are considered sacred by Muslims, and these dried fruits are a common ingredient in the daily diet during the religious fast of Ramadan. Each date is about 60 to 70 percent sugar, depending on the variety, and is also high in fiber, making it an ideal healthy energy supplement. It’s also high in iron, which may help fight anemia.
Dates are now famous worldwide as a natural sweetener in smoothies, juices, nutrition bars, and baked products like cakes and muffins. You can also get some good stuff filled with almond or peanut butter and specialty products like date molasses, a sweet, sticky syrup that can sprinkle on pancakes or porridge.
Date Palm Nutrition
According to the USDA Food Data Center, dates are a good source of energy, fiber, sugar, and various vitamins and minerals. It also contains essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and zinc. In addition to the above nutrients, it may contain essential vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin K.
A Study showed that more than 15 percent of the daily requirement for essential minerals such as copper, potassium, magnesium, and selenium achieves by consuming 100 grams daily for about 4 dates.
Health Benefits Of Dates
Let’s take a detailed look at some of the vital health benefits of the dates below.
Dates are a good source of energy
Dates are rich in natural sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. They can attribute high energy content to their high sugar content. It estimates that many people around the world eat a naturally low-fat meal of dates as an afternoon snack to help boost energy levels when they feel lethargic or sluggish.
Often, when you work out at the gym, outside, or even on a stretching machine at home, you feel exhausted. A study published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition shows that dates, rich in essential nutrients for the body, can help give you an immediate energy recovery.
Those who practice Islam and observe fasts eat them with water while fasting. That also helps to avoid overeating after the fast is over.
May Boost Brain Health
Date palms protect the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation, “Date palm fruit is a good source of dietary fiber and is rich in phenolics and natural antioxidants such as anthocyanins, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, and caffeic acid.” These polyphenolic compounds may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
May relieve constipation
In traditional Tunisian medicine, dates use to treat constipation. A 100-gram serving of Medjool dates provides 6.7 grams of dietary fiber. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry also showed that these dried fruits contain high amounts of dietary and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber found in dates may promote healthy digestion by filling the stool and also help relieve symptoms of constipation.
How to use: First, soak the dates in water overnight to help them soften. Next, add the soaked dates and a little soaking liquid to a food processor and puree into a thick, fiber-rich date paste.
May Help Relieve Gut Disorders
Studies have shown that dates contain insoluble and soluble fiber and many beneficial amino acids, which stimulate the digestion of food and ensure rapid passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber may also help with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids. According to a review published in the Journal of Nutritional Reviews.
Can relieve anemia
Dates are a good source of many nutrients, including iron. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, with symptoms including fatigue, dizziness, brittle nails, and shortness of breath. Fortunately, increasing your intake of iron-rich foods, such as dates, can help relieve symptoms of anemia.
Prevent heart disease
A study by Karachi Police Department Rock et al. in Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that consuming dates effectively reduces triglyceride levels and lowers oxidative stress, which is both a risk factor for heart disease and atherogenesis, which is the Accumulation of fatty plaque in arteries.
Potential Treatment for Sexual Dysfunction
Dating has many benefits for men, but this is one of the most important.
In 2006, an animal study revealed the effects of date palm pollen and its oil on sexual function, reporting that high levels of estradiol and flavonoids in dates help increase sperm count and motility. Another study in India suggested that date palm pollen may be used in traditional medicine to treat male infertility.
Therefore, if you are looking for an easy way to boost your libido and sexual performance, you might consider consuming organic dates for their aphrodisiac-like properties.
How to use: Soak dates in fresh goat’s milk overnight, then grind them in milk mixed with ground cardamom and honey. However, it highly recommends consulting a trusted doctor to determine the best treatment option.
May prevent night blindness
According to an article in the journal Heart Perspectives, dates are rich in carotenoids that may help prevent night blindness and maintain healthy vision.
It may Help Treat Chronic Diarrhea
According to an article published by Columbia University Medical Center, potassium-rich foods, such as dates, can help replenish and replace electrolytes lost through chronic diarrhea. They can also aid digestion and relieve unpredictable chronic diarrhea thanks to their high fiber content.
It may help improve bone health
Date palms contain boron, one of the nutrients that promote bone health, according to a paper by Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson of North Dakota State University et al. and colleagues. A study published in the Journal of Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition suggests that the high amounts of minerals found in dried fruit, including phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, can make dried fruit a superfood that strengthens bones and fights pain and osteoarthritis. Debilitating diseases such as osteoporosis.
Organic dates may contain selenium, manganese, copper, and magnesium, all of which help manage bone health, especially in older adults.
May Promote Healthy Weight Gain
According to the USDA, these dried fruits are high in sugar, protein, and other essential vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in fiber, which can help with weight management. Medjool dates are readily available in supermarkets, making a healthy and delicious snack!
A 2014 animal study showed that consuming dates may help with weight gain. However, another animal study conducted in 2016 showed no such increase in body weight. Given these conflicting reports, more research needs to support this benefit.
It may help relieve SAR symptoms
According to a study conducted in 2012, dates may have a positive effect on SAR (seasonal allergic rhinitis), which affects approximately 30 million people in the United States alone. Research published in the journal Inflammation Research found that date palm immunotherapy was effective in reducing some markers of inflammation in patients with allergic rhinitis.
May promote natural childbirth
Eating jujube can promote natural childbirth and relieve pregnant women’s late childbirth. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that 154 pregnant women did not need to be induced with prostaglandins and oxytocin [32] to deliver after a fixed date. Dates also did not have any adverse effects on the mother and child. Another study found that eating 6 dates per day for 4 weeks before labor significantly reduced the need to induce labor.
Where can I buy dates?
Dates are readily available in supermarkets, grocery stores, and online. Make sure the type you choose offers all the benefits you’re looking for.
How to eat dates?
In addition to eating them themselves, people eat them in various ways.
Mix date pastes with milk and yogurt.
Make bread with date paste as part of a delicious and healthy breakfast.
Add date powder to your cereal.
To use jujube sugar, grind the dried dates into small pieces.
You can also try our tasty date recipes:
Date Cake, a Holiday Treat
Classic English Toffee Pudding: A Holiday Favorite
How to Make Fresh Jujubes
Delicious Bacon Wrapped Dates Recipe
Considerations: While these dried fruits are highly nutritious, they also need to be carefully selected, as they have a sticky surface that may attract all kinds of impurities.
Finally, remember that dried dates are relatively high in sugar and calories, which may lead to weight gain and other health problems if consumed in excess. Therefore, it is best to maintain moderate intake and enjoy it as part of a healthy, balanced diet to maximize the potential health benefits.
