What are Dates?

Dates are the sweet, chewy fruit of the date palm tree (Phoenix dactylifera). Dates are fruits that come from the date palm tree.

Dates have been the staple food of the Middle East for thousands of years. Muslims consider date palms and dates sacred, and throughout the religious fasting period of Ramadan, these dried fruits are a common ingredient in the diet. Each date can be about 60 to 70 percent sugar and a high amount of fiber, depending on the variety, which makes it ideal as a healthy energy booster. It is also high in iron and may help in fighting anemia.

Dates may have some really powerful health benefits like boosting energy, increasing iron in the body, and aiding digestion. Rich in various nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, dates are popular throughout the world. These dried fruits may prove to be beneficial in treating various conditions due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties. Dates are now popular all over the world and are used as a natural sweetener in smoothies, juices, nutrition bars, and baked products like cakes and muffins.

Dates Nutrition

According to USDA FoodData Central, dates are a good source of energy, fiber, sugar, and various vitamins and minerals. Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and zinc can be found in them. Apart from the above-mentioned nutrients, they may also contain important vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K.

Health Benefits

– Can Be Good Source of Energy
Dates are high in natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. The high energy present in them can be attribute to this high sugar content.

– May Boost Brain Health
A study led by Musthafa Mohamed Essa, Ph.D. suggest that dates may protect against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain.

– May Offer Relief from Anaemia

Dates can be a good source of many nutrients, including iron. A deficiency of iron can contribute to anemia, a condition characterized by fatigue, dizziness, brittle nails, and shortness of breath. Fortunately, increasing your intake of iron-rich foods such as dates may help provide relief from anaemia symptoms.

– May Prevent Heart Diseases

A study by Waseem Rock in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that consuming dates was effective at reducing triglyceride levels and decreasing oxidative stress, both of which are risk factors for heart disease and atherogenesis, which is the build-up of fatty plaque in the arteries.

– Can Potentially Treat Sexual Dysfunction
There are many benefits of dates for men but this makes for one of the most important ones.
In 2006, an animal study revealed the effects of date palm pollen and its oil on sexual functioning, reporting that the high levels of estradiol and flavonoid components in dates are helping increase sperm count and motility. Another study conducted in India states that date palm pollen may have been used to treat male infertility in traditional medicine.

– Can Prevent Night Blindness
According to an article in the Heart Views journal, dates are rich in carotenoids, which may help prevent night blindness and preserve healthy vision.

– Might Help Treat Chronic Diarrhoea
According to an article published by the Columbia University Medical Center, foods rich in potassium such as dates may help replace and replete electrolytes lost due to chronic diarrhea because of their high fiber content.

– Can Aid Bone Health Improvement
A publication by Julie Garden-Robinson, Ph.D., L.R.D, and colleagues of North Dakota State University suggests that dates contain boron which is amongst the nutrients that promote healthy bones.

Take Dates today to improve your health!

Written by Sarah Amah
Source: Organic health.net