18 Evidence-Based Health Benefits Of Dates, Nutrition, & Types
Well, this Middle Eastern fruit is more than mouth-watering.
Those vitamins contribute to bone formation and maintain healthy eyes. The dates also hold calcium, iron, potassium, protein, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and sulfur for a better function of the body. For instance, they can make a smooth pregnancy and eventually result in cholesterol regulation.
Read ahead for the benefits of using dates in food, kinds of dates, its nutritional profile, and recipes. Take a look.
Health Benefits Of Dates
Dates are a nutritious and delicious fruit that can greatly add to your health. Dates are full of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. All these nutrients work effectively to digest materials inside the body by making sure the body receives adequate amounts of energy, enhancing heart health, and even helping reduce weight. Here are 18 evidence-based benefits of date consumption:
1. May Regulate Cholesterol Levels
In fact, the date consumption, even in healthy subjects, would have a positive impact on cholesterol levels and oxidative stress
According to a study from Israel.
They contain no cholesterol and also contain rich quantities of iron and much fiber than present in bananas. How these factors affect the fruit’s cholesterol-controlling properties has yet to be ascertained.
2. May Improve Bone Health
Dates are rich sources of copper, magnesium, selenium, and manganese. All these nutrients are very important for maintaining healthy bones and preventing bone-related disorders such as osteoporosis.
Dates are also rich in vitamin K. The nutrient is a blood coagulant and helps metabolize your bones .
Dates also contain boron. According to research studies, boron is another nutrient important to maintain bone health .
3. May Promote Brain Health
Dates have been shown to be protective against oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain. Regular consumption of dates may be associated with a lower danger for neurodegenerative disorders and improved cognitive abilities in older populations .
Supplementation with date fruits in another study involving animals could have delayed the progressive course of Alzheimer’s .
In another experiment performed on mice, it was discovered that long term intake of dates may prevent inflammation from happening in the brain .
4. May Reduce Inflammation
Dates are purported to be an anti-inflammatory product .
Magnesium in dates can strengthen the immune to fight against inflammation. A diet lacking magnesium can weaken and harm the immunity. However, there is very little research on that.
5. Could Promote Healthy Pregnancies
One might be the calorie count. Pregnant women may need about 300 calories more than their counterparts who are not pregnant. Then again, most pregnant women would want foods that are high-calorie and low in nutrient content. This could lead to long-term issues.
Dates can be a healthy substitute. While they are a bit calorie-intensive, they are highly nutrient-dense. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the fiber in dates prevents pregnancy hemorrhoids.
A Jordan study points out that some favorable outcomes may result when dates are consumed during the last four weeks before labor. Still, more studies should be conducted in this respect.
Some anecdotal evidence further shows that dates may strengthen the muscles of the uterus during the last months of pregnancy.
6. May Treat Constipation
Date pulp extract has been shown in rat studies to induce activity of gastrointestinal transit and thus may be an effective treatment for constipation. The pulp of the fruit achieves this by rectifying deregulation of the mineral content that occurs during constipation. Fibers from dates have also been shown to prevent digestive system cancers .
You will be fine with at least 20 to 35 grams of fiber in a day that maintains digestive health but also makes stools soft; hence, you cannot have constipation. High on fiber, do not forget to limit the intake of foods that contain no fiber whatsoever.
In some cases, lower fiber will help alleviate constipation conditions (10). Thus, if you have stomach issues, it’s best to have your doctor verify this before taking dates.
7. May Help Improve Skin Condition
Dates are also good sources of vitamins C and D. In addition, anecdotal evidence even suggests that these can be used beneficially for skin elasticity improvement. The fruit can also help in controlling other conditions of the skin that might manifest as itchiness or rashes. You can have dates in your diet and see the potential results a long way down the lane.
Dates may also be anti-aging. They might inhibit the formation of melanin in your body which, otherwise would cause skin problems for you. However, there is a very few sound studies available on this issue.
Hormones are known to be the major products responsible for aging and the appearance of human skin. Date palm kernel extract contains some phytohormones with excellent anti-aging properties. The extract might also prevent wrinkle formation.
8. May Cause Healthy Weight Gain
If you have a pretty lean body and want to gain weight, you can incorporate this natural sweetener in your diet.
A study found that this natural sweetener causes weight gain of up to 30% in lambs; however, further studies with greater numbers are needed so that it may be replicated in humans.
9. May Regulate Blood Pressure
Dates also contain potassium . The mineral has been known to regulate blood pressure as well . There is approximately 167 mg of potassium in a single medjool date. This amount is pretty high when contrasted with most other fruits. Failure to intake enough potassium can also cause kidney stones, although further study on this mechanism is required.
Fibre also stabilizes blood sugar. It can even neutralize the effects of sodium in your diet, and therefore might promote lower blood pressure. The magnesium in the fruit helps to relax the muscles around your heart and veins and tends to reduce blood pressure more. More studies will confirm this too.
10. May Help Improve Heart Health
Some are rich in dates, which also take care of the cardiovascular well-being. Dates may neutralize free radicals and thus avoid cardiovascular diseases . Anecdotal evidence claims that antioxidants found in dates prevent atherosclerosis. These antioxidants may also help to increase the cholesterol removal from the artery cells.
Dates also include isoflavones-the second highest content, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there is a long way to go in this regard.
Dates are rich in dietary fibers. According to one UK study, high dietary intake of fiber may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease .Fiber also contributes to weight management. Ideal body weight could further decrease the risk of heart disease .
11. May Prevent Hair Loss
Dates are rich in iron and could result in blood circulation towards your scalp. This may also promote hair growth. This follows proper dispersion of oxygen throughout your body, for instance, your scalp. That could prevent someone from losing their hair as well as stimulate the growth of new hair. This, however, has had very little research about it.
12. Might Improve Sexual Health
Other researchers also discovered that pollen of the date palm is still applied in folk medication as a remedy for male infertility. However, additional studies are required to establish the potency of dates on sexual health. For this reason, the amino acids from the dates also enhance sexual endurance.
13. Can Help Treat Diarrhea
Diarrhea worsens or improves depending on the type of food consumed. Dates are potassium-rich and could be employed to improve the condition. Date fruit has antimicrobial action against pathogens which cause diarrhea .
14. May Minimize the Risk of colon Cancer
Intake of dates may reduce the propensity of forming colorectal cancer.
The consumption of dates also promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. This can also improve colon health .
15. May Help Raise Energy
The date fruit is full of several nutrients. They are also consumed in some countries to gain instant energy after fasting and to gain satisfaction easily . Dates also contain natural sugars like sucrose, fructose, and glucose. These can help raise energy too.
He started dating whenever he felt the need for sugar. He lost about 50 pounds in the process. He would go on to consume plenty of sweet things because, with a huge sweet tooth, and he had to switch to healthy food with the help of dates. He says, “What appears to be true in my experience is that the sugar in the dates is really bound up in the fruit itself and it doesn’t cause the big insulin release that you would get if you ate 25 grams of table sugar
16. May Help Prevent Night Blindness
This is because one of the major causing factors of night blindness is lack of vitamin A. Dates are also full of that specific vitamin, which would treat this disease . Countries and areas, hence, that have a high count of date consumption seem to have fewer cases of night blindness.
Dates may help in alleviating night blindness in aged patients .
17. May Prevent Intoxication
There is a lack of research on the issue at hand. There are some writers who claim that dates are steeped with self-made beer in Nigeria because it is supposed to weaken the alcoholic content of the drink .
18. May Ease Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy
Hemorrhoids is one among the very common complications women face during pregnancy. They may be due to insufficient fiber intake. Dates are a rich source of fiber. They can help in preventing hemorrhoids during pregnancy. This mechanism of dates is yet to be clearly understood through further studies.
Some of the key advantages of dates for women include some of those mentioned above. Some claim that the benefits of dates can even help improve health and pregnancy much more easily. However, there is not enough available information for this. We mention them below in the section below.
##ADVANTAGES
1. Helps to treat intestinal disorders
The fiber in dates may help. However, too many dates may cause gas because they overwhelm the bacteria in the large intestine. Dates contain some nicotine, and this may help to treat some intestinal disorders.
2. May Aid in the Treatment of Anemia
Dates may help treat anemia since dates contain iron.
3. May Help in Muscle Development
The carbohydrates in dates may help. Low carbohydrate levels in your body might make the body burn off muscles as fuel instead. Dates are fruits rich in carbs and may add on muscles.
4. Might Help Reduce Belly Fat
The fiber in dates may help. It fills you up, so you’re not likely to overeat. And with the sweetness of dates, they might also satisfy your desire for something sweet and prevent you from having unhealthy foods that are designed to be a sweetener.
Dates come in different flavors. Let’s move ahead on to the other kinds of dates.
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#Types Of Date Fruit
Here are the types of dates:
-Medjool- This is cultivated in Morocco. They are long and sweet. Their flavor has a hint of toffee. For people who include this fruit into their diet can have several benefits through Medjool dates like the best digestion and healthy body.
-Barhi- These date fruits are yellow as well. The origin of these fruits is in Iraq. The fruit has a soft and fleshy mouth feel.
-Dayri- The fruit is long with a narrow shape and black color.
-Halawy- These fruits taste pretty sweet and have a small size.
-Deglet Noor – These are the second-best varieties from Tunisia and Algeria. These are semidry and not too sugary. They are usually allotted for cooking.
-Hayani – These are grown in Egypt, and they are relatively tame as well as red to black.
-Migraf – They are found mainly in southern Yemen. They are big in size with golden amber color.
-Iteema – Sugar Sweet Dates comes from Algeria. They are big and oblong in shape.
The most tasty and healthy is Medjool, which is considered to be one of the best varieties of all. Possibly the most popular type of black dates, it is full of fiber, antioxidants, and potassium.
#How to consume dates?
Dates can be eaten as stuffed snacks. You can remove the pits and put dates with walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pecans together for a crunchy snack.
You can mix chopped dates with your breakfast cereal.
You can wrap dates with tuna or chicken salad and other vegetables.
Chopped dates can be eaten along with frozen vanilla yogurt.
The easiest way of taking dates is to eat them raw.
You can also rehydrate dry dates by soaking them in a liquid, which you then consume. Date syrup also works very well. It contains antibacterial properties that are believed to be stronger than those found in honey .
Fresh and dry dates are the two common variants found out in the markets. They differ in their unique ways. We have handled the differences below.
Fresh Dates Vs. Dry Dates
-Fresh dates are soft, while dry dates are harder. They naturally have less moisture than fresh dates.
-We can even distinguish between fresh dried dates. These are the fresh soft dates which are intentionally dried over some period.
Nutritionally, fresh dates and dry dates differ minimally. However, they are not the same as fresh dried dates.
However, dried dates are nutritionally more health benefiting compared to the fresh dates. Dried dates contained double the amount of carbohydrates as compared to fresh dates. Also, they were a better source of fiber. Higher levels of calcium and iron were found in dried dates, but fresh dates seem to win in vitamin C.
-You can consume dates in any way you prefer. You may also try these tasty date recipes.
#Any Popular Date Recipe?
1. Dates Milkshake
What You Need
Ingredients
Whole milkshake
A handful of good quality dates
#Directions
Mix the two ingredients. You can also add walnuts, cashews, and almonds to make the milkshake more nutritious.
2. Banana Date Smoothie.
What You Need
2 ripe bananas
6 pitted dates
1 cup of almond milk
1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
#Directions
Slice the bananas into smaller pieces.
Chop the dates into smaller bits for easier blending.
Add sliced bananas, chopped dates, almond milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon into a blender.
Blend well.
Serve in a glass.
#Faq
1. Is a date safe for children and toddlers?
•yes, dates are safe and healthy for children, but must be sliced into a small size to prevent choking. They must also be introduced slowly to watch out for allergy reactions.
2. Are dates caffeinated?
•NO, dates are by nature caffeine-free. Dates are one of the best snacks that could easily replace processed snacks, giving you the natural energy flow without taking caffeine.
3. Do dates help digest?
• Date is essentially a potent source of dietary fiber that aids digestion and prevents constipation, hence wholesome gut health.
4. Why are dates a good preworkout snack?
• Natural sugars in dates provide fast energy, while fiber helps sustain energy levels. These are perfect for a fast, healthy lift before exercise.
5. Do dates help in anemia treatment?
• Dates contain iron, making them an excellent food for the population to increase their iron intake, and this can be additionally increased with the presence of other iron-rich foods.