Who
needs a dessert, if u can satisfy your sugar cravings by healthy alternative of
dates? Indulge yourself in this sweet, succulent fresh fruit and get loaded
with plenty of minerals and vitamins. Health or medicinal foods have recently
received immense interest among the health professionals and public.
Phoenix
dactylifera (the palm tree) is one of the most nutrient rich fruits. Dates are
the most abundant crop in the United Arab Emirates [1].
Dates are highly nutritional:
- Date flesh is low in fat and protein but rich in sugars, mainly fructose and glucose.
- Date seeds contain higher protein (5.1 g/100 g) and fat (9.0 g/100 g) as compared to the flesh. It is a high source of energy, as 100 g of flesh can provide an average of 314 kcal [2]. The consumption of 100 g of dates can provide over 15% of the recommended daily allowance from minerals as selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium [2].
One
of the reasons that probably validate the health benefits of dates is their
highly nutritional value.
Dates contain a high percentage of
carbohydrate like:
- Total sugars, 44-88%,
- Fat 0.2-0.5%,
- Salts and minerals: selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium among others [2,3,],
- Protein (2.3-5.6%),
- Vitamins (B-complex and C) and
- A high percentage of dietary fiber (6.4-11.5%) [4].
Dates are richest source of dietary minerals:
Dates are recognized as a fruit
with extremely high levels of potassium and very low amounts of sodium. In the
Medjool variety of dates the amount of zinc is about 2–11 times higher than the
fruits that are regularly consumed in the US. The consumption of 100
grams enough to provide up to 15% of the daily recommended allowance
from these minerals [2].
Dates: A Good Source of Vitamins
They
include B complex vitamins such as thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3),
pantothenic acid (B5), B6, and folate B9 and vitamin C. However, in certain
varieties of dates, vitamin C concentration ranges from 1.0 mg to 16 mg/100 g
of dates[2].
Proteins in dates
Dates are
known to be low in fat and protein but rich in sugars, from which fructose and
glucose are the main ones. Date seeds contain higher protein (5.1 g/100 g) and
fat (9.0 g/100 g) as compared to the flesh [2].
Calories in dates
As you may already know, dates are
a rich source of energy, providing up to 314 Kcal per 100 grams of date
flesh [2].
Fibers and antioxidants in dates
High in dietary fiber (8.0 g/100
g), insoluble dietary fiber is the major fraction of dietary fiber in dates.
Dates are a good source of antioxidants, mainly carotenoids and phenolics[2].
Carotenoids in dates
The average total carotenoids
content of fresh and dried dates are 913 and 973 μ g/100 g respectively. With
lutein, β -carotene, and neoxanthin are the major carotenoids.
Health benefits of dates
1. Dates for constipation:
Apricots, Raisins, figs, share
this quality with dates as a natural remedy for constipation.
As dates are rich in dietary fibres (8.0 g/100 g) they are recommended for
constipation.[2]
2. Dates for diarrhoea:
Dates are also a rich source of potassium
[2], a mineral that is frequently lost during diarrhoea. Some sites
about cancer recommend the intake of fruit juices, sports drinks, potatoes
without the skin and some other sources of potassium as a way to ease the
recovery process that involves suffering from this ailment.
3. Dates for healthy skin, hair and muscle tone:
Dates are a rich source of
vitamins, among those vitamins found in dates the most important group is the B complex vitamins which are responsible
for healthy skin, hair and muscle tone [5] and, therefore, dates are
a natural way to achieve this.
4. Dates effects on labour:
Dates have favourable
effect on labour. In a prospective study carried out between 1 February 2007
and 31 January 2008 at Jordan University of Science and Technology on 69
women who consumed six date fruits per day for 4 weeks, it was noted that
the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly
reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a
more favourable, but non-significant, delivery outcome [6].
5.Anemia
Is there any need of pills or supplements,
when you can improve your heamoglobin levels with dates? The
high level of iron balances out the intrinsic deficiency of iron in anemic
patients, boosting energy and strength, while decreasing feelings of fatigue
and sluggishness[7].
6. Allergies
The presence of organic sulfur in
dates is the most fascinating part of them as sulfur is rarely found in foods but
it does have a valuable amount of health benefits, including the reduction of allergic reactions and seasonal allergies[7].
7.Energy Booster
Dates give you an instant boost
of energy as they are packed with natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and
sucrose. They act as perfect snack for 4pm hungers at work.
8.Nervous System Health
The vitamins present in dates
uplift the health and functionality of nervous system. Do you know that dates
have 3 times more potassium than in bananas! Potassium is major element in endorsing
a healthy and responsive nervous system, and it also improves the speed and responsiveness
of brain activity. Hence, dates are an ideal food source for people as they
begin to grow older and their nervous system becomes lethargic or unsupported,
as well as for people who want to keep their mind sharp.
9.Healthy Heart
Dates are quite helpful in
keeping your heart healthy. Studies have shown that dates reduce the risk of
stroke and other heart related diseases as they are rich in potassium. It is a healthy
and delicious way to reduce your LDL cholesterol level in the body,
which is a major contributing factor heart attacks, heart disease, and stroke.
10.Sexual Weakness
Soak a handful of dates in fresh
goat’s milk overnight, then grind them in the same milk with a mixture of cardamom powder and honey. This mixture becomes a very useful tonic for increasing
sexual endurance and reducing sterility caused by various sexual disorders. In
2006, Bahmanpour studied the effects of date palms and their
oil on sexual functioning and found that the high levels of estradiol and
flavonoid components of dates are what increase sperm count and motility, as
well as promoting increased testes size and weight. So, if you are looking for
a masculine boost, eat some dates, because they are a great natural
aphrodisiac![7].
11. Night Blindness
When the leaves of the date palm
are ground into a paste and rubbed on and around the eyes, or when dates are
ingested orally, it has been shown to reduce the frequency of night
blindness, and this solution is commonly used in rural areas where dates grow
as an alternative medicine[7].
12.Intoxication
Dates are generally used as a
remedy for alcoholic intoxication. Next time when you are drunk and have morning
hangover, go for dates remedy. Dates provide quick relief and have a sobering
effect in case you feel as though have consumed an uncomfortable amount of
alcohol. [7].
13.Anti-Inflammatory
Dates are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory
benefits. In one of the study it is found that “inflammatory
indicators in the body such as CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF (tumor necrosis
factor alpha), and IL6 (interleukin 6) were all reduced when magnesium intake
was increased[8].
References:
1.
Detection of palm fruit lipids in archaeological
pottery from Qasr Ibrim, Egyptian Nubia. Copley MS, Rose PJ, Clapham A, Edwards
DN, Horton MC, Evershed RP. School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock's Close, UK.
2.
Nutritional and functional properties of dates: a
review. Al-Farsi MA, Lee CY. Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell
University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA.
3.
Pubmed: Anti-inflammatory activity of structurally
related flavonoids, Apigenin, Luteolin and Fisetin. Funakoshi-Tago M, Nakamura
K, Tago K, Mashino T, Kasahara T. Department of Biochemistry, Keio University,
1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan.
4.
The fruit of the date palm: its possible use as the
best food for the future? Al-Shahib W, Marshall RJ. London Metropolitan
University, Department of Health & Human Sciences, London, UK.
5.
Wikipedia
article on B vitamins.
6.
The effect of late pregnancy consumption of date
fruit on labour and delivery. Al-Kuran O, Al-Mehaisen L, Bawadi H, Beitawi S,
Amarin Z. Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
8.
http://naturalsociety.com/health-benefits-of-dates-7-reasons-eat-date-fruit/
