Dates are a rich source of fibre and antioxidants. Their nutritional advantages could support healthy brain function and illness prevention.
Dates are produced by the date palm tree, which is cultivated throughout many tropical areas of the world. Dates have recently gained a lot of notoriety.
Dried dates make up almost all dates sold in Western countries
The way dates look tells you whether or not they have been dried. Smooth skin indicates newness, but crumpled skin indicates they are dry.
Depending on the kind, fresh dates can range in colour from brilliant red to bright yellow. They are rather little in size. Two popular types of dates are Medjool and Noor.
Dates are chewy and have a sweet flavour. They can be utilised for a variety of purposes and also contain several essential nutrients.
1.Dates have a great nutritional profile and are very nutritious.
Due to their dried state, they contain more calories than the majority of fresh fruit. Dates have a similar amount of calories to other dried fruits like raisins and figs.
The calories in dates are primarily made up of carbohydrates. Only a tiny amount of protein makes up the other elements. Although dates have a lot of calories, they also include a lot of fibre and a number of vital vitamins and minerals.
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of medjool dates contains the following nutrients:
Calories:277
Protein:7g; 75g of fibre; and carbs: Using two grammes of potassium 15% magnesium DV:13% DV
Aluminum: DV 40% manganese: Iron: 13% DV:5% Vitamin B6 DV: 15% DV
2.high in fiber Fiber consumption is crucial to overall health.
Dates have over 7 grammes of fibre every 3.5-ounce serving, making them a fantastic way to increase your fibre intake.
Fiber helps improve the health of your stomach by preventing blockage. It promotes regular bowel motions by aiding in the production of faeces.
According to one study, those who had seven dates daily for 21 days had much more bowel motions and more frequent stools than those who did not.
Dates’ fibre may also aid in controlling blood sugar levels. Fiber slows down digestion and may lessen pronounced blood sugar rises after meals.
Dates have a low glycemic index (GI), a metric used to determine how rapidly blood sugar levels rise after consuming a particular item.
3.Dates provide
a range of antioxidants with numerous health advantages, such as a decreased risk of certain diseases. Dates are rich in disease-preventing antioxidants.
Antioxidants found in your cells shield your body from free radicals, which are unstable chemicals that have the ability to trigger negative physiological processes and result in disease.
When compared to comparable fruits like dried plums and figs, dates seem to have the highest antioxidant content.
The three most potent antioxidants found in dates are summarized below:
FlavonoidsStrong antioxidants known as flavonoids have been investigated for their ability to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer. They could also assist in reducing inflammation.
Carotenoids:. It has been demonstrated that carotenoids enhance cardiovascular health and may help reduce the risk of eye conditions like macular degeneration.
Acid phenolic: Due to their anti-inflammatory qualities, phenolic acids may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
4.May help keep the brain healthy Eating dates may help make the brain work better.
. In laboratory experiments, dates have been found to help reduce brain inflammatory indicators including interleukin 6 (IL-6). High levels of IL-6 are associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s.
In other investigations, including those involving animals, dates have also been found to lessen the activity of amyloid beta proteins, which can create brain plaques.
By obstructing communication between brain cells when they accumulate in the brain, plaques can result in the loss of brain cells and Alzheimer’s disease.
In one experiment with mice, mice fed food containing dates performed better than mice fed food without dates in terms of learning and memory, as well as anxiety-related behaviours.
Flavonoids and other antioxidants found in dates that are known to alleviate inflammation have been connected to dates’ potential advantages.
5.Dates have been investigated for their potential to encourage and facilitate late-term labor in pregnant women.Consuming these fruits in the last few weeks of pregnancy may help cervical dilatation and lessen the need for an induced labour. They might also contribute to a reduction in working hours.
Pregnant women who ate dates before their due date laboured for shorter periods of time than those who did not, according to a 2011 meta-analysis. However, there is still need for more research on the relationship between eating dates and a shorter labour.
A 2017 research of 154 pregnant women found that those who consumed dates had a markedly decreased risk of induction than those who did not.
In a third trial, 91 pregnant women who started eating 70-76 grammes of dates daily in the 37th week experienced similar results.
6.Dates are a natural source of fructose, a type of sugar found naturally in fruit .
. As a result, dates have a subtly caramel-like flavour and are quite sweet. They are a great healthy alternative to white sugar in recipes since they include minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.
The ideal approach to substitute dates for white sugar is to make date paste, as is demonstrated in this recipe. To make it, dates and water are combined in a blender. In a 1:1 ratio, date paste should be used in place of sugar.
For example, if the recipe called for 1 cup of sugar, you would use 1 cup of date paste in its instead.
Dates should be consumed because they are high in calories and fibre despite having a lot of nutrients.
7.Additional potential health benefits Dates are said to have additional health benefits that have not yet been thoroughly investigated.
Bone health: Minerals present in dates include phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. All of them have been researched to determine if they can halt the development of bone-related illnesses like osteoporosis.
Blood sugar control: Dates’ low glycemic index, fibre content, and antioxidant content may help with blood sugar control. Eating them may therefore aid in the management of diabetes.
Even while these prospective health benefits seem encouraging, more research on humans is necessary before any conclusions can be made.