4 Great Reasons to Eat Dates Daily
What are dates?
Dates are the delicious sweet fruit of the date palm, a tree native to Arabia and the Middle East. One of world’s oldest fruit crops, dates have been cultivated by man for at least 6000 years.1 Rich in nutrients and natural sugars, the date is the only fruit in the world eaten as a staple food. Since ancient times, dates have sustained countless millions of people in some of most arid and least hospitable places on earth.
A unique fruit
Date fruits grow in enormous clusters on the palm tree, changing colour, texture, and flavour as they ripen. Unique for a fruit, many date varieties can be harvested and eaten in different stages of ripeness:
- khalal: firm, fresh dates with a crunchy texture and slightly astringent taste;
- rutab: soft dates with a melting texture and syrupy flavour; and
- tamr: sun-dried dates with a toffee or caramel flavour depending on the cultivar.
Tamr dry naturally in the sun, either on or off the tree. They are not dried fruit like raisins, figs or apricots which are artificially dehydrated. Unlike artificial dehydration, in fact, sun-drying not only concentrates the natural date sugars, but also conserves their nutrients resulting in the sweet dark fruit most often found in grocery stores or farmers’ markets.
Folklore and science meet
As well as for food, dates are used in traditional medicine. Alone or mixed with other plants, dates are used to treat fevers, asthma, high blood pressure, and stomach ailments. They are also believed to boost immunity and libido. Scientific research has identified a preventive and/or therapeutic effect on around 40 different health conditions.2 These findings reinforce much of the traditional folklore regarding the health and healing properties of dates.
What’s in a date?
Brimming with natural sugars, minerals, vitamins, and fibre, dates have 3-10 times the nutrients of other fruits considered healthy, such as cranberries, blueberries, apricots, figs, or oranges. A serving of dates, (about 12 small fruit), typically contains the following nutrients 3 4 :
4 great reasons to eat dates daily
Whether you are looking to enrich your daily diet with more natural whole foods, rich in nutrients, minerals and vitamins, or as a swop for sugary snacks, you cannot beat dates!
Apart from their super-nutritive value, dates trump every other fruit or vegetable for the amount of antioxidant, anti- inflammatory polyphenols they contain effects. If you need any more excuses to indulge yourself, look no further than these 4 great reasons to eat dates daily:
1. High energy
The natural sugar levels in dates provide the body with an instant boost of energy. However, because their high fibre content slows the rate of sugar absorption by the body, dates have a low-medium glycaemic index score. Both fibre and fructose in dates have a satiating effect and provide a long-lasting feeling of fullness. By quelling hunger pangs and satisfying sugar-cravings, dates can help with weight control.
2. Heart health
Dates provide a panoply of nutrients and potential health benefits for the heart:
- antioxidants in date fruit reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack by decreasing LDL cholesterol (a cardiovascular disease risk factor);5
- high fibre content contributes to lowering blood cholesterol;
- vitamin B6 removes the amino acid homocysteine which is linked to cardiovascular disease;
- significant amounts of potassium and magnesium combined with low sodium levels help to lower blood pressure;
- potassium helps to regulate heart rate.
The date is ideal to eat as part of the ‘heart-healthy’ DASH diet promoted by the American Heart Association which a recent study confirmed significantly reduces the risk of heart failure 6
3. Healthy gut and disease prevention
Our overall health is dependent on the health of the gut as a front line disease-fighting system of the body. Dates are a rich source of dietary fibre one of the most important nutrients for gut health. Fibre fuels the growth and diversity of good gut bacteria to support our immune and metabolic systems. It helps prevent diseases such as:
- diabetes;
- hypertension;
- bowel and colon cancers;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- diverticulosis.7
Soluble fibre slows the absorption of LDL cholesterol and helps to normalise blood glucose and insulin levels. Insoluble fibre provides bulk to keep waste moving and prevent cancer-causing substances from binding to the gut. Fibre also nourishes the cells of the colon. It protects against digestive disorders including haemorrhoids, gastroesophageal reflux disease, ulcers, and constipation. Incorporating gut-friendly dates into your daily diet is an easy and enjoyable way to boost fibre intake with 100 grams providing a healthy 27% or so of our daily needs.
4. Bone health
Bone is a living substance which our body constantly breaks down and builds up throughout our lifetime. Did you know that your entire skeleton is replaced every 7 to 10 years?
Most of us know that a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is essential for healthy bones. We may be less aware that healthy bone formation also demands an adequate supply of magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fluoride. Related metabolic processes call for manganese, copper, boron, iron, zinc, vitamins A, K, C, and the B vitamins.
The average western diet is deficient in many of these vitamins and minerals. Osteoporosis has become a major public health problem affecting millions. Post-menopausal women are particularly at risk. As we have seen above, dates are a great source of most bone-building nutrients, including calcium. Boost your intake and reduce the risk of age-related bone loss by adding dates to your diet.
What next?
Dates are ridiculously versatile and easy to incorporate into your routine – at any time of day!
Breakfast: add to oatmeal, plain Greek yogurt, on top of pancakes, or in a smoothie
Lunch/dinner: chop and sprinkle on salads or simmer in a tajine, casserole or lentil stew
Bake: fold into granola, cakes, cookies, breads and scones
Supper: wind up the day with a date and turmeric latte
Anytime snack: roll into power balls, stuff with nuts or cheese
Our favourite: Pop into mouth raw, as it, wash down with cardamom-infused Omani coffee!
For more, see Recipes
References
- M. Tengberg. (2012) Beginnings and early history of date palm garden cultivation in the Middle East
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=date+fruit
- https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/7348/2
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168191/nutrients
- Borochov-Neori, H et al (2015). Antioxidant and Antiatherogenic Properties of Phenolic Acid and Flavonol Fractions of Fruits of ‘Amari’ and ‘Hallawi’ Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Varieties. J Agric Food Chem,63(12), pp. 3189-95.
- Campos et al, (2019). Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Diet Concordance and Incident Heart Failure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 56, Issue 6: 819-826
- Marlett, J.A., Mc Burney, M.I., and Slavin, J. 2002. Position of the American Diabetic Association: Health implications of dietary fiber. Journal American Diabetic Association 102: 993–1000
