Dates: Health Benefits, Uses and Side Effects

This fruit is acquired from the date palm tree which is known to be growing generally in tropical regions of the world.

Dates, in recent times, have become quite popular and almost all the dates that are sold in the Western countries are dried ones.

It is very easy for someone to recognize whether or not the date is dried just by looking at its appearance.

When the skin of the fruit is wrinkled you should know that it is dried whereas when the skin is smooth the fruit is said to be fresh.

Fresh dates are known to be small in size and are usually of varying color depending upon the type of date taken and the color varies from bright red to bright yellow.

The most common types of dates consumed are the Deglet Noor dates and Medjool Dates.

Dates have a very sweet flavor and it is usually very chewy and they are rich in some of the most important nutrients.

This highly nutritious nature of this fruit makes it very advantageous and it has so many uses as well.

Dates are known to possess an excellent nutritional profile.

As they are usually consumed in the dried form, which means that the calorie content of this fruit is higher than that of other fruits.

The calorie content of fruit is found to be very similar to that of other dry fruits which includes figs and raisins.

Majority of the calories in this fruit is known to be given by the carbs present in it. Rest of the calories are provided by small amounts of proteins.

Apart from the calories in the fruit, it offers several other vital vitamins and minerals along with a significant amount of fiber.

Alongside these nutrients this fruit is rich in antioxidants as well which are responsible for providing so many health benefits.

It is necessary for you to take adequate amounts of fiber to maintain your overall health.

In 100 grams of this fruit, you will be getting 7 grams of fibers.

Because of this factor itself, it becomes a must to add this fruit in your diet routine, so as to increase your fiber intake.

Fiber is known to improve the digestive health of a person by preventing constipation.

It enhances the rate of bowel movement by making a contribution in the process of stool formation.

People eating dates on a regular basis in adequate quantities experience better stool frequency.

Along with this, they also noticed improved bowel movement than those people who do not eat dates.

Fibers have other benefits associated with it like it is helpful for blood sugar levels.

It is also helpful in slowing down the digestion which is responsible for preventing any sudden spike in the blood sugar level after taking food.

Because of these factors, this fruit has a very low glycemic index (GI) which is a measurement for how quick your blood sugar level increases after taking food.

Dates are found to be rich in so many different types of antioxidants.

These antioxidants have so many health benefits and one of which is it reduces the risk of occurrence of several different types of diseases.

These antioxidants help you to protect the cells from all kinds of free radicals.

This is important because free radicals are unstable molecules which may cause several harmful reactions in your body that lead you to suffer from so many diseases.

When it is compared to similar fruits like dried plums and figs, then, you will find that dates have higher content of antioxidants.

There are three potent antioxidants present in dates and they are listed below:

• Flavonoids
• Carotenoids
• Phenolic acid

Consumption of dates is found to be helpful in the improvement of brain function.

Dates are found to be very effective in lowering down the inflammatory markers like interleukin 6 (IL-6) found in the brain.

High levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) are said to be linked with increased risks of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Dates are also helpful in lowering the activity of amyloid beta proteins which are known to form plaques in the brain.

When accumulation of plaques happens in the brain, the communication between the brain cells gets distributed.

This disturbance in the brain cells is responsible for the death of the brain cells and Alzheimer's.

Eating dates is found to be effective in improving learning ability and memory and it also reduces anxiety related behaviors and this is not experienced by people not eating dates.

The contents present in this fruit like antioxidants which are helpful in reducing inflammation (which includes flavonoids as well).

Content like them make this fruit a potential brain booster.

This fruit is very beneficial in enhancing and easing late term labor in case of pregnant women.

When you take this fruit in the last few weeks it may enhance the dilation of the cervix and lower the need for labor.

This is also found to be helpful in the reduction of labor time.

Pregnant people who take this fruit before the time of their due date had to spend less time in the labor than those who do not eat this.

Apart from the effects, a link relating these two is yet to be found.

People eating this fruit do not require any kind of induced labor than those who do not eat it.

Women eating around 70 to 80 grams of this fruit in the 37th week of their pregnancy are found to be more active for 4 hours during their labor than those who didn't eat it.

These things imply that dates are effective in promoting labor and decreasing the duration of labor.

This effect of date on pregnancy is possibly because of the presence of oxytocin receptors.

These receptors are known to mimic the effect that oxytocin has in the body.

Oxytocin is a hormone that is known for causing labor contractions at the time of childbirth.

Dates also have tannins which are regarded as compounds that are known for facilitating contractions.

Along with this, it is a great source of natural sugar and calories.

And, these things are said to be very vital for the maintenance of energy at the time of labor.

Dates are an amazing source of fructose and fructose is a natural kind of sugar that is found in fruit.

Because of this reason, dates are sweet and they have a very subtle caramel-like taste.

This is the reason that allows dates to become a very healthy substitute for white sugar.

This is also a great substitute as it provides fibers, nutrients and antioxidants to the recipes.

For making it as the best substitute for white sugar you need to make a dark paste.

This paste is made by mixing these dates with water inside a blending machine.

You should follow a thumb rule for replacing sugar with date paste and this is to be done at 1:1 ratio.

As these fruits are very high in nutrients as well as fibers and this makes them high in calories.

So, due to this you should consume this fruit in moderation.

It has traces of various different minerals like phosphorus, magnesium and calcium.

All these minerals are generally found to be responsible for preventing various bone related problems or conditions like osteoporosis.

Dates are potentially helpful in controlling blood sugar as it is helpful in regulating blood sugar level.

This is possible only because of the low glycemic index, antioxidants and fibers.

Diabetes patients eating this can manage their condition appropriately.

These fruits can be eaten in the way they are. Apart from eating them as they are you can make desserts, milkshakes, cakes, icecreams, etc.

Although this fruit is very beneficial when it is with regards to our health. But, there are so many side effects associated with the consumption of this fruit.

Some of the most common side effects or problems associated with this fruit are mentioned below:

• This may lead you to face abdominal problems.
• It can lead you to suffer from fructose intolerance.
• You can suffer from skin rashes.
• This can prove to be unhealthy for babies.
• It can lead the person to suffer from asthma attacks.
• The wax coating found on the fruit can have some bad and harmful effects.
• You can start gaining weight upon consumption of this fruit.
• Its consumption can lead you to suffer from hyperkalemia.

Dates are known to be cultivated from a very long time, that is the ancient times.

The ancient times are known to be ranging from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt.

In ancient Egypt, this was used for making and producing wines and they ate this at the time of harvest.

There are so many proofs available that this fruit has been continuously cultivated in various later civilizations such as the Indus valley civilization which also included the Harappan period ranging from 2600 to 1900 BCE.

Dates can take around 4 to 8 years after it has been planted before they start to bear fruits.

This is found to be very traditional and is extensively grown in the regions of Middle East and North Africa.

Variety of dates like Deglet Nour and Medjool are also cultivated in the southwest United States and in Sonora and Baja California in Mexico.

Dates are considered to be a very healthy and nutritious fruit that you should be including in your diet.

This fruit is rich in a number of nutrients, antioxidants and fibers and all of them are known to provide a number of health benefits that include decreased risk of diseases and improved digestion as well.

There are so many different ways in which you can add this fruit in your diet. They are known to be eaten as a natural sweetener in so many dishes. This fruit also acts as a great snack.

This fruit is found very easily in its dried form and unlike other fresh fruits it has higher calories so it is suggested to consume this fruit in moderation.

You would surely like to add this in your diet as this is both delicious as well as nutritious.