Health Benefits of Dates

Dates are a nutritional powerhouse, filled with various nutrients and components. Dates are the trendier dried fruit that grow on date palm trees. Dates can be eaten fresh from the tree, but they are most popularly eaten in their dehydrated form. Dates are sugary in taste as they are filled with natural sugars. So, having dates in dehydrated form intensifies its sugary taste. The super sweet taste of dates does not mean it’s unhealthy for you. Dates have a lot of health benefits; they are jam packed with a variety of nutrients that the human body requires.

How beneficial dates are -
Nutritional table chart of 100 grams of dates - 

Dates are a good source of fiber. It helps meet the daily requirement of fiber; 7 grams of dates have the same amount of fiber as a cup of cooked whole wheat pasta or under a half cup of lentils. Eating dates also helps meet your daily quota of iron as well. One variety of date, called Medjool Date, is a fresh fruit (not dried), which is an easy way to maintain the protein requirement as in each serving it provides 3.6 g of protein.

Major health benefits of dates - 

Improve gut health - 

Researchers are evident that fiber helps way beyond just cleaning the clogging of your inner guts. High fiber from vegetables and fruits like dates can help with the following conditions - 

•    Maintains the blood sugar level.
•    Lowers the low-density lipoprotein ‘bad’ cholesterol level and overall total cholesterol.
•    Reduces the risks of type 2 diabetes, stroke, colorectal cancer, and heart disease.
•    Prevent weight gain and obesity.
•    Improves the overall heart health.
 

Lower the risks of chronic diseases - 

Dates are filled with plant compounds that work as antioxidants. Antioxidants are known for their protecting quality of our cells against free radicals. Free radicals are a threat to the healthy cells of the body as they take the electrons from them to stabilize themselves. The stabilizing process of free radicals damages the healthy cells and poses a higher risk for chronic diseases. Free radicals can cause serious conditions like autoimmune diseases, cancer, cataracts, and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the antioxidants present in dates protect us from those diseases.

Boost brain health - 

Some studies have shown that because of their antioxidant dates improve brain health. Antioxidants prevent inflammation throughout the whole body, including the brain. The inflammation of the brain can lead to several diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

There are some studies that suggest dates can improve memory power and lessen anxiety, and it helps reduce the amyloid beta protein that is related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. These results are promising, but experts say we need more studies and research before we’re sure of these benefits.

Helpful in childbirth - 

There are studies that show that eating dates could encourage labor. It shows a difference in women who ate dates in their last month of pregnancy has shortened the labor.  Compounds in dates stimulate oxytocin receptors. The presence of oxytocin helps the productive labor. Plus, dates are a good source of energy, which helps in the labor itself. 

An alternative to refined sugar - 

If you are looking to cut down on your sugar intakes, dates can be a good substitute. Dates are rich in natural sugar – so if you are using a cup of sugar in the recipe, you can replace it with one cup of date paste instead. Plus, dates are low-glycemic index foods with a glycemic index around 42, which can keep blood sugars steady. You can also add dates in desserts to savory dishes to enhance their nutritional value.