Dates are delicious small stoned fruits
that grow in hot dry countries. The central stone surrounded by soft
flesh means that they come under the category of drupe, like peaches and
plums. Fresh dates have been eaten for thousands of years, and their
ability to be dried and preserved meant that they were an important
source of nutrients in the winter months when fresh fruits and
vegetables were scarce in northern countries.
Nowadays, apart from the Middle East, most people don't think much about dates apart from at Christmastime when they make their traditional annual appearance, along with figs and a bowl of nuts. Dates, however, deserve to form a much more important part of our everyday diet. A plethora of recent research has shown that eating one portion of dates a day — three dates - can provide many surprising health benefits. If you start to increase your daily intake of dates, these are the health benefits you might well start to notice:
1. Dates can improve your digestive health
Three dates count as one portion of the five a day recommended as the minimum daily intake of fruit and vegetables by the World Health Organisation. Our diets in the western world are often full of processed low fibre foods that are extremely bad for our digestive systems. Dates are natural, unprocessed and very high in fibre and protein.This means that they keep you full for longer, and less likely to eat between meals. The fibre remains undigested and helps to keep your digestive tract moving so that your bowel movements are regular and constipation is a thing of the past. If you suffer from any long-term digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, or leaky gut syndrome, try adding three dates a day to your diet. Eating dates, which are very low on the Glycaemic Index, has also been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
2. You won't need to take as many vitamins, pain killers or anti-inflammatories
Dates contain high levels of minerals and nutrients, such as potassium, copper, manganese and Vitamin B1. These nutrients mean that if you eat dates every day, you won't need to remember to take a vitamin supplement. Dates also contain high levels of magnesium. One of the reasons magnesium is essential for a healthy diet is the fact that is an anti—inflammatory and can help to relieve pain and reduce swelling, in the same way as ibuprofen and other over-the-counter medications.Magnesium can, therefore, help to prevent heart disease by reducing inflammation of arteries leading to the heart and a host of other conditions, such as Alzheimers and arthritis. Doctors are only beginning to understand the implications that eating dates every day could potentially have upon many serious and chronic conditions.
3. Dates can help you have a healthy pregnancy
If you are pregnant, there are many reasons why eating three dates a day could have a positive impact upon yourhealth and even your baby's health. UST researchers recently conducted a study on the eating habits of 69 women in the last month of pregnancy. They found that women who ate dates every day in the last four weeks of gestation went on to have quicker and less painful labours with fewer complications than those who didn't include dates as part of their daily diet.Continuing to eat dates in the months after the birth can also help women to lose pregnancy weight. It is thought that common pregnancy complaints such as constipation, swollen ankles and insomnia can also be alleviated by eating dates because of their high fibre content, and high levels of magnesium and potassium.
4. Dates can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and Stroke
Medication for high blood pressure is very common, so many people are prescribed it by their GP, when, in many cases, a few tweaks to the diet can make taking the medication unnecessary. Eating three dates every day can help to lower high blood pressure because of the magnesium contained within little fruits. Dates also contain high levels of potassium, which also plays an important role in lowering high blood pressure as it reduces blood pressure and helps to make the heart work as efficiently as possible.
Seven rigorous scientific studies, recently published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have shown that increasing your daily levels of magnesium will reduce the risk of stroke by 10 per cent for every 100 grammes. As dates are an excellent source of magnesium, if you want to significantly lower your risk of stroke, simply eat three dates a day.
5. Dates can help your brain stay sharp and focussed
Dates are a good source of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6. Scientific studies have been carried out that show thatvitamin B6 is very important to maintain good brain health. When you have sufficient levels of vitamin B6 in your system, your brain is more efficient and works at full capacity.Your short-term memory is better, and your capacity to concentrate is at its strongest. Your ability to make effective decisions is also heightened when your body has the right amount of vitamin B6. Potassium is also needed to support the central processing part of the brain, of which dates contain plenty. If you want your child to perform well academically, feeding them three dates a day certainly can't do any harm and might even help to send them to the top of the class!