Dates

Dates: 10 Benefits and Recipes 

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Updated on January 31, 2024

Dates come from date palm trees; they are classified among the fruits famous for their high nutritional value. Dates are among the highest nutritional value fruits, as they are rich in proteins and fibers, which can regulate digestion and provide the body with many nutrients, side by side with many important nutrients of vitamins and minerals. What are the benefits of dates? And what is its nutritional value?

Nutritional Values

Dates contain a high nutritional value, as they were considered basic food since ancient times. The components of the fruit come in different varieties and the proportion of sugars in a date is about 70 to 80% of the components of the fruit. Dates sugars are known for their rapid absorption, as they transfer to the blood directly. 

The components of dates vary according to the nature of the fruit, whether it is wet, semi-dry or dry, and according to the environmental conditions surrounding the trees. 7 dates, about 80 grams, per day enrich the body with almost the daily needs of magnesium, manganese, copper and, sulfur and around half of the needs of calcium and potassium.

Wet Dates Value

Dates contain a number of antioxidants, eating dates helps improve brain functions. As several studies have found dates to be beneficial in reducing inflammatory markers compared to similar types of fruits, such as figs and dried plums. Dates also promote brain health

It has been found that wet dates contain a substance that is uterine-like oxytocin. Eating wet helps to exit the fetus and reduce bleeding after birth, since wet contains preservatives for blood pressure. This also helps reduce bleeding, as during the process of childbirth, which requires energy and stress relief and this could be achieved by eating wet dates, as it is rich in sugar, which gives energy and relaxes tension.

As for the vitamin A that dates contain, it helps growth, prevents night blindness, and helps the skin and the soft, moist membranes lining the nose and throat remain healthy.

Dates contain vitamin B group; B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. These vitamins strengthen nerves, lubricate blood vessels, moisturize the intestines, and protect them from inflammation and weakness. Vitamin B in dates maintains the integrity of the nervous system, prevents nerve tension and appetite blockage, helps digest fatty foods, maintains integrity and hydration of the tongue, lips, and eyelids, and protects against plaque.

Date sugars includes glucose, fructose, and sucrose, which are absorbed by the body and are easily metabolized. Date sugars quickly reach the blood, then reaches the tissues and cells in the brain and muscles, giving them strength and heat, and they are diuretic and beneficial to the kidneys and liver. Dates are rich in phosphorous, which increases the vitality of the brain and sexual activity.

Wet dates are a general tonic for the body, treats anemia and prevents nerve disorder because it contains a high percentage of sugar and potassium. It is rich in phosphorous with a high percentage.

Date Kernel Value 

It is the solid part that is located inside the date grain, which is also called the date pulp, which oval in shape, its color is light brown. The kernel also has uses that may surprise you. Dates kernel is a great magic for hair, as it brings a wide range of benefits to the hair, the most important of which is that it increases hair length tangibly and quickly. 

Date kernel is equally important as the fruit itself, as it is rich in dietary fibers and powerful antioxidants, as well as proteins and fats, which help resisting wrinkles, promoting healthy hair and eyebrows. Recent researches have proven that dates kernel thickens the hair and treats baldness. It strengthens the follicles and prevents hair loss.

Health Benefits of Dates 

Dates are of great nutritional value, and they work as a tonic for muscles and nerves, it restores the vividness and youth of the skin and delays the manifestations of aging. If milk is added, it is highly recommended for those who suffer from a weak digestive system.

The nutritional value in dates is comparable to some types of meat and three times the nutritional value of fish. It benefits people with anemia and chest diseases. It is given in the form of a paste or soaked, boiled and drunk in batches. It is especially beneficial for children, young people, athletes, workers, convalescents, skinny people and pregnant women.

Dates are one of the ideal foods because they contain a large number of vitamins and essential elements for health, this explains their popularity and widespread usage on an almost daily basis in several regions in the world. Dates are known to maintain the health of various parts of the body, hereunder are some of these benefits:

Promotes Digestive System Health

Dates are a rich source of dietary fibers, soluble and insoluble, which play a major role in promoting the health of the digestive system, and in the prevention of some intestinal disorders.

Prevents intestinal and colon infections

Dates have antibacterial properties, as they stimulate beneficial bacteria in the intestine. Improving bowel movement by preventing constipation and treating diarrhea. It also helps in the prevention of hemorrhoids and gastrointestinal cancers.

Effective Treatment for Anemia 

Dates are an excellent source of many minerals, including iron, which makes dates play a good role in treating anemia caused by iron deficiency. Iron also helps to supply the body with energy and get rid of fatigue caused by anemia.

Provides the Body with Energy 

Dates contain a high percentage of carbohydrates and natural sugars, such as: glucose, sucrose, and fructose, all of which provide the body with energy, raise blood sugar levels, and it could be a good and sufficient snack, especially before exercising.

Promotes Nervous System Health 

Dates contain a group of vitamins that are important and necessary for the functioning of the nervous system and the brain. The high content of glucose is necessary for the brain to function as the main consumer of energy.

Potassium in dates helps the nerves heal and function more effectively. In addition, the components of dates work to increase alertness, speed of intuition, and reaction to various stimuli.

Maintains Heart Health

Dates are very useful for heart health, as they are a source of potassium and magnesium that are important for the heart’s capacity, and the richness of dates in dietary fibers plays a role in lowering levels of harmful cholesterol (LDL) in the body, which consequently, participates in preventing strokes and seizures. 

Anti-inflammatory

Dates have an anti-inflammatory effect, as they are known for their richness of magnesium, sulfur, and antioxidants. It has become widely known that dates have a unique role in reducing the potentials of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and arterial infections, as a result of reducing oxidation.

Controls Blood Pressure 

Dates are a rich source of potassium, which is an important element for maintaining fluid balance in the body and controlling blood pressure, in addition to magnesium, which helps lower blood pressure.​

Beneficial for Diabetics

Despite the fact that dates are a high source of carbohydrates and simple sugars, such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose, a diabetic can eat dates in moderation, as it is recommended for a diabetic person to consume dates with caution according to a calculated nutritional plan made by a doctor.

There is no evidence that eating dates leads to diabetes, but eating dates raises blood sugar, and the levels of sugars vary according to types of dates, which also differ in size and value, in addition to the different phases of their growth.

Benefits Bone Health

Dates have a great effect on bone health as they contain important elements for bone growth and maintenance, such as selenium, copper, and manganese.

Important for Children’s Health

Dates are soft, easy-to-digest food rich in fibers and nutrients that are beneficial for children. It can be used during weaning the child and in the early stages of teething due to its freshness, but attention should be paid to the need to clean the teeth of the child well after eating dates, so that they do not get decayed. 

Dates increase children’s weight, preserve eye moisture and luster, prevent exophthalmos and wicker, fight blurring, strengthen vision and hearing nerves, calm and strengthen nerves. 

They also fight anxiety, activate the thyroid gland, spread peace and calmness by eating it in the morning with a glass of milk, softening blood vessels, moisturizing the intestines, protecting them from weakness and inflammation, and strengthening the cells. 

Increases the Secretion of Hormones 

Dates stimulate the secretion of milk for nursing mothers, such as prolactin hormone, as it contains glycine and threonine.

Treats Cases of Chronic Constipation 

Dates stimulate bowel movement and flexibility, as it contains cellulose fibers.

Prevention of Cancer

Dates are among the most important foods that play a preventive role against cancer, because they contain phenols and antioxidants.

Activates Immune System

Dates are one of the most important foods rich in their content of compounds that activate the immune system. One of the most important benefits of this is that it stimulates the ability to unite, surround and encapsulate foreign substances in the body. 

It also identifies the remnants of cells destroyed in the body as a result of exposure to radiation, such as computer rays, medical X-rays, mobile phone rays, ultraviolet rays, or rays emitted from flights, as it contains and destroys them.

Beneficial for Sexual Health

It was found that dates have a role in increasing the sexual ability, and treating some sexual disorders that may lead to infertility. Dates are said to have a remarkable role in increasing the count of sperms and improving their movement. It is also widely highlighted that dates provide the body with simple sugars, which supplies the body with energy.

Other benefits of Dates

  • It preserves eye’s moisture and luster, prevents night blindness, and makes the vision clear and piercing at night as well as during the day.
  • It benefits the elderly who have begun to suffer from hearing loss and the feeling of ringing in the ears, or rather the weakness of the auditory nerves.
  • It gives peace and tranquility to anxious and troubled souls.
  • Stomach can easily digest dates and absorb the sugars in them within an hour or a few hours.

Dates for Diet

Did you know that dates are free of cholesterol and low in fat? Including them in smaller amounts in your daily diet can help you monitor your cholesterol level, and even aid weight loss. 

Dates are easy to digest and have a quick effect in revitalizing the body, generating urine, cleaning the liver and washing the kidneys. Soaked dates are useful for coughing, bronchitis and phlegm, and their fibers fight constipation. 

The alkaline mineral salts in dates adjust the acidity of the blood that causes kidney stones, gallbladder, gout, hemorrhoids, high blood pressure, and adding walnuts and almonds to it or eating it with Milk increases its effect, and dates are only prohibited for obese and diabetics.

Dates for Weight Gain

Dates may be one of the best food options in the list of healthy diet options that target weight gain and require a high calorie intake. As the high content of proteins, carbohydrates, and calories participate in increasing the total body mass. It is worth mentioning that 100 gram of dates provides the body with approximately 300 calories.

Dates for Weight Loss

Many weight-loss diets rely on including dates in their diets, as it has been found that low blood sugar stimulates hunger and when eating dates rich in simple sugars, the feeling of stomach fullness and satiety is stimulated, thus refraining from eating larger quantities of food.

Dates are rich in fibers, which helps to fill the stomach and reach satiety. Some studies have found a relationship between increasing the intake of foods high in fibers and reducing the waist circumference.

Therefore, you can take advantage of dates by including them in your diet in a healthy and calculated manner, according to the appropriate quantities for your age and weight to increase the feeling of satiety. In addition to providing the body with energy.

Dates for Women

Dates are a powerful source of proteins that help us keep fit and adding some dates to your diet helps keep our muscles strong. Dates stimulate the secretion of milk for nursing mothers, such as prolactin hormone because it contains glycine and threonine.

Dates in the Morning

Morning time could be the best time during the day for eating dates, as the human body is stimulated to get the most benefits of its nutrients. Among these great benefits are the following:

  • A source of vitamins and minerals important for your vital body functions, and to fuel your body in the morning.
  • A natural source of simple sugars that raise blood sugar levels.
  • An important source of fibers necessary to enhance the functioning of the digestive system, and this helps you feel satisfied and feel full during the day.
  • Helping to relax and focus during the different activities during the day.

Types of Dates 

The number of date varieties in the world is more than 2000 varieties, and each region is famous for certain varieties. Some varieties have moved to other regions over time, retaining their original names or given new names. One region may have different names for one variety or the same name for two different varieties.

Dates differ in taste and the preference of the residents of the regions for the varieties of dates according to the shape, taste, size, color and texture. Among the most famous types are Medjool Dates, Omani Dates, Piarom Dates, Mazafati Dates, Khudri Dates, Zahidi Dates, Safawi Dates, and Amber Dates. 

Dates Production

Egypt tops the list of date producing countries in the world, followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Tunisia and Libya. As for Europe, there are only two countries that produce dates: Albania, Spain. There are two countries in South America: Peru and Colombia. 

Countries export dates worldwide, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Pakistan, Tunisia and Iran are the top providers of dates in the world. The European market is one of the world’s importing markets for dates. The most important importing countries in the European market are France, Britain, and Germany.

Recipes 

Dates are one of the highest nutritional value fruits ever, as they are rich in many important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals such as iron, in addition to proteins and fiber. Dates have many benefits, as it protects against many diseases such as anemia, heart diseases, digestive problems and also protects against cancer. 

Dares are used in several types of sweets, such as date cake, date balls with coconut, as well as date cheesecake. You can prepare sweets that contain dates for your children without worrying, as dates are very healthy for children, because they provide their bodies with fibers and nutrients important for their health and their healthy growth. 

However, it is preferable to consume date sweets and sweets in general in moderation so as not to negatively affect the body.

Dates Cake 

Ingredients 

  • two and a half cups of flour. 
  • 1 cup of boiling water and fine-grained sugar. 
  • ½ cup of soft butter. 
  • 200 grams of chopped dates. 
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder. 
  • 1 teaspoon and a half of fine cardamom. 
  • 1 teaspoon of liquid vanilla. 
  • ½ teaspoon of salt, saffron and bicarbonate of soda. 
  • 1 large eggs. 

Toffee sauce ingredients

  • 1 cup and a quarter of light brown sugar. 
  • ½ cup of butter and cream. 

Preparation 

  1. Heat the oven to a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, grease a mold with butter, then sprinkle flour on it. 
  2. Put the dates, water, bicarbonate, cardamom and saffron in a deep dish, and stir the ingredients until the dates are dissolved. 
  3. Put the sugar and butter in the mixing bowl, and mix them using the paddle attachment until a fluffy mixture is formed. 
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk the ingredients to mix.
  5. Add the flour and dates mixture, mix them.
  6. Pour the mixture into the mold, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Preparing the toffee sauce

  1. Put the sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan, put it on the fire, and let it cook for two minutes, stirring from time to time.
  2. Leave it until it becomes cold and then distribute it on the cake. 
  3. Dates and oats cake consisting of ½ cup of wheat flour. ¼ cup of each oatmeal, flour and 2 eggs. 
  4. ¼ tablespoon of baking soda, pinch of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of Salt, and cinnamon.
  5. ¼ cup of brown sugar, pomegranate molasses, oil, 1 cup of boiling water, dates, and date molasses. 

Garnish Ingredients

  • Sliced dates into rings. 
  • Powdered sugar and jam. 
  • 50 g walnut. 
  • 50 g almond.

How to prepare

  1. Put the wheat flour, oats, flour, salt, nutmeg, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda in a food processor. 
  2. Turn on the mixing paddle on medium speed, then add the eggs, date molasses and vanilla. 
  3. Slowly and gradually add oil and water, then add nuts as desired. 
  4. Keep stirring until the mixture is well combined. 
  5. Grease cupcake molds with vegetable garnish. 
  6. Put the mixture in cupcake molds. Heat the oven. 
  7. Insert the molds into it for an hour or a quarter at a low temperature. 
  8. Take the cake out of the oven and leave it to cool. 
  9. Put them in serving dishes and decorate with powdered sugar, jam and dates.

Date Balls with Biscuits and Coconut

Ingredients 

  • 400 g of dates.
  • 3 boxes of biscuits.
  • 1 cup butter.
  • ½ cup crushed nuts.
  • ½ cup shredded coconut.
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom. 

Preparation

  1. Mix the butter with the dates well with your hands.
  2. Crush the biscuits. 
  3. Add them to the date mixture with a pinch of cardamom and coconut and mix well by hand.
  4. Form small balls from the mixture and roll them in the nuts until completely covered.
  5. Serve it immediately.

Dates cheesecake

Ingredients 

  • 250 grams crushed tea biscuits.
  • 20 large dates.
  • 100 grams butter.
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.
  • 1 carton of cream.
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder.
  • 1 tablespoon of instant coffee.
  • 3 tablespoons soft cheese.

Preparation 

  1. Crush the biscuits until they become a fine powder.
  2. Melt the butter and add it to the biscuits.
  3. Rub the mixture together well until the biscuits absorb the butter.
  4. Spread the mixture evenly in a tray.
  5. In the blender, put all the ingredients – except the dates – and mix them together, then add the dates without the kernels and continue to beat until the mixture is homogeneous.
  6. Pour the mixture over the biscuit mixture.
  7. Put the mold in the oven, for a quarter of an hour, until the cheesecake becomes firm and the biscuit layer turns golden.
  8. Remove the mold from the oven and leave it to cool for at least two hours.
  9. Serve it cold.

Dates Smoothie

 Ingredients 

  • 12 g sugar.
  • 30 g walnut.
  • 250 ml milk.
  • 30 g crushed dates.

Preparation 

1- Put the milk in the mixer and on top of it the sugar.

2- Put the dates and walnuts.

3- Mix them together and serve.

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