Health Benefits of Date Fruit

Dates have recently become the healthier alternative to chocolate. In grocery stores we can now buy different varieties of dates - from dried and plain to stoned and glazed with pure sugar. If you want the maximum benefit from this fruit, choose the most pure and natural one you can find.

Dates are opulent in vitamins and minerals and are cholesterol-free. Consuming one date a day helps maintain the proper functioning of the human body. Dates are good energy boosters and hunger pacifiers, and have several other health benefits.

Health Benefits of Date Fruit

Dates provide several essential nutrients such as calcium, fiber, amino acids, sulphur, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, potassium and fats to the body. They are a good option for introducing more fiber into your diet and are rich in vitamins A1, B1, B2, B3 and B5. The different benefits of date fruits are as listed below:

Dates help in Digestion

The antioxidative properties of dried dates helps in digestion and provides relief from conditions like acidity and heart burn. It can also help provide relief from conditions like stomach ulcers and colitis. It curbs the growth of several pathological organisms in the intestines and aids in the growth of friendly bacteria that helps digestion.

Moreover, consuming dates on fasting days before breaking the fast helps avoid overeating after the fast. The factor responsible for human hunger is shortage of sugar in the blood. Consumption of dates, not only pacifies the feeling of hunger with its sugar content, but also all of its nutritional value is absorbed by the body. This prevents people from overeating after a day of fasting.

Dates Boost Energy

The high content of sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose makes it a power house giving instant energy. Dates are power packed with 29 grams of natural sugars, 3 grams of dietary fiber and 31 grams of carbohydrates. Therefore, the tiny date fruit can be appropriately described as an energy boosting dry fruit.

Dates Help Maintain a Healthy Nervous System

Dates are rich in potassium content, which are essential for a healthy nervous system. Potassium in dates is an important component of cells and body fluids that help control heart rate and blood pressure, thus providing protection against coronary heart disease and stroke. Research reveals that higher potassium intake of about 400 mg can reduce the risk of strokes by 40%.

Three dates contain 501 mg of potassium, a mineral that acts as an electrolyte - a compound that controls the balance of water in your body as well as the acidity of your blood. Adults require 2,000 mg of potassium each day, so the amount in a serving of dates accounts for roughly a fourth of the needed quantity.

Dates Relieve Constipation Problems

Dates also possess laxative properties, and are suitable for people suffering from constipation. In order to get the benefits of laxative properties of dates, one should soak dates overnight in water. The soaked dates should then be taken in the morning along with the water to gain the actual advantages. The roughage provided by dates increases bowel movement, thereby solving constipation issues.

Dates Treat Anemia

Dates have high iron content in them, which make them great home remedies for reducing iron deficiency. Anemia patients are advised to eat several dates on a daily basis to raise their level of iron in the blood.

Dates Strengthen Tooth Enamel

Dates can also help prevent tooth decay because of its fluorine content, a vital chemical element that slackens the development of tooth decay by shutting out plaque and making the tooth enamel strong.

Dates for Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is a time when a woman experiences extreme bloating, constipation and other intestinal problems. Dates are an excellent remedy for such intestinal disturbances. Moreover, being rich in iron, dates prevent anemia in mother and child. Dates help strengthen the uterus muscles, enabling it to dilate in a smooth manner during delivery. Dates also enrich the mother's milk by providing it with nutrients beneficial for the baby's health. Dates also prevent blood loss after childbirth.