Dates Have Health and Nutrition Benefits

Dates are either an evening out with someone special, or a delicious, wrinkled, dried fruit.  You'll want to know about the nutrients found in this little "shriveled" fruit, and some of the research behind the information.

Dates are a great source of dietary fiber. The American Cancer Society recommends that you consume 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Dietary fiber comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble. Each serves a valuable function. Insoluble fiber increases the rate at which food moves through the digestive system. Soluble fiber may help control diabetes by decreasing elevated blood glucose levels. Soluble fiber also has been found to help lower serum cholesterol levels, particularly undesirable low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

According to researchers at the University of Scranton in Scranton Pennsylvania, Dates have the highest concentration of poly-phenols among dried fruits. The findings of this research suggest that dried fruits should be a greater part of the diet as they are dense in phenol antioxidants and nutrients, most notably fiber.

A serving of power-packed dates contains 31 grams of carbohydrates, making them a powerhouse of energy. Carbohydrates include 3 grams of dietary fiber and 29 grams of naturally occurring sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose to provide quick energy and are readily used by the body. Dates are a perfect energy boosting snack.

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Dates are one of the best natural sources of potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral your body needs to maintain muscle contractions including the vital heart muscle. Potassium is needed to maintain a healthy nervous system and to balance the body's metabolism as well.

Since potassium is not stored in the body, and much is lost in perspiration, it must be continually replenished. As you consume potassium you excrete sodium, helping to keep blood pressure down. As people age, their kidneys become less efficient at eliminating sodium. About a 400 mg increase in potassium intake has been associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of stroke. This roughly amounts to one additional serving daily of Dates. Caution: You will want to make sure you sodium levels are not too low and potassium levels are not too high before changing your diet or adding supplements that increase Potassium, though occasionally eating dates should not be a problem.

Dates also contain a variety of B-complex vitamins - thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and panthothenic acid. These vitamins have a variety of functions that help maintain a healthy body - to metabolize carbohydrates and maintain blood glucose levels, fatty acids for energy, and they help make hemoglobin, the red and white blood cells. Dates also maintain Magnesium which is essential for healthy bone development and for energy metabolism and Iron which is essential to red blood cell production. Red blood cells carry all the nutrients to cells throughout the body. In addition, Dates are fat and cholesterol free.

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Image Credit: Pompi on Pixabay

Updated 10/31/18