Dates – 10 Health Benefits Of Eating Dates (Khajoor)

Phoenix dactylifera, commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. The species is widely cultivated across Northern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Depending on the variety, fresh dates are fairly small in size and range in color from bright red to bright yellow. Medjool and Deglet Noor dates are the most commonly consumed varieties. Dates are chewy with a sweet flavor. They are also high in some important nutrients and have a variety of advantages and uses.

This article will discuss 10 health benefits of eating dates and how to incorporate them into your diet.

1. Dates are Highly Nutritious:

The nutrition data of dates are really off the charts. The fruits are packed with a lot of essential vitamins and other nutrients that can be extremely helpful to your overall health. Dates are also rich in fibre and carbs which without a doubt makes it one of the healthiest dry fruits. 

2. Improves Brain Functionality:

Inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin can be extremely dangerous to your brain. The increased presence of IL-6 (Interleukin 6) is attributed to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The presence of inflammatory markers is never a good sign for your neural health and therefore it is to be considered with extreme care.

3. Facilitates Natural Labour:

Pregnant women who eat dates regularly have a higher chance of delivering by natural labor. In our modern times, the frequency of natural labor is going down by a great margin. The complications that arise out of cesarean deliveries are troubling a lot of young mothers in our generation. Eating dates at the later stages of pregnancy can help in making the entire process of delivery much smoother.

There are results from studies that show that using dates as a part of the regular diet of a pregnant woman can help in reducing the pressure that is applied while trying to deliver the baby.

4. Helps Fight Diabetes:

Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common diseases around the world. The number of people who are suffering from mild and severe diabetes is rising to levels we never would have expected. The increasing frequency in the number of cases that are being reported under the diabetes section is due to the increased intake of unhealthy fast food and also due to a diet that is extremely high in calories and sugar.

5. Strengthen Bones

Dates are rich in copper, selenium, and magnesium which are very important nutrients to keep your bone health and prevent bony related disorders. It is also rich in vitamin K which helps to regulate coagulation of blood and helps metabolize your bones.

People who are suffering from osteoporosis are more likely to suffer from bony fractures. Dates can strengthen your bone and make it strong.

6. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth 

Dates are the sweetest fruit with natural sugar content in it. It can reduce your cravings for unhealthy sweet products and sugar. It is a great substitute for white sugar due to its sweetness. So, next time whenever you thought to eat something sweet, you can think about dates.

7. Benefits of Dates for Males 

Improve sexual health in men – Dates have been eating from ages as a fabulous food that also enriches men’s sexual health. Some research states that dates can enhance your sexual stamina.

Increase sperm count – Dates content flavonoids and estradiol which have positive effects to increase sperm count and sperm quality.

8. Post-menopausal Bone Health 

Research shows that bone loss in post-menopausal women can be reduced by increasing the intake of potassium. One dried date provides a high amount of potassium and other nutrients. Scientists believe that high potassium intake protects bone mass by reducing the amount of calcium excreted through the kidneys.

9. Helps In Diarrhea

Dates contain potassium, which is an effective way of controlling diarrhea.

10. Dates protect heart health and blood sugar regulation

Older research has examined the effects of date intake in healthy adults over a four-week period. In one study, volunteers ate about three and a half ounces a day of two different types of dates. At the end of the month, researchers found that the date addition did not significantly affect the body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, LDL, or HDL levels of the study subjects. Most important, fasting blood glucose and blood fat levels did not increase after consuming either date variety. In fact, blood fats decreased, as did measures of oxidative stress.

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