Dates: Benefits and harms for the body, how much to eat, properties and calorie content

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The date palm has long been cultivated by the peoples of the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa. Its fruit, the date palm, is eaten raw, dried, roasted, and in other culinary forms. The fruit's beneficial properties were already known to the ancient Assyrians, who also used the leaves and trunks of date palms to build houses.

Dates are generally well-tolerated, but it's important to know how many dates to eat to ensure they provide benefits and don't cause harm. While moderate consumption is very beneficial, excessive consumption can lead to weight gain.

Characteristics and health benefits of dates

These fruits are often called the "berries of life" by residents of the Middle East. They are used in baking bread, making honey and wine, and when roasted, they are used as a coffee substitute. Dates taste just as good as good candy and can easily replace any unhealthy sweets.

Fresh fruit contains carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water. Date pulp is rich in various salts and minerals—boron, iron, cobalt, and potassium—and contains over 20 types of amino acids, dietary fiber, and various vitamins. Dried fruit, like fresh, contains fluoride, pantothenic acid, selenium, and silicon. Fruits in any form have a wealth of beneficial properties.

The nutritional value of the fruit is very high, it contains:

folic acid – beneficial for the circulatory and immune systems;
thiamine – regulates protein and carbohydrate metabolism;
riboflavin – promotes the growth of nails, hair, and thyroid function;
pantothenate – prevents fatigue of nerve centers and muscles;
nicotinic acid – participates in oxidation-reduction reactions;
Pyridoxine, a B vitamin, calms the nervous system, regulates sugar levels, and produces hemoglobin.
Tocopherol and ascorbic acid strengthen and restore blood vessel walls, muscles and bone tissue, and slow down the aging process.

For men

Men of any age should definitely eat dates for:

Increasing sexual stamina.
Prevention of heart disease and other circulatory system diseases. Cardiovascular pathologies are most common in men.
Reducing the risk of tumors.
Increasing the number of active sperm.
Cleansing the blood of toxins and carcinogens that accumulate in the body due to smoking and alcohol abuse.

Note!

Fruits are a natural sedative that normalizes the nervous system. Dates provide a boost of energy and increase productivity—both physical and mental.

For women

Palm fruits are just as beneficial for women as they are for men, especially during pregnancy. Tocopherol and other vitamins strengthen the uterine walls, facilitate labor, and reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. A woman's body that eats dates is able to recover more quickly after childbirth.

Eating fruit increases lactation in mothers and promotes the production of oxytocin. This hormone causes contractions of the specialized tissues surrounding the milk ducts, which causes milk to flow from the breast.

Postpartum depression, which affects many young mothers, weakens the nervous system. Dates help strengthen nerves, alleviate symptoms of depression, and stabilize emotional well-being.

These fruits are beneficial for all women. Premenstrual syndrome increases absent-mindedness, loss of energy, and provokes frequent mood swings and bouts of apathy. Regular consumption of these exotic fruits helps reduce the negative effects of PMS.

Calorie content of dried dates with pits and how much you should eat

Dates are considered a highly nutritious food, as 100 grams of dried fruit with pits contains 230 kcal. Since one fruit weighs 20-25 grams, it contains approximately 58 kcal. You can get your daily requirement of vitamins and nutrients by eating just 5-6 dates, which contain about the same number of calories as a glass of low-fat kefir.

Doctors believe that the daily intake for adults should be no more than 10-15 dates. This amount is optimal for providing the body with all the necessary nutrients without the risk of weight gain. Moreover, eating dates can help you lose a few extra pounds: when eaten, the fruit quickly creates a feeling of satiety that lasts for a long time. This makes it easy to reduce the number of meals you eat.

For young and middle-aged children, two dried dates per day is enough. Pediatricians recommend not giving children more than that.

Fresh and dried fruits differ slightly in energy value, favoring the former. Therefore, their consumption should be halved. It's also important to remember that consuming more than 300 grams of fruit daily can cause constipation.

Harm to the body and contraindications for use

Date palm fruits can also be harmful if consumed excessively or in the presence of certain health conditions. Specifically:

In patients with diabetes, the fruits cause an increase in blood glucose levels;
Excessive consumption of palm fruits, which mechanically irritate the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, is not recommended for people with gastric ulcers;
In patients with fructose intolerance, the fruits will cause an eating disorder;
excess protein compounds increase the acidity of urine, which is undesirable for patients with cystitis and kidney diseases;
The simultaneous consumption of dates and citrus fruits (carbohydrate and acidic foods) causes stomach upset.

The skins of dried and cured dates may contain particles of dirt and dust that are difficult to wash off with water. These particles can also introduce pathogenic microflora into the body, contributing to the development of stomach problems.

Exotic fruits, such as dates and bananas, take a long time to digest, leaving the digestive system with no rest. Excessive consumption leads to slower stomach contractions and even gastric arrest. In addition to bad breath, frequent belching, and bloating, constipation may also occur.

Dates are completely prohibited in the following pathologies:

obesity;
diabetes mellitus with dependence on insulin injections;
diseases of the digestive tract;
Kidney problems. The presence of ascorbic acid in the fruit pulp leads to increased formation of kidney and ureteral stones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LimvQS4__p4

The absence of contraindications in a person is not a reason for uncontrolled consumption of dates; it is necessary to adhere to the norm in any case.

Medicinal recipes with dates

Dates have long been used in folk medicine. In the desert provinces of China, there are long-lived people whose diet consists primarily of these fruits. European nutritionists also recommend including them in their diet, especially as a substitute for sweet desserts.

To increase potency

Pour half a liter of fresh homemade milk over one cup of dates and add a small spoonful of ground cinnamon. After thoroughly mixing, place the mixture in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. After steeping, eat the dates within one day, washing them down with milk. Regular consumption of these fruits helps increase libido and has a positive effect on sperm motility.

Note!

This infusion is especially useful in autumn and winter, when the risk of vitamin deficiency increases significantly.

For constipation

Boil five dried fruits in half a liter of water to normalize bowel movements. Drink a glass of the cooled compote on an empty stomach, and add a few tablespoons of oatmeal to the remaining broth. After steeping for 30 minutes, eat this unique porridge for breakfast.

For colds

The following recipes will help prevent the development of a cold:

boil a dozen fruits for 30 minutes in half a liter of water;
Boil 5-7 dried fruits in a glass of fresh homemade milk.

Both decoctions are supposed to be drunk hot, in small sips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmH1-zO0Wb4

To improve tone

Grind equal parts dried fruit, ginger, camel thorn, cinnamon, and Kabul myrobalan in a coffee grinder and combine with honey. Place the mixture over low heat, stirring thoroughly. Add a little coconut milk to the semi-liquid mixture. The cooled mixture should resemble jam, which is eaten every morning.

In oncology

Mix finely chopped dates with honey, black cumin, and senna in equal proportions. Dissolve the mixture in small portions several times daily.

For anemia

The following recipe will help increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood:

10 pieces of fresh fruit;
teaspoon of ginger root;
1/8 spoon of cardamom;
a pinch of saffron.

For gastrointestinal disorders

A decoction of 4 dates, simmered for 20 minutes in 400 ml of water, normalizes digestive function. Drink the mixture in small sips in the morning.

For hypertension

Blood pressure can be stabilized by consuming no more than 100 grams of dried fruit daily on an empty stomach. The course lasts 20-21 days, with a 10-day break, after which the sessions can be repeated.

Important!

The recipe is not intended for patients with unstable blood sugar levels.

For migraines

The frequency of headache attacks can be reduced by the following set of procedures:

regular wellness massage;
taking an infusion of horsetail herb - a third of a glass 3 times a day;
100 g of palm fruits per day.

Not recommended for diabetics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it true that dates are bad for your teeth?

Yes, prolonged fruit consumption can be harmful. If you can't brush your teeth after eating fruit, it's recommended to drink unsweetened tea or plain warm water.

At what age can this fruit be given to children?

Exotic fruits should only be introduced to babies when they begin introducing semi-solid and solid foods. This is usually between one and one and a half years of age. Fruit should not be given to children under one year old. Furthermore, the first servings of dates should be served as puree or compote, or added to yogurt.

What dishes can you add dates to?

The fruits are used in sweet, meat, and fish dishes. They combine not only flavor but also originality.

How to choose quality fruits?

Dates are usually imported to our country dried or cured. When purchasing, pay attention to the following:

ripe fruits have a dark brown, uniformly distributed color;
the fruit should be whole, moderately soft, with a matte surface;
the presence of cracks, peeling skin, wrinkling and the smell of fermentation indicate improper drying;
fruits treated with fat have an unnatural shine;
Traces of sugar crystals indicate a coating of syrup. This isn't a problem, but they shouldn't stick to your hands or smear across your palms;
When choosing pitted or seedless fruits, it's best to choose the former. They undergo less processing and therefore contain more vitamins and other beneficial substances.

After purchasing dates at the store or market, wash them thoroughly under running water at home. Moderate consumption provides the body with vitamins and amino acids, while excessive consumption can lead to obesity, headaches, and other negative consequences.