Tweet
Hello, visitor!
The Sweet Health Benefits of Dates. Move over raisins and prunes! There’s a trendier dried fruit in town.
ENTER TO THE SITE
Dates come from date palm trees, which grow in tropical climates. While dates can be eaten fresh off the tree, they’re easier to find in their dehydrated (dried) form. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy. “Dates are loaded with natural sugars, so drying them only intensifies their sweet, caramel-like flavor,†says registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson, RD, LD. “But just because they’re sugary doesn’t mean they’re bad for you. Dates have a lot of benefits and are packed with nutrients your body needs.†Are dates good for you? The short answer is yes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one serving of dates (about 100 grams or four dates) contains a high percentage of your recommended daily amount of: “Dates are also high in fiber with about 7 grams per serving,†says Culbertson. “That’s the same amount of fiber as a cup of cooked whole wheat pasta or just under a half cup of lentils. Another benefit of eating dates is helping you reach your body’s daily iron quota.†One variety of dates, the Medjool date, is actually a fresh fruit — not dried — and an easy way to help you eat more produce! Plus, each serving provides 3.6 g of protein as well. Health benefits of dates. These small fruits pack a big nutritional punch. Culbertson explains six health benefits of dates: 1. Improve gut health. Research shows that fiber’s health benefits go beyond keeping your inner plumbing from clogging. Getting plenty of fiber from vegetables and fruits like dates can also help: Improve your heart health. Keep blood sugar levels steady. Lower (LDL) cholesterol levels and total cholesterol. Prevent weight gain and obesity. Reduce your risk for colorectal cancer, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 2. Help prevent chronic diseases. Dates are ripe with plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are cellular bandits in your body that steal electrons from healthy cells to stabilize themselves. This thievery comes with costs that include cell damage and a higher risk for chronic diseases. Studies show that free radicals play a role in the development of: Autoimmune diseases. Cancer. Cardiovascular disease. Cataracts. “Because antioxidants fight free radicals, they help prevent this domino effect of disease development,†explains Culbertson. Dates contain several kinds of antioxidants, including: Carotenoids. Flavonoids. Lignans. Phenolic acids. Polyphenols. 3. Boost brain health. Several studies have connected dates with improved brain function, thanks to their antioxidant content. Antioxidants prevent inflammation throughout your body, including in your brain. Brain inflammation has been linked to the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). “One study in models in the lab concluded that better memory, improved learning and less anxiety-related behaviors were benefits of eating dates,†notes Culbertson. “Dates were also linked to fewer amyloid beta proteins in the brain. Plaques formed by these proteins have been connected to the development of Alzheimer’s.†Culbertson cautions that while these results are promising, they would need to be tested in humans before we’re sure of these benefits. 4. May help with natural childbirth. Your little one was due a week ago, and now the doctors are talking forcible eviction — unless you can figure out how to get things going on your own. “There’s some research to support that eating dates could encourage labor,†says Culbertson. “How long you should eat them still remains to be determined, but one study showed a difference when people ate them daily around the last month of pregnancy. And dates may also help shorten how long people are in labor.†How could dates have an impact on this complicated biological process? Compounds in dates seem to stimulate oxytocin receptors, which is normally the hormone oxytocin’s job. The presence of oxytocin is the key to productive labor contractions. And because dates are an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates and high in natural sugars, eating them helps your body store enough energy for the labor itself. 5. Give you more youthful skin. Like human hormones, plant hormones (phytohormones) help plants grow and reproduce. And they may also have anti-aging benefits for your skin. For that reason, phytohormones are sometimes used in skin care products. Dates just happen to be chock full of phytohormones. In one small study, researchers made a skin cream with 5% date palm kernel extract.
Nutritional value dates medjool
Nutritional value of fresh dates
Dates dried nutrition facts
The Sweet Health Benefits of Dates. Move over raisins and prunes! There’s a trendier dried fruit in town.
ENTER TO THE SITE
Dates come from date palm trees, which grow in tropical climates. While dates can be eaten fresh off the tree, they’re easier to find in their dehydrated (dried) form. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy. “Dates are loaded with natural sugars, so drying them only intensifies their sweet, caramel-like flavor,†says registered dietitian Gillian Culbertson, RD, LD. “But just because they’re sugary doesn’t mean they’re bad for you. Dates have a lot of benefits and are packed with nutrients your body needs.†Are dates good for you? The short answer is yes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one serving of dates (about 100 grams or four dates) contains a high percentage of your recommended daily amount of: “Dates are also high in fiber with about 7 grams per serving,†says Culbertson. “That’s the same amount of fiber as a cup of cooked whole wheat pasta or just under a half cup of lentils. Another benefit of eating dates is helping you reach your body’s daily iron quota.†One variety of dates, the Medjool date, is actually a fresh fruit — not dried — and an easy way to help you eat more produce! Plus, each serving provides 3.6 g of protein as well. Health benefits of dates. These small fruits pack a big nutritional punch. Culbertson explains six health benefits of dates: 1. Improve gut health. Research shows that fiber’s health benefits go beyond keeping your inner plumbing from clogging. Getting plenty of fiber from vegetables and fruits like dates can also help: Improve your heart health. Keep blood sugar levels steady. Lower (LDL) cholesterol levels and total cholesterol. Prevent weight gain and obesity. Reduce your risk for colorectal cancer, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 2. Help prevent chronic diseases. Dates are ripe with plant compounds that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are cellular bandits in your body that steal electrons from healthy cells to stabilize themselves. This thievery comes with costs that include cell damage and a higher risk for chronic diseases. Studies show that free radicals play a role in the development of: Autoimmune diseases. Cancer. Cardiovascular disease. Cataracts. “Because antioxidants fight free radicals, they help prevent this domino effect of disease development,†explains Culbertson. Dates contain several kinds of antioxidants, including: Carotenoids. Flavonoids. Lignans. Phenolic acids. Polyphenols. 3. Boost brain health. Several studies have connected dates with improved brain function, thanks to their antioxidant content. Antioxidants prevent inflammation throughout your body, including in your brain. Brain inflammation has been linked to the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). “One study in models in the lab concluded that better memory, improved learning and less anxiety-related behaviors were benefits of eating dates,†notes Culbertson. “Dates were also linked to fewer amyloid beta proteins in the brain. Plaques formed by these proteins have been connected to the development of Alzheimer’s.†Culbertson cautions that while these results are promising, they would need to be tested in humans before we’re sure of these benefits. 4. May help with natural childbirth. Your little one was due a week ago, and now the doctors are talking forcible eviction — unless you can figure out how to get things going on your own. “There’s some research to support that eating dates could encourage labor,†says Culbertson. “How long you should eat them still remains to be determined, but one study showed a difference when people ate them daily around the last month of pregnancy. And dates may also help shorten how long people are in labor.†How could dates have an impact on this complicated biological process? Compounds in dates seem to stimulate oxytocin receptors, which is normally the hormone oxytocin’s job. The presence of oxytocin is the key to productive labor contractions. And because dates are an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates and high in natural sugars, eating them helps your body store enough energy for the labor itself. 5. Give you more youthful skin. Like human hormones, plant hormones (phytohormones) help plants grow and reproduce. And they may also have anti-aging benefits for your skin. For that reason, phytohormones are sometimes used in skin care products. Dates just happen to be chock full of phytohormones. In one small study, researchers made a skin cream with 5% date palm kernel extract.
Nutritional value dates medjool
Nutritional value of fresh dates
Dates dried nutrition facts