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Dates nutrition facts
What nutrients are there in dates? A lot indeed! Here are sweet, delicious fruits from the tropical oasis,
brimming with much-needed minerals and energy to help you stay fit and healthy.
Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus:
Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the
banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for
its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.
Delicious dates.
(Photo by-Itinerant)
Date-Palm.
(Photo by-
kawanet)
The date fruit is a "drupe" in which outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or
stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 37 cms long, and 23
cms diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to depending on the variety.
There are many varieties of date palm cultivated. Amir Hajj, Saidy, 'Khadrawy' and 'Medjool' is some of the
important varieties that are popular for their superior quality.
Health benefits of dates
Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential
nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.
Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When
eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to
break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.
The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the
fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing
exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known
to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies)
properties.
They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant
properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes
and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral
cavity cancers.
They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as -carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants
found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-
free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial,
lung, and pancreatic cancers.
Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea,
where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection
against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations.
Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a
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See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients:
Dates (Phoenix dactylifera), medjool,
Nutritive V alue per 100 g
(Source: USDA National Nutrient data base)
Principle
Nutrient
Value
Percentage of
RDA
Energy 277 Kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 74.97 g 58%
Protein 1.81g 3%
Total Fat 0.15 g <1%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0%
Dietary Fiber 6.7 g 18%
Vitamins
Folates 15 g 4%
Niacin 1.610 mg 10%
Pantothenic acid 0.805 mg 16%
Pyridoxine 0.249 mg 19%
Riboflavin 0.060 mg 4.5%
Thiamin 0.050 mg 4%
V itamin A 149 I U 5%
V itamin C 0 mg 0%
V itamin K 2.7 g 2%
Electrolytes
Sodium 1 mg 0%
Potassium 696 mg 16%
Minerals
Calcium 64 mg 6.5%
Copper 0.362 mg 40%
I ron 0.90 mg 11%
Magnesium 54 mg 13%
Manganese 0.296 mg 13%
Phosphorus 62 mg 9%
Zinc 0.44 mg 4%
Phyto-nutrients
Carotene- 89 g --
Crypto-xanthin- 0 g --
Lutein-zeaxanthin 23 g --
component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the
blood.
Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of
this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart
rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important
mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle
contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor
for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells.
Magnesium is essential for bone growth.
Further, the fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains
very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins
are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for
many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.
Selection and storage
Dates are readily available throughout the groceries' year
around. Some varieties of fresh, soft, good-quality fruits,
however, are found from September through December. In
certain dry regions of Africa, they picked while just reached
maturity and allowed to ripen inside the jars.
In the stores, one may come across soft, semi-dry, and
dried types put for sale. At home, store them at room
temperature in cool place inside an air-seal container where
they stay well for several months.
Preparation and serving method
High quality dates have been handpicked directly from the
bunch and sold as the premium variety in the markets. On a
commercial scale, most are harvested by cutting the entire
cluster, fumigated, cleaned, graded, packed, stored under
refrigeration, and released to markets according to demand.
Here are some serving tips:
Dry and soft dates are usually eaten out-of-hand.
They can be stuffed with fillings such as almonds,
walnuts, candied orange and cream cheese.
They can also be chopped and used with fruit salad
and in a range of sweet and savory dishes.
Dates are also being used to prepare juice and Jallab
(a type of syrup popular in the Middle East and made
from dates, grape molasses, and rose water).
Safety profile
Date fruit allergy is a rare occurrence. The fruits are safe to eat in infants, and pregnant woman. However, in
some sensitized individual to birch family pollen, exposure to date palm pollen may elicit cross-hypersensitivity
reactions. It is therefore, advised to avoid any food preparations that contain date palm products in these
individuals.(Disclaimer).
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Further reading and Resources:
1.United States National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
2.Date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera Linn): an emerging medicinal food By Vayalil PK.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22214443.
3.Evaluation of antioxidant and neuroprotective effect of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) against bilateral common carotid
artery occlusion in rats. By RR Pujari (In PDF) nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/.../1/IJEB%2049(8)%20627-633.pdf.
4. Phoenix dactylifera: An update of its indegenous uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-
internet-journal-of-pharmacology/volume-7-n umber-1/phoenix-dactylifera-an-update-of-its-indegenous-uses-phytochemistry-
and-pharmacology.html.
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