Dates are a popular food item, not just in the Middle East but all over the world. They have amazing nutritional properties and just a few dates can keep you energized for hours; one of the many reasons people buy them. Their consumption reaches the peak in Ramadan when Muslims worldwide buy it in kilos for their homes. It is the preferred food item of choice to break the fast. There are different types of dates and their benefits range from amazing taste to health-improving qualities.
Dates are sweet fruits packed with plenty of nutrients, making them a good snack in moderation. Although the nutritional value of dates is high in natural sugars, they may make a good substitute for refined sugars or empty-calorie sweets.
Dates grow on date palms in small clusters. The term date comes from the Greek word daktulos, which means fingers. Farmers harvest dates in the fall and early winter, so dates usually taste freshest at this time of year. However, many people eat dried dates, which can last for a long time in a sealed container. Breaking the fast with dates has always been a Ramadan tradition. In Hadith literature, it is written that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) would break his fast with ripe dates before he would pray. Therefore, eating dates during this time has a spiritual significance. Dates have a long history in the Middle East as they have been cultivated in the area for thousands of years. The hot, arid climate provides ideal conditions for date palms to thrive.
When fasting, the body can easily develop mild health conditions like low blood sugar, headaches, and lethargy. The nutrients found in dates can help alleviate these conditions and provide a source of energy. Dates are also known to help with digestion and can prevent an upset stomach when eating large amounts of food after a long period without eating. Historians believe that dates are one of the ancient fruits and their cultivation traces back to around 8,000 years ago. There are more than 200 varieties of dates with different shapes and flavors; however, all of them are rich in nutrition.
Dates are one of the best ingredients for a daily diet because of their numerous health benefits. The date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera L.) is widely grown in hot, dry locations, primarily in the Middle East and North Africa, and supplies nutrition, food security, and raw material to the food industry. It has been a staple food for generations and possesses several health benefits.
Dates are a natural reservoir of sugars such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Fresh dates have about 157 calories per 100 grams, and dry dates have more than 300 calories per 100 grams. Dates include extra nutritional components in the form of proteins, crude fiber, lipids, and antioxidants in addition to their high natural sugar content, making them a functional food with substantial health advantages. The predominant sugars in dates are fructose and glucose, which make up two-thirds of the overall fleshy content. Water accounts for one-fifth of the whole fleshy makeup, and the remaining (small) amount is dietary fibers. Protein, lipids, crude fiber, minerals, vitamins (particularly vitamin B), and tannins are also abundant in dates. Dates have significant nutritional content and can thus assist in meeting human dietary requirements.
Date flesh contains between 0.2 and 0.5% oil, whereas the seed or pit contains 7.7–9.7%. The primary unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids. The oleic acid concentration of date seeds fluctuates between 41.1% and 58.8%, making them a possible source of oleic acid. Dates contain 23 different types of amino acids, some of which are missing from popular fruits like oranges, peaches, grapes, and apples. A small quantity of vitamin C, vitamin B(1) thiamine, B(2) riboflavin, nicotinic acid (niacin), and vitamin A are also present in them.
Dates are divided into four groups based on their sugar content. Dates of the first class are high in sucrose (40-65%). These have a glucose and fructose content of 20-40% and water content of 10-25%. The dates in the second class are high in glucose and fructose (40-75%) but low in sucrose (10-35%).
The dates in the third class have a water content of 10-35%, glucose and fructose content of 65-90%, and sucrose content of 0-10%. Dates from the fourth grade have a lot of water in them (35-65%). These have a 35-37% glucose and fructose content, with no sucrose.
Date palm trees have been feeding people as a source of energy, nutrition security, and healthy fruit for the previous 5000 years in the worst climatic conditions. The following are some of the health benefits of date fruits. Soft, easily digested flesh and simple carbohydrates like fructose and dextrose make up fresh dates.
When consumed, they rapidly replenish energy and invigorate the body. Tannins, a type of health-promoting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidant, have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents easy bleeding) effects.
Antioxidant flavonoids like beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin can protect cells and other biological structures from the detrimental effects of oxygen-free radicals. As a result, consuming dates has been reported to provide some protection against malignancies of the colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreas. Zea-xanthin protects against age-related macular degeneration, which is common among the elderly. Potassium is an essential component of cell and body fluids, assisting in the regulation of heart rhythm and blood pressure, and so protecting against stroke and coronary heart disease.
Dates have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral characteristics, as well as the ability to prevent chronic inflammation and other disorders, due to their high phenolic content. Due to their high fiber and phenolic content, dates can aid in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and immune system regulation. Dates can serve as an important food in the human diet and they can play a significant part in human health and nutrition due to their unique nutritional content. Dates include a variety of functional and bioactive substances such as carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolics, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, all of which have anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-microbial, and immuno-modulatory characteristics.
There are many different types of dates available but some are more prominent than others and stand out from the rest due to their amazing qualities. One of the most noteworthy dates to mention here is the Ajwa date. Ajwa is a delicate and soft dry date fruit with a fine texture. It is cultivated in abundance in the Middle East, primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Madinah al Munawwarah, the city of the Prophet (PBUH), hosts some of the lushest date trees in the world. Ajwa is mentioned in the Hadith, making it one of the foods recommended in the Sunnah.
The author is a regular columnist