benefits of dates

Dates are rich in magnesium

Magnesiumhas beenshown tohelp lower blood pressure

Dates are loaded with fiber. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, just one pitted date contains 1.6 g of fiber, or 6 percent of the recommended daily intake. Fiber is known for its ability to help lower cholesterol and fight and prevent obesity, heart disease and colorectal cancer.

Though the fiber in dates has the ability to lower cholesterol levels, researchers at the TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology in Israel report that dates have better results at lowering triglyceride levels, which is another type of fat in the blood. A study published in the Sept. 9, 2009, issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, shows that consuming dates may lower triglycerides by 8 to 15 percent. Reducing your triglyceride levels will lower your risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health

Adding dates to your diet delivers vitamins and minerals that are necessary to maintain optimum health. The primary vitamins in dates are the B vitamin family, with vitamin B6 topping the list. The B vitamins help with the metabolism of food and the formation of new blood cells. Other vitamins include K and A. Dates are an excellent source or minerals, with potassium in the No. 1 spot. Copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, iron and zinc complete the mineral profile.

Vitamin B5 present in dry dates is helpful in maintaining the health of our tresses. By including this superfood in your daily diet, you can prevent a number of hair problems like brittle hair, split ends, and so on. 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.

Dates have been found to promote growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines. Moreover, the nicotine content found in dates is also believed to help cure intestinal problems. Pregnancy is a time when a woman experiences extreme bloating, constipation and other intestinal problems. Dates are an excellent remedy for such intestinal disturbances. However, women with gestational diabetes must control the intake of dates, unless otherwise specified by the obstetrician.

Dates not only help improve bowel movements, but also clears toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. In order to benefit from the laxative properties of dates, one should soak dates overnight in water. The soaked dates should then be ingested in the morning along with the water to gain the actual advantages. The roughage provided by dates increases bowel movement, thereby solving constipation issues. Pregnant women are advised to eat dates to alleviate constipation, because it is not only a highfiber snack, but also contains lots of nutrients that are good for the growing fetus.

Dates excel all other fruits in the proportion of proteins; it contains 2% of proteins by weight and 23 % of harmless vegetable fats totally devoid of cholesterol. date fruits are both food and medicine. There is energy, protection, and cure in it. Next to breast milk, it is the first food that enters a babys stomach.

The Bedouins, who live in the desert, depends on the date palm tree for many of its daily needs including for medicine. The Middle Eastern traditional medicine hence, came from the Bedouins, who use various parts of date palm tree to treat a variety of ailments.