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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-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.
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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.
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Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
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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.
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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.
Dates provide several essential nutrients such as calcium, fibre, amino acids, sulfur, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, potassium and fats to the body.They are wonderful sources of dietary fiber and are rich in vitamins A1, B1, B2, B3 and B5. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet. Consumption of dates, not only pacifies the feeling of hunger with its sugar content, but also all of its nutritional value is absorbed by the body. This prevents people from overeating after a day of fasting.
- Dates help in fighting constipation. In order to get the benefits of 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.
- Dates are beneficial for curing abdominal cancer. They work as useful tonic for all age groups. They work as better as the medicines, and are natural and do not bear any side effects in the body. They can be easily digested and used for supplying extra and needed energy.
- Dates are believed to support good eyesight, particularly for low-light or night vision. One date a day helps maintain healthy eyes for one’s lifetime. Dates are effective in keeping night blindness problems at bay.
- Pregnancy is a time when a woman experiences extreme bloating, constipation and other intestinal problems. Dates is an excellent remedy for such intestinal disturbances. Moreover, being rich in iron, dates prevent anemia in mother and child. It is also believed to impart good memory and intelligence to the developing fetus. Dates is also seen to improve strengthen the uterine muscles and facilitates childbirth.
- To have healthy skin and hair is not an easy task in today’s busy life and for people like us, dates is our saviour. Just take a couple of dates everyday and you can see a drastic transformation in your skin and hair.
- Dates are one of the most nourishing natural foods. Containing 3,000 calories per kilogram (2.2 lbs.), just a handful taken with a glass of milk, can provide all the nutrition a person needs for the entire day. And because the natural sugars in dates are fructose and glucose, diabetics can safely consume them.
- Dates make a great snack. They are easy to digest and make an excellent source of energy, particularly after fasting or when recovering from illness. Dates are power packed with 29 grams of natural sugars (glucose, sucrose and fructose), 3 grams of dietary fiber and 31 grams of carbohydrates. Therefore, the tiny date fruit can be appropriately described as an energy boosting dry fruit.
- Dates are beneficial for curing abdominal cancer. They work as useful tonic for all age groups. They work as better as the medicines, and are natural and do not bear any side effects in the body. They can be easily digested and used for supplying extra and needed energy.
- By consuming dates, which contain an element called fluorine (this is responsible for the fruits enamel building) it is probable that they will assist in cavity prevention. However care should be taken when partaking in all dried fruits, as well they should be enjoyed in moderation. Rinsing your mouth with water during and after meals should help prevent tooth decay. After eating high sugar fruits that leave residue on teeth (such as dried dates) you should always brush your teeth.
- Besides the above mentioned date fruit benefits, dates are also known to cure intestinal disorders. Their nicotinic content helps keep a check on pathological organism growth. Moreover, dates help strengthen the uterus muscles, enabling it to dilate in a smooth manner during delivery. Dates also enrich the mother’s milk by providing it with nutrients beneficial for the baby’s health.
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