This Week: Dates!

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree, which is grown in many tropical regions of the world. Dates have become quite popular in recent years. Almost all dates sold in Western countries are dried. You can tell whether or not dates are dried based on their appearance. Wrinkled skin indicates they are dried, whereas smooth skin indicates freshness.

Depending on the variety, fresh dates are fairly small in size and range in colour from bright red to bright yellow. Commonly consumed varieties include Medjool and Deglet Noor dates. Dates are chewy with a sweet flavour. They are also high in some important nutrients and have a variety of advantages and uses.
 
Dates have an excellent nutrition profile.
Since they’re dried, their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit. The calorie content of dates is similar to that of other dried fruits, such as raisins and figs. Most of the calories in dates come from carbs. The rest are from a very small amount of protein. Despite their calories, dates contain some important vitamins and minerals in addition to a significant amount of fibre.

Getting enough fibre is important for your overall health. Fiber can benefit your digestive health by preventing constipation. It promotes regular bowel movements by contributing to the formation of stool. In one study, 21 people who consumed 7 dates per day for 21 days experienced improvements in stool frequency and had a significant increase in bowel movements compared to when they did not eat dates.

Furthermore, the fibre in dates may be beneficial for blood sugar control. Fiber slows digestion and may help prevent blood sugar levels from spiking too high after eating. For this reason, dates have a low glycaemic index (GI), which measures how quickly your blood sugar rises after eating a certain food.
 
Antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause harmful reactions in your body and lead to disease. Compared to similar types of fruit, such as figs and dried plums, dates appear to have the highest antioxidant content.). Dates have been studied for their potential to promote and ease late-term labour in pregnant people. Eating these fruits throughout the last few weeks of pregnancy may promote cervical dilation and lower the need for induced labour. They may also be helpful in reducing labour time.
 
Dates are a source of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruit. For this reason, dates are very sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste. They make a great healthy substitute for white sugar in recipes due to the nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants that they provide. The best way to substitute dates for white sugar is to make date paste, as in this recipe. It is made by mixing dates with water in a blender. A rule of thumb is to replace sugar with date paste at a 1:1 ratio. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you’ll replace it with 1 cup of date paste.It is important to note that although dates are high in fibre and nutrients, they are still fairly high in calories and best consumed in moderation.

Detriments: 
Allergic reactions to dates aren't typical and are usually limited to itching and inflammation in and around the mouth. Mold or sulphites (added to dried fruits like dates as a preservative) are generally responsible for the symptoms of date allergies.  Symptoms often resemble asthma symptoms, ranging from mild wheezing to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction, which requires immediate medical attention. Many people with fruit allergies are also sensitive to latex or pollen. If you suspect you're allergic to dates, avoid eating them and talk to your doctor to determine the source of the problem.