Dates are healthy and are among the most commonly eaten dried fruits. Dates are the perfect candy substitute. Of course they contain fruit sugar, but they also contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. 100 grams contains 8 grams of fiber. In the United States, the cancer institute recommends eating 30 grams of fiber per day. Dates are a perfect source of healthy, natural fiber.NB! This article is written from the personal view of the author and may contain information that is not scientifically substantiated and/or in line with the general view.

Contents:

• Where do dates originally come from?
• Dates as a sugar substitute
• Vitamins in dates
• Minerals in dates
• Phytonutrients in dates
• Date as preventive medicine
• Dates are an aphrodisiac
• Wash dates
• Eating tips dates

Where do dates originally come from?

Dates grow on the date palm. This tree is native to Mesopotamia and along the Nile in Egypt. It is known that people ate dates 5,000 years ago. Of course, it is difficult to determine whether people also ate dates before this. The Sumerians and the ancient Egyptians, two cultures that form the basis of modern history, at least mentioned the date as a delicacy.

Dates as a sugar substitute

Dates are ideally suited to serve as a sweetener in tarts. When you use dates you no longer need sugar. Dates are often used by raw foodists. Dates are for sale dried in many supermarkets. Nowadays, especially in the big cities, there are small Turkish, Moroccan or other Mediterranean shops everywhere where you can buy excellent dates.

Vitamins in dates

Dates contain a lot of nutritional value in the form of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The vitamins from the B complex are especially well represented in the date. The fruit contains relatively the most vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). 100 grams of dates contain 19% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of B6. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is also high in it, 16% of the RDI. Furthermore, the date contains 10% of the RDA of niacin (B3), 5% of the RDA of vitamin A and 4.5% of the RDA of riboflavin (B2). Folic acid (B11) and thiamine (B1) both contain 4% of the RDI.

Minerals in dates

As far as minerals are concerned, the date contains a lot of copper. An ounce of dates accounts for 40% of the RDI for copper. It is a rich source of potassium; There is 16% of the RDA of potassium in an ounce of dates. For manganese and magnesium, this amount contains 13% of the RDA. Furthermore, 100 grams contains 11% of the RDA of iron, 9% of the RDA of phosphorus, 6.5% of the RDA of calcium and 4% of the RDA of zinc.The date palm / Source: Nepenthes, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Phytonutrients in dates

Dates contain tannins. These have an anti-inflammatory effect. Dates also contain lutein and zeaxanthin. These are substances that help prevent cancer because they eliminate free radicals. Free radicals cause cell damage and DNA damage. If this becomes too large, the risk of developing cancer increases. Eating dates mainly helps against colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer. Zeaxanthin is known to be absorbed through the eyes and prevent age-related cataracts. Dates are an excellent addition to a diet during chemotherapy.

Date as preventive medicine

There are various diseases against which a date has a preventive effect.

• Because it contains zeaxanthin, which prevents cataracts, it prevents blindness in the long run.
• It works well against constipation because it contains a lot of fiber,
• It has a preventive effect against cancer due to the same fibers plus the tannins and vitamins,
• In addition to treating constipation, dates are good for diarrhea because this tropical tree fruit contains a lot of potassium,
• Dates are healthy and the ideal food to gain strength.

Dates are an aphrodisiac

In addition to the above-mentioned healing properties, you can use dates as an aphrodisiac. Of course it can be very exciting to feed your partner a date, but you can also use a special recipe for an aphrodisiac. To do this, soak a handful of dates in goat’s milk for 12 hours. You must remove any seeds. Then puree the dates in the same milk with caraway and honey. This makes you able to have sex for longer and reduces infertility.Source: Justus Nussbaum, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)

Wash dates

Dates are sticky. If they are not wrapped properly, all kinds of substances can stick to them. It is recommended to rinse them well under the tap before eating to ensure that they are properly clean. Dates can be soaked in water. Soaked dates are easier to use in dishes. You can make a sweet paste with which you can sweeten desserts or you can use this sweet paste as a sugar substitute in a cake.

Eating tips dates

The date is a delicious sweet snack fruit. With snack fruit like dates you no longer need sweets. You can easily cut dates into small pieces and add them to a mixed fruit salad. The whole thing becomes a little sweeter. Dates are also used in a green salad. They mix well with almonds, walnuts and cream cheese. Dates can be crushed and added to muesli instead of sugar. Dates are used to sweeten raw food pastries. Dates are great to mix with grains, coconut and chocolate; that gives a sweet filling for a cake or you can use this mix as a healthy sweet sandwich filling.

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