Dates nutrition facts
What nutrients are there in dates? A lot indeed! Here are sweet, delicious fruits from the tropical oasis, brimming with much-needed minerals and energy to help you stay fit and healthy.
Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus:Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.
The date fruit is a "drupe" in which outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 3–7 cms long, and 2–3 cms diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to depending on the variety.
There are many varieties of date palm cultivated. ‘Amir Hajj’, ‘Saidy’, 'Khadrawy' and 'Medjool' is some of the important varieties that are popular for their superior quality.
Health benefits of dates
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 277 Kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 74.97 g | 58% |
| Protein | 1.81g | 3% |
| Total Fat | 0.15 g | <1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 6.7 g | 18% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 15 µg | 4% |
| Niacin | 1.610 mg | 10% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.805 mg | 16% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.249 mg | 19% |
| Riboflavin | 0.060 mg | 4.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.050 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 149 IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin K | 2.7 µg | 2% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 696 mg | 16% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 64 mg | 6.5% |
| Copper | 0.362 mg | 40% |
| Iron | 0.90 mg | 11% |
| Magnesium | 54 mg | 13% |
| Manganese | 0.296 mg | 13% |
| Phosphorus | 62 mg | 9% |
| Zinc | 0.44 mg | 4% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 89 µg | -- |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 0 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 23 µg | -- |
Selection and storage
Dates are readily available throughout the groceries' year around. Some varieties of fresh, soft, good-quality fruits, however, are found from September through December. In certain dry regions of Africa, they picked while just reached maturity and allowed to ripen inside the jars.
In the stores, one may come across soft, semi-dry, and dried types put for sale. At home, store them at room temperature in cool place inside an air-seal container where they stay well for several months.
Preparation and serving method
High quality dates have been handpicked directly from the bunch and sold as the premium variety in the markets. On a commercial scale, most are harvested by cutting the entire cluster, fumigated, cleaned, graded, packed, stored under refrigeration, and released to markets according to demand.
Here are some serving tips:
- Dry and soft dates are usually eaten out-of-hand.
- They can also be chopped and used with fruit salad and in a range of sweet and savory dishes.
- Dates are also being used to prepare juice and Jallab(a type of syrup popular in the Middle East and made from dates, grape molasses, and rose water).
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