7 Surprising Health Benefits of Dates

By Daily Health Post      February 23, 2015

Date fruits have a long history of cultivation for their health benefits, as well as for their sweet taste.

But today we have the advantage of knowing the exact nutritional content and health benefits of dates – and fresh or dried, there are plenty of health benefits to this small fruit.

They’re rich in fibre, potassium, and copper, and on top of that they taste great, too.

The following nutritional data is based on a 100 gram serving of dates.

  • Fibre: 6.7 grams or 27% of recommended daily allowance
  • Potassium: 696 milligrams or 20% of recommended daily allowance
  • Copper: 0.4 milligrams or 18% of recommended daily allowance
  • Manganese: 0.3 milligrams or 15% of recommended daily allowance
  • Magnesium: 54 milligrams or 14% of recommended daily allowance
  • Vitamin B6: 0.2 milligrams or 12% of recommended daily allowance

While they’re also high in sugar content, the health benefits of dates make them well worth making a part of your diet.

Some of the health benefits of dates include:

1. Promoting Digestive and Heart Health

Dates are high in fibre, which is essential for keeping you regular and promoting digestive health. The fibre in dates cleans out the gastrointestinal system, allowing your colon to work more efficiently.

Dates can be coupled with home remedies for hemorrhoids as well – they also reduce your risk of colitis and colon cancer. Fibre is also essential in promoting heart health and can lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Being rich in magnesium, dates are also known for their anti-inflammatory effects. “High magnesium intake is associated with lower concentrations of certain markers of systemic inflammation”, one recent study concluded. Magnesium’s anti-inflammatory effect can reduce your risk of arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s, among other health problems.

3. Reduced Blood Pressure

The benefits of magnesium don’t end with it being only a natural anti-inflammatory; magnesium also helps lower blood pressure. Dates also contain plenty of potassium, which can reduce blood pressure and promote overall heart health.

4. Reduced Risk Of Stroke

Dietary magnesium intake is also associated with a decreased risk of stroke, especially ischemic stroke, according to a 2011 survey in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers evaluated 7 studies and found that for ever 100 milligrams of magnesium consumed per day, a person’s risk of
stroke was reduced by 9%.

5. Pregnancy Health

If you’re pregnant you have extra reason to stock up on dates, according to a study from the University of Science and Technology. “The consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labour, and produced a more favourable… delivery outcome,” the study concluded.

6. Brain Health

One study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that enough B6 vitamin can significantly improve your test scores, by boosting your brain performance. The study adds that “vitamin B supplementation has been proposed to prevent of reverse cognitive decline”.

7. Weight Loss

High-fibre foods like dates are the cornerstone for many weight loss plans, and for good reason. They taste great, make you feel full, and can be used as a healthier snack than the processed sweets you’d normally eat.

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