Food Facts and Issues

Health Benefits of Dates

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The health benefits of dates are innumerable. It is a dry fruit that is sweet in taste and is rich in minerals and vitamins. These natural products contain oil, calcium, sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, copper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet.

Intestinal Disorders and Relieving Constipation                         

The nicotine content present in it helps in curing intestinal disorders by maintaining check on the growth of the pathological organisms and helping in the rise of friendly bacteria in the intestines. Contains insoluble and soluble fibre-help to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency and reduces risks of colitis, colon cancer and haemorrhoids.

Healthy Tips!!!

Soak dates overnight and take it along with water to have advantage over constipation.

 Flavonoids               

                                                                      

They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates protects from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung and pancreatic cancers.

 Healthy Tip: Put dates syrup in milkshake instead of sugar or honey which will reduce calories and give additional benefits

Mineral Content               

                                              

They are rich in minerals like iron,calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

  • Dates are an excellent source of iron being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells
  • Calcium an essential constituent of bone and teeth and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction.
  •  Manganese-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.

Healthy Tip: Dried dates are a rich source of niacin, copper, iron and magnesium.

Tannins                        

                                                                 

 Dates contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess

  • anti-infective
  • anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.

Healthy Tip: Add to roti flour to punch up the nutritional value

Vitamins                                                                           

  • contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin which act 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
  • Rich in vitamin A -helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers, have antioxidant properties, essential for vision, maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin.

 

Healthy Tip:  Drinking a juice made of dates soaked overnight in water will strengthen the heart and purify the blood.

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