Keeping Up With 'Dates'

Ever been on a date before? Yea! Many, many times I hear you guys say. Did it all work? Many went sour, I know.  But did you give up? No, you don’t give up. You keep on. You try again and again, till you win. Here, I want to propose a date to you. It’s not like the ones you’ve had before; not the romantic engagement with some licentious, promiscuous, cheap ladies; it is a valuable, purposeful and far enriching romance with a ‘special’ fruit. But you need to keep up with this date. You need to be faithful…and then you will definitely gain. It is the Date palm fruit! How much do you know about this elegantly charming fruit? I’ll tell you more. Come…

Dates are fruits of the date palm, a tree mainly grown in the dry arid regions. It is native to Africa (mainly North Africa) and western Asia. Here, it is most popular and common in the northern part of the country. We call it Debino. Remember? Dates can be eaten fresh or dried. Though used as ingredient in sweets, cakes and other recipes, it offers several nutritional benefits. Dates are considered an ‘incredible’ fruit. Generally, fruits are recognized as having essential features which medical scholars describe as ‘great boon’ for good health. But there are fruits with greater difference, quality and efficacy, and date is one.

 An “almost perfect food,” researchers at the Department of Health and Human Services in London calls it. This is based on its nutritional content and health benefits; and if you are fond of dates, it is almost certain you are a witness to that claim.

The London researchers noted the mineral content of dates to be a minimum of 15, with the highest concentration in potassium, magnesium, selenium and calcium. Potassium is needed by the body to help fight high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease, and to assist in kidney function. One cup of chopped dates, research shows contains 964 mg of potassium. So, it is easy to see how dates can help control your blood pressure and enhance kidney function. Just think. How many have died or are still locked in the dungeon of these terrible body dysfunction – the heart and kidney disease? And then imaging how many lives would be saved if we keep up with “dates.”

According to a research at a Colorado State University, “the way this works is that as the amount of potassium in the body increases, it encourages the excretion of sodium, thus lowering blood pressure.” Selenium, being a vital nutrient in dates, is also known to help fight cancer and build the immune system.

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry report that dates are an excellent source of antioxidants, primarily carotenoids; they are believed to be a rich source of fibre, which is needed for the elimination of toxins from the body. 

Incidentally, there is wide anxiety that dates consumption raises blood sugar level. But studies have shown this to be erroneous. Of truth, dates are high in sugar, but experts observe that they are natural sugar, which make dates an excellent sweet treat, and this has earned it the right to be called “nature’s candy.” Hmmm!  A Nutrition Journal in 2011 says sugar contained in date is actually a ‘low-glycemic index food’ and do not raise blood sugar levels. So, feel free!

Besides, the fact that dates are termed laxative food is no exaggeration as they are highly beneficial to people suffering from constipation. Also, for intestinal disorder, dates have proven an incredible source of relief. Continuous intake of dates helps check growth of pathological organisms, and thus help rise in the friendly bacteria in the intestine.

Still more, dates are equally helpful in maintaining a healthy heart condition, curing abdominal cancer as well as controlling diarrhea. And if you are sexually weak, it is good news to know that dates are essentially beneficial for improving sexual stamina in the human body. See? Why not keep a date with the ‘dates’…and live well.