Dates are nutritious and highly valuable edible fruits obtained from some types of date palms. The regular use of dates in food favorably affects the state of health.
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The birthplace of date palms is Mesopotamia, where evidence was found of growing this tree 4000 years BC. Since date palms have high yields, for several millennia their fruits have served as one of the main types of food in the Middle East and North African countries.
Currently, more than one and a half thousand varieties of dates have been bred. Their main producers are Arab countries. Date palms are also grown in Mexico, Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia, and the southern United States.
Nutrients in dates
Date palm fruits contain the whole complex of amino acids, pectin and dietary fiber. Dates are also rich in vitamins and minerals, including B-complex, niacin, tocopherol, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
In addition, dates are a champion in the content of natural sugars, which quickly replenish the energy spent. Significant sugar content makes dates high-calorie foods. According to various estimates, the energy value of dates is from 220 to 280 kilocalories per 100 grams.
Due to the high nutritional value of date palm fruits, there is an opinion that a person can live for several years, eating only dates and water. Apparently, our ancestors adhered to similar views, because dried dates were often used as a food source on long trips and travels. The ancient hermits also ate dates.
Useful properties of dates
Due to the high potassium content, dates bring the greatest benefit to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. They stimulate the work of the heart, restore lost strength and rid the body of excess water. Dietary fiber, which is rich in dates, improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes cholesterol and removes toxic substances from the body.
The regular presence of dates in the diet has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and teeth, prevents the development of eye diseases, improves physical and mental performance, improves mood and increases the body's defenses. In antiquity, it was also believed that the fruits of the date palm have the properties of an aphrodisiac.