Hello, Guest!

Article about are dates good for you:
| Food For Net
Dates Are Delicious And Seem To Provide A Healthy Way To Sweeten Your Food. So, Are They Actually Good For You? Are Dates Good For You?



Dates don’t tend to top the list when we talk about healthy food. They have benefits, sure, but they’re also pretty unexciting. Still, we must ask, are dates good for you, and should you be eating them regularly? There’s a huge variety of dates, with more than 200 different varieties. These vary in their texture and flavor, although the nutritional profile is always similar. So, you’ll see most of the same effects, regardless of the type of date that you choose. Medjool dates are the most well-known. These are soft, sweet, and surprisingly large. Their moisture content makes it easy to eat them directly. Other types include piarom dates, barhi dates, and thoory dates, to name just a few. Dates also have a long history. Their cultivation even dates back an impressive 4,000 years and perhaps much longer. Plus, the date palm is sometimes called the ‘Tree of Life’, which tells you all you need to know about how well-respected dates are. Table of Contents. Are Dates Good For Your Health? The Benefits Of Dates The Problems With Dates Can Dates Help You Lose Weight Are Dates Fresh Or Dried? Ways To Use Dates Things To Watch Out For Final Thoughts. The Benefits Of Dates. They Have Powerful Digestive Benefits. Dates, like prunes, are often associated with improved digestion. This effect happens because of their high soluble fiber content. This fiber helps to bulk out your stool and make it softer – a combination of features that is perfect for reducing constipation. The fiber also acts as a prebiotic. This means that your gut bacteria can use the fiber as food. The effect is crucial. Honestly, prebiotics are just as important as probiotics for your gut health. Fiber also helps to keep your blood sugar more balanced. This is why dates don’t spike your blood sugar as much as you would expect. The effect makes dates a relatively good snack for people with diabetes (one that’s much better than a candy bar). The Nutrients And Plant-Based Compounds. Dates are a concentrated source of many nutrients, including iron, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. These nutrients can all help to boost your health and they’re not even the most powerful feature. The iron is especially important, as it’s easy to be iron deficient. The risk of iron deficiency is higher if you’re relying on a plant-based diet. While dates don’t give you all the iron you need, they can certainly help. Beyond the nutrients, dates also offer an array of potent antioxidants, including flavonoids, phenolic acid, and carotenoids. Antioxidants like these help to reduce oxidative stress and protect your body from free radicals. Such effects have been linked to countless benefits, like decreasing inflammation and lowering the risk of diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, eye-related conditions, heart disease, and some types of cancer. Antioxidants aren’t unusual. You’ll find them in most plant-based foods. But, dates stand out, as they contain more antioxidants per serving than many other types of fruit. This is particularly true for dried dates. Why not use them as an easy way to boost your antioxidant intake? Might Decrease Inflammation. Somewhat surprisingly, dates may help to reduce inflammation and, by extension, lower your risk of inflammation-related diseases. The effect is unexpected because dates are high in sugar and there’s a strong link between sugar intake and inflammation. Even so, dates have some advantages, including the fact that they’re natural and unprocessed, their fiber content, and their antioxidants. Studies have highlighted this effect, showing that dates really do decrease inflammation. However, the inflammation-reducing effect comes from using whole dates. You’re not likely to see the same outcome if you use dates or date sugar as an alternative type of sugar in recipes. In that situation, the dates are likely to have a similar effect to other sources of sugar. Could Improve Labor. The link between dates and natural labor is more than just an old wives’ tale. Studies show that eating dates in the month or so before labor appears to increase the chance of entering labor naturally and decrease the time spent in labor. This effect doesn’t guarantee that dates will help with your labor. Still, they’re a delicious natural snack, so why not give them a try? The digestive benefits of dates are important here too, as these can help with constipation and other symptoms that sometimes come with pregnancy. May Lower Heart Disease Risk. Some of the features of dates are directly relevant to your heart disease risk. The soluble fiber, for example, can decrease levels of LDL cholesterol, along with blood pressure and blood sugar levels. The antioxidants are relevant too, as these may lower your triglycerides, which is important for your heart disease risk as well. The Problems With Dates. Their Oxalate Content. The first problem is that dates are high in oxalates. Oxalates are naturally occurring plant-compounds. They’re not dangerous in themselves, as our body expels them. However, oxalates can accumulate and increase the risk of kidney stones. You don’t need to cut out all oxalate-containing foods. But, it’s worth being cautious with high oxalate foods, especially if you’ve had a kidney stone in the past. Dates are concerning, as you may get as much as 24 milligrams of oxalates in a single date. That’s far too much for many people. The Amount Of Sugar. Dates are high in sugar, particularly if they’re dried. For example, a single pitted date weighs roughly 7 grams and contains 4 grams of sugar. While dates may be better than processed snacks, each date still ends up being more sugar than anything else. That’s not a good thing, especially with obesity and inflammation being so common these days. The sugar content also means that dates are high in carbs. The carb content might be an issue too. After all, there’s growing concern that the modern focus on high carb foods has led to many of the health problems that we see today. There Are Side Effects. Eating too many dates can cause a surprising number of side effects, including problems like bloating, a sore stomach, and constipation. These are common symptoms when people significantly increase their fiber intake, or if they do so without drinking enough water. To get around this, start slowly with dates (and any other fiber rich foods or supplements). Make sure that you drink plenty of water too. There’s also the risk of mold, which can lead to side effects like skin rashes and even allergic reactions. This is why you should always look for a reliable supplier, particularly if you’re buying dried dates. The High Potassium Content. The potassium content of dates can also be a problem in some cases. If you already eat many potassium rich foods or are overdoing it with the dates, then you might put yourself at risk of hyperkalemia. This is where your blood potassium levels are too high and it can be a dangerous condition. Potassium is processed in the kidneys, so anyone with kidney disease or poor kidney function may need to be cautious with the amount that they consume. Talk to your doctor to work out the best potassium intake for you. Can Dates Help You Lose Weight? Dates are sometimes promoted as a weight loss aid. This is partly because they’re high in fiber and offer more protein than you might expect. Fiber and protein rich foods tend to keep you satisfied and are an easy choice for weight loss. Plus, they’re natural, so snacking on them is much better than having a candy bar or something similar. You can also use dates to create homemade treats that are lower in calories and sugar than commercial products. Some authors even suggest that eating four or so dates per day could directly help with weight loss, which seems completely unrealistic. After all, while dates contain some fiber and protein, they’re hardly amazing in either area. You’d get more of both macronutrients from legumes and plenty of other foods. Don’t forget about the sugar content either. 100 grams of medjool dates contains 66 grams of sugar. That’s no small amount. High sugar foods like this are never a wise weight loss choice. How could they be? In the end, it’s better to see dates as a treat, rather than as something that will directly help with weight loss. Are Dates Fresh Or Dried? Dates can be slightly confusing, as there are both fresh and dried versions. Dried dates are often found in the baking section of the grocery store, while fresh versions are often found with the produce. Dried dates and fresh dates both contain the same nutrients.













which dates are good for weight gain


how long after expiration date are lunchables good


are dates good for sleep


are medjool dates bad for you


are dates good for bloating


what are dates good for you


what are dates good for weight loss


are dates and figs good for you


how are dates good for you