drink before going to bed for a couple of weeks and you are sure to see improvements.
12. Improve heart health
Dates have antioxidant properties that help prevent the formation of atherosclerosis and prevent cardiac diseases.
In addition to these benefits, dates also provide several benefits specific to you gender, according to PharmEasy:
Benefits of dates for males:
- Improve sexual health in men – Dates have been eaten for ages as a fabulous food that also enriches men’s sexual health. Some research states that dates can enhance your sexual stamina.
- Increase sperm count – Dates content flavonoids and estradiol which have positive effects to increase sperm count and sperm quality.
Benefits of dates for females:
- Tackles Iron Deficiency- According to studies it has been found that women are naturally more prone to suffer from low haemoglobin in the body. If you are suffering from an iron deficiency you should consider incorporating dates into your daily diet as opposed to purchasing the iron supplements. Consuming natural iron-rich foods is always the best option in place of having supplements or medications. For proper nutrition, have about 100 grams of dates each day which is equivalent to around 4 portions.
- Promote Natural Labor – Eating dates in the later stage of pregnancy can make you easy. It promotes cervical dilation and lowers the need for induced labour. Dates successfully mimic the action of oxytocin and bring natural contraction of uterine muscle during labour. Dates also have a compound called tannin, which also helps to facilitate uterine contractions during labor.
- Prevent Piles During Pregnancy – Piles are the most common problem during pregnancy due to poor intake of fiber. Dates are an amazing source of fiber. They may help reduce the risk of piles during pregnancy.
- Post-menopausal bone health – Research shows that bone loss in post-menopausal women can be reduced by increasing the intake of potassium. One dried date provides a high amount of potassium and other nutrients. Scientists believe that high potassium intake protects bone mass by reducing the amount of calcium excreted through the kidneys.
Proceed with caution
Such sweetness does come with calories: 66 per medjool date – which can add up.
Elnakib recalls one woman who would break her Ramadan fast by eating 10 dates. “And then she was complaining that she was gaining weight during Ramadan. I was like, ‘You know, maybe don’t break your fast with 10 dates.'”
Still, Elnakib is a fan. Her family originated in Egypt, where chopped dates are boiled with milk. “It’s similar to rice pudding, but not as gelatinous,” she shares. At the end of Ramadan, on the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, she’ll enjoy a shortbread-style cookie with date paste, a food that can trace its history to the time of the pharaohs.
Keep in mind that dates by themselves don’t make a dessert healthy. And even eaten alone, you have to be mindful of how many dates you consume, Elnakib warns. “Because they’re so sweet, and they’re not that big, it’s easy to eat a lot of them.”
Some people enjoy dates pitted and stuffed with heart-friendly almonds. They also are handy to have in the car, Elnakib notes. She might munch on three or four if she’s hugry and stuck in traffic.
Overall, she considers dates to be “a really great healthy snack,” and not just for special occasions. “You can have them every day.”
By the American Heart Association