Is eating dates good for you?

Consuming seven Ajwa dates each day may help prevent preeclampsia during pregnancy — and that’s just one of dates’ many health benefits

(Article republished from GreenMedInfo.com)

The health benefits of dates date to as far back as biblical times. Koran, the holy book of Islam, references the effects of the fruit for better birthing: Allah instructs the Virgin Mary to consume dates when she gives birth to Jesus.^[i] Within Islamic tradition, dates maintain a revered place in pregnant women’s health.

Now a new study echoes potential health gains from consuming dates during pregnancy, specifically how doing so may inhibit the progression of preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure during pregnancy that’s a leading factor in fetal and maternal deaths worldwide.^[ii] This is just one of the many health benefits of dates — an often-overlooked fruit in the U.S.

Dates May Support a Healthy Pregnancy

In a study published in December 2019, a group of researchers randomly assigned 40 pregnant women to a control group and an intervention group that received seven Ajwa dates every day. They then assessed the subjects’ mean arterial pressure (MAP) and roll-over test (ROT), a combination of measurements that can be used for predicting preeclampsia, before and after the eight-week study period.

The intervention group displayed a significant reduction in MAP and ROT after the experiment, pointing to the “remarkable potential” of ingesting seven Ajwa dates every day in slashing the risk of developing preeclampsia.^[iii] A significant decrease in MAP surfaced in the dates group on day 21, while the opposite was found in the control group.

By the time the study was complete, MAP dropped by 13% in the dates group and increased by 8.1% in the control group. Similar findings surfaced on ROT values, with the dates group showing a 66.4% reduction while the control group had a 5.6% increase.

The potential mechanism of action? The high levels of potassium and magnesium in Ajwa dates — important minerals that help control blood pressure, normal heart rhythm and muscle contraction. The potassium in dates acts as a main blood vessel regulator, while the magnesium helps lower diastolic blood pressure. Flavonoids in Ajwa dates also exhibit vasodilator activity that helps push blood pressure down.

Additional scientific literature also confirms the value of dates in pregnancy. A 2011 study concluded that date consumption for four weeks significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labor, producing “a more favorable, but non-significant, delivery outcome.”^[iv] The group’s date intervention reported results including improved cervical dilation, less damage to membranes, more natural labor and less drugs required, as well as shorter labor.

Dates for Brain Health, Reduced Cancer Risk

The powerful healing properties of dates don’t end in pregnancy, as the fruit has also been linked to the following benefits:

• Reduced colon cancer risk — A randomized, controlled, cross-over, human intervention study revealed that date consumption may reduce colon cancer risk without inducing changes in the microbiota or gut health.^[v]
• Increased male fertility — Date palm pollen seems to benefit male infertility by improving the quality of sperm parameters.^[vi]
• Neuroprotection in diabetic peripheral neuropathy — Date fruit extract may be effective in preventing diabetic deterioration and improving symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in animal models, compared with control groups.^[vii]
• Potentially reduced Alzheimer’s disease risk — Date seed extract may have beneficial effects in preventing induced Alzheimer’s in animal models, helping prevent the onset of the disease later in life.^[viii]
• Protection against DNA damage — Pre- and post-treatment regimens of date palm extract significantly restored induced DNA damage. This reflected in lowered occurrence of toxicity markers in the animal subjects’ bone marrow cells and inhibition of DNA fragmentation in their blood. ^[ix]

In an evaluation of the physical and chemical properties of the date fruit, researchers also found that date seed oils offer an abundance of fatty acids including oleic, lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acids.^[x] Calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus were also found at high concentrations, showing a rich nutritional profile in one food.

It is worth noting, though, that dates have high sugar content, mainly glucose and fructose.^[xi] This merits eating the fruit in moderation. The GreenMedInfo.com database features 71 abstracts with dates research, aiding in a closer review and assessment of the health-promoting properties of this celebrated food.

Read more at: GreenMedInfo.com