Dates: The sweet miracle fruit from the desert

General information about date palm

Already 4000 years ago the date palm was discovered in the Persian Gulf – and since then the fruit is known and popular as a superfood.

This superfruit is full of healthy and energy-rich ingredients and can be snacked on without much hesitation.

Due to the high sugar and calorie content, dates provide a lot of energy and refuel empty energy reserves. However, the fruit is equally packed with many valuable nutrients that, among other things, help to stay healthy and vital.

Nutritional values of the date at a glance

Boost for health

In addition to the listed vitamins and minerals, the rich dietary fiber also has a positive effect on our health.

For example, they support the gastrointestinal tract by helping the fiber to pass the intestinal contents. This support stimulates intestinal activity and thus prevents digestive problems.

The dietary fiber also makes you feel full quite quickly and can be used successfully in diets. The fast-onset satiating effect from the dates helps keep hunger at bay in between meals.

Important antioxidant supplier

Antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids and polyphenols, which are present in dates sufficiently and in large quantities, have an anti-inflammatory function and actively fight acute infections and inflammations in the body.

The individual antioxidants also help in other areas of the body, such as:

• Flavonoids: Reduces the risk of diabetes and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been found to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
• Carotenoids: Strengthens the health of the heart and eyes.
• Polyphenols: This antioxidant, like the other colleagues in the antioxidant group, also has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces the risk of developing heart disease.

Enjoy dates, but in moderation

Due to their very high energy content, dates are great battery rechargers and really get our engines going again, but they also have a lot of calories.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a few dates a day, here you can enjoy about between 3 – 5 dates a day, depending on the load on the body and energy consumption.

As mentioned in the previous section, the fiber in dates boosts digestion, although overindulging in dates tends to be counterproductive and a little too “stimulating” for the intestinal tract. Also, the consumption of dates stimulates the formation of melatonin. Melatonin helps to shut down the body and make it tired.

The shelf life of dates differs depending on whether they are dried or fresh: dried and airtight dates can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 years. Unbelievable, but true: Fresh dates are edible for a good 9 months when refrigerated and packed airtight.

Dates: Power food for athletes

It is hard to imagine an athlete’s diet without dates.

Just by sweating, an athlete loses many necessary minerals. These lost minerals are immediately replenished by eating dates pure or as an ingredient in bars.

We have also described the health-promoting aspects. Especially after high stress, the body of an athlete is weakened – so antioxidants are extremely important to prevent infections, among other things.

Power bars containing dates also provide quickly available energy – and how important this is, we do not need to explain much more 😉