Date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around and also happens to come in many different varieties.
Although it can be eaten fresh, the fruit is very often dried, resembling raisins or plums.
People consume date fruit in several ways, such as mixing the paste with milk, yogurt or with bread or butter to make them even more delicious.
The paste is beneficial for both adults and children, especially during a time of recovery from injury or illness.
Here are six benefits of eating dates.
- Prevents night blindness
The benefits of dates are extensive, and are commonly employed to fight off various conditions affecting the ear, nose, and throat. When the leaves of the date palm are ground into a paste and rubbed on and around the eyes, or when dates are ingested orally, it has been shown to reduce the frequency of night blindness, and this solution is commonly used in rural areas where dates grow as an alternative medicine.
- Promotes heart health
Dates are quite helpful in keeping your heart healthy. When they are soaked for the night, crushed in the morning and then consumed, they have been shown to have a positive effect on weak hearts. Furthermore, they are suggested as a healthy and delicious way to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body, which is a major contributing factor of heart attacks, heart disease, and stroke.
- Boosts energy
Dates are high in natural sugars like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Therefore, they are the perfect snack for an immediate burst of energy. Many people around the world use dates for a quick afternoon snack when they are feeling lethargic or sluggish. Often when you exercise in a gym, outside or even on a stretching machine at home, you feel exhausted, chewing few dates at such times helps you regain your energy immediately.
- Strengthens bones
The significant amount of minerals found in dates make it a super food for strengthening bones and fighting off painful and debilitating diseases like osteoporosis. Date contains selenium, manganese, copper, and magnesium, all of which are integral to healthy bone development and strength, particularly as people begin to age and their bones gradually weaken. So eat your dates and give a boost to your bones.
- Reduces blood pressure
Magnesium has been shown to help lower blood pressure and again, dates are full of the mineral. Additionally, potassium is another mineral in dates that has several functions within the body, aiding with the proper workings of the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure.
- Increases sexual performance
Dr Aminu Kazeem, a sexual health therapist at Energy for Sex Clinic in Lagos said men who have performance problems should incorporate dates in their diet. “Eating dates will promote sperm quality and quantity as it is one of the best natural fruits used for male fertility. It also increases the size of testes in men and the size of breast in women. Consuming the fruit can help to treat sexual disorders because it is a natural aphrodisiac,” Kazeem said. He explained that dates contained high levels of estradiol and flavonoid which aid sperm motility and increase sperm count.
