I had always loved dates, but realized
they are hard to find here in the Philippines.
In New York, almost all supermarkets carry an ample supply. I often had a quart of dates in the fridge, especially on weekends. They are
extremely delicious … and sweet.
A friend residing in Dubai suggested
that I visit with his family and feast on various kinds of dates. I might just take him up on it one of these
days. Be that as it may, according to
Wikipedia, dates have been a staple food of the Middle East and parts of South
Asia for thousands of years. They are believed to have originated around Iraq,
and have been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric
Egypt, possibly as early as 4000 BCE. The Ancient Egyptians used the fruits to
be made into date wine, and ate them at harvest. There is archaeological
evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia in 6000 BCE. (Alvarez-Mon 2006).
In addition, dry or soft dates are
eaten out-of-hand, or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds,
walnuts, candied orange and lemon peel, tahini, marzipan or cream cheese.
Pitted dates are also referred to as stoned dates. Partially dried pitted dates
may be glazed with glucose syrup for use as a snack food.
Dates can also be chopped and used in
a range of sweet and savory dishes, from tajines (tagines) in Morocco to
puddings, ka'ak (types of Arab cookies) and other dessert items. Date nut bread, a type of cake, is very popular in the United States, especially around holidays. Dates are also processed into cubes, paste called "'ajwa", spread, date syrup or "honey" called "dibs" or "rub" in Libya, powder (date sugar), vinegar or alcohol. Vinegar made
from dates is a traditional product of the Middle East.
Recent innovations include
chocolate-covered dates and products such as sparkling date juice, used in some
Islamic countries as a non-alcoholic version of champagne, for special
occasions and religious times such as Ramadan.
Most important, herewith a list of the
health benefits of consuming dates:
1) Dates are free from cholesterol and
contain very low fat. Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals.
2) They are rich sources of protein,
dietary fiber and rich in vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B5 along with vitamin A1 and
C.
3 )It helps improve the digestive
system as it contains soluble and insoluble fibers and different kinds of amino
acids.
4) Dates are great energy boosters as
they contain natural sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose. To get more
advantage add dates to milk and make it a very nutritious snack.
5) Dates are very low in calories and
are extremely suitable for health conscious people.
6) Dates are rich in potassium and
reduced in sodium. This helps regulate a healthy nervous system. Researchers
have revealed the fact that potassium intake up to a certain extent can reduce
risk of stroke.
7) Dates also help in lowering of the
LDL cholesterol.
8) Dates have high iron content and
are very useful in treating anemia. The patients can eat many dates for better
advantages.
9) Dates also have fluorine that slows
down the process of tooth decay.
10) It helps people suffering from
constipation. Soak dates overnight and take it along with water for added
advantage.
11) Dates help in weight gain and are
beneficial for those who suffer from over slimming problem.
12) Dates are excellent for alcohol
intoxication. It is known to cure abdominal cancer.
13) It also helps in improving eyesight
as well as night blindness.
14) The best thing is that it does not
have any side effect on the body and is completely natural as well as it works
better than medicine.
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Suggested reads:
Oregon State University: Dates – The holy fruit of Arabia
Organic Facts: Health Benefits of Dates
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