Ramadan Superfoods - Dates

Ramadan Superfoods - Dates
By: Shamimuz Zaman – OC Health

A Muslim eats dates to break their fast along with a glass of water. How much do we know about this great super food? We will consider facts, nutritional food values, benefits of dates and explore this fascinating food.



Brief History

Dates (Arabic: tamr) have been a staple diet of the Middle East for thousands of years. They are believed to have originated from the Persian Gulf, and have been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 6000 BC.

There’s archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia in 4000 BC. Later, Arabs spread the dates into northern Africa and into Spain – Spaniards introduced dates to California.

Great Nutrition

Dates are loaded with the energy you need everyday, with only 24 calories per date (248 per 100 gram serving). Dates are high in dietary fibre, low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Very few other fruits offer this healthful combination.

A handful of dates will help meet the 5 a day goal. Five to six dates or a cup of chopped dates equals one serving. Dates are a good source of dietary fibre. A serving of dates can provide 3 grams of fibre. That’s 14% of your recommended intake!

Dates contain 31 grams of carbohydrates (a powerhouse of energy!). Carbohydrates include 3 grams of fibre and 29 grams of naturally occurring sugars such as fructose, glucose and sucrose making the perfect energy boosting snack.

Eating dates and drinking water is an ideal way to replenish potassium. A serving of dates contain 240 milligrams of potassium or 7% of the recommended daily value. Bite for bite, they have three times the amount of potassium as bananas!

Dates contain a variety of B-complex vitamins; these vitamins have a variety of functions that help maintain a healthy body. Magnesium is essential for healthy bone development and for energy metabolism. One serving of dates provides 4% of the suggested daily intake of magnesium. Iron is essential to red blood cell production. Red blood cells carry all the nutrients to cells throughout the body. One serving of dates contain nearly a third of the recommended dietary allowance of iron.

Today’s healthy diets recommend eating foods that are low in sodium, fat, cholesterol and high in fibre. Dates fit perfectly into a healthy lifestyle.

Benefits of Dates

• Dates contain certain stimulants which strengthen the muscle of the uterus in the last few months of pregnancy. This would then assist in the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery.
• Dates have high tannin content and have cleansing power and astringent in intestinal troubles.
• Modern science has shown that they are very effective in preventing abdominal cancer.
• When the body absorbs the nutritional essence of a few dates, the feeling of hunger becomes appeased.
• It would seem that breaking the fast with dates helps one avoid excessive eating.
• Dieticians consider dates are the best foods for women in confinement and those who are breastfeeding.
• Dates can be used to overcome giddiness, fall in sugar level in the blood and low blood pressure are among causes of giddiness.
• Dates are effective in keeping healthy eyes, uits quite effective in guarding against night blindness.
• Placing bits of chewed date inside the mouth of a new born baby dramatically reduces pain sensation and heart rate (British Medical Journal)
• Dates provides great source of energy boost. Hence Muslims often break their fast with.

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Here's some information that is worth reading:

Healing Foods & Herbs - from crescentlife.com [topics include: Barley, Dates, Garlic,Ginger, Green Tea, Henna, Honey, Kalonji, Kasni, Khambi Mann Mushroom, Methi (Fenugreek),Neem, Olives (Zaitoon) & Thyme]

Miracle Foods From Allah - from Islamonline.net [topics include: Spirulina (Blue Green Algae), Kelp, Honey, Bee-Pollen, Royal Jelly, Wheat Grass, Alfalfa]