What are the health benefits of dating?

Answer 1

Dates are a good source of firbe, wich helps maintain a healthy digestion system. They are good at preventing problems like constipation and, more severly bowl, cancer.
Dates health benefits

Narrated by Sad :I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Whoever takes seven 'Ajwa dates in the morning will not be effected by magic or poison on that day."

The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) likened a good Muslim to the date palm, saying, "Among trees, there is a tree like a Muslim. Its leaves do not fall."This tree gives us a sweet fruit which is our concern here: dates.

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) is reported to have said: "if anyone of you is fasting, let him break his fast with dates. In case he does not have them, then with water. Verily water is a purifier."

Dates are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus: Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. Date palm grow extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents. They are very important fruit for Muslims and even miraculous and they have many health benefits.

Dates in a religious term

Twenty centuries ago, Sayyidah Maryam mother of Issa (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) had dates as her food when she felt labor pains and during confinement. They are definitely the "crown of sweets," and ideal food which is easy to digest, and within half an hour of taking it, the tired body regains a renewed vigor. The reason for this is that a shortage of sugar in the blood is the main factor that makes people feel hungry and not an empty stomach as is often assumed. When the body absorbs the nutritional essence of a few dates the feeling of hunger becomes appeased. And as mentioned in the beginning, Muslims break their fast with a date(s) just because when one breaks the fast with dates and want to take some other foods afterwards, he cannot eat much. It would seem that breaking the fast with dates then helps one avoid excessive eating.

The Prophet ((sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)) has emphasized the importance of dates and their effectiveness in the growth of the fetus. He has also recommended dates as a medicine for heart troubles, according to some reports. It is said that he used to combine dates with bread sometimes. At other times he mixed ripe dates with cucumber, or dates combined with ghee. This combination indeed makes a self-sufficient and tasty diet for both mind and body .He used to take all varieties of dates, but he preferred the variety called Ajwah which is from Al-madina Almunawwarah which is said to be the most nutritional variety.

Dates in modern science

Modern science has proved that dates are part of a healthy diet. They contain sugar, fat, proteins, fibers as well as important vitamins. They are also rich in oil and minerals. Hence the great importance attached to them by the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam). Dates provide the nutrients you need, while satisfying your sweet tooth. The following points are some of its health benefits.

Dates are a source of antioxidants. All dates, fresh or dried, contain different types of antioxidants. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Dates contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties. They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations. Fresh dates contain anthocyanidins and carotenoids, while dried dates contain polyphenols - just like green tea. Experiments in food chemistry show that Khalas (aka Madina) dates are highest in antioxidants when compared to other date varieties.

Dates have antidotes. As shown in the late hadithof the prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) that anybody eating seven ajwa dates will not be intoxicated in his day, dates contains some antidotes such as calcium and pyridoxine (vitamin B6); an antidote for INH overdose.

Dates for energy economy. Studies show that eating refined sugar causes energy depletion, also known as the dreaded "sugar crash" when empty calories use our body's vitamins and minerals to turn it into fuel .Instead of using your resources for building health, refined sugar uses your resources and creates a deficit! A big solution of this abuse is consuming dates (natural fructose and dextrose),

Dates is rich in fibers. Natural dietary fibers (dietary fiber comes in two forms - soluble and insoluble. Each serves a valuable function. Insoluble fiber increased the rate at which food moves through the digestive system. Soluble fiber may help control Diabetes by decreasing elevated blood glucose levels. Soluble fiber also had been found to help lower serum cholesterol levels, particularly undesirable loud density lipoprotein (LDL) as it prevents its absorption in the gut.

Dates is source of mineral. Minerals like calcium, Sulphur, iron, potassium, phosphorous, calcium,manganese, copper, and magnesium are present in date fruits. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth. In other words, one date is a minimum of a balanced and healthy diet.

Dates is a good source of vitamins. The fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism. Vitamin A which control vision and prevent lung cancer.

Dates can be good for blood sugar balance. Diabetes researchers have shown that dates have a low glycemic impact. This means that eating dates alone, or with a meal, may help people with type-2 diabetes manage their blood sugar and blood fat levels. Six to eight Tamer dates can be eaten in one sitting without dramatic shifts in blood sugar.

Dates can help reduce blood pressure. A standard serving of five or six dates provides about 80 milligrams of magnesium, an essential mineral that helps dilate blood vessels. Research shows that supplementing with 370 milligrams of magnesium can reduce blood pressure. However, taking such a large dose all at once often causes diarrhea. Dates are a delicious way to increase your magnesium intake more gently.

Dates contain a brain booster. Each little date contains over two milligrams of choline, a B vitamin that's a component in acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter. Higher choline intake is associated with better memory and learning, making it a key nutrient for children and older adults at risk for Alzheimer's.

Dates help maintain bone mass. Research shows that bone loss in post-menopausal women with osteopenia can be reduced by increasing intake of potassium. One dried date provides nearly 140 milligrams of this valuable nutrient. Scientists believe that high potassium intake protects bone mass by reducing the amount of calcium excreted through the kidneys.

Dates help strengthening bones. As dates are also rich in calcium, they help strengthen the bones. When the calcium content in the body decreases, children are affected with rickets and the bones of adults become brittle and weak.

Dates are good for pregnant women. Experiments have also shown that dates contain some stimulants that strengthen the muscles of the uterus in the last months of pregnancy. This helps the dilation of the uterus at the time of delivery on one hand and reduces the bleeding after delivery on the other. This explain us scientifically why Maryam has been told (by Allah)to eat dates.

Dates are valuable for mothers and their babies. Dieticians consider dates as the best food for women in confinement and those who are breast-feeding. This is because dates contain elements that assist in alleviating depression in mothers and enriching the breast-milk with all the elements needed to make the child healthy and resistant to disease. They are effective in the growth of the fetus.

Dates cure nervosity .Modern dietary institute now recommend dates to be given to children suffering from a nervous nature or hyperactivity. Calcium helps nerve impulse conduction.

Dates cure abdominal cancer.Modern medicine has shown that they are effective in preventing abdominal cancer. Their fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.

Dates control the performance of the heart. Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary Heart diseases. When the level of trace elements falls in the body, the health of the blood vessels is affected leading to an increased heart-rate and a consequent inability to perform its function with normal efficiency.

Dates are good for vision and respiratory system. They are moderate sources of vitamin-A(contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. It is quite effective in guarding against night-blindness. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from respiratory system( lung and oral cavity )cancers.

Abstract

The fruits (dates) of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) contain a high percentage of carbohydrate (total sugars, 44-88%), fat (0.2-0.5%), 15 salts and minerals, protein (2.3-5.6%), vitamins and a high percentage of dietary fiber (6.4-11.5%). The flesh of dates contains 0.2-0.5% oil, whereas the seed contains 7.7-9.7% oil. The weight of the seed is 5.6-14.2% of the date. The fatty acids occur in both flesh and seed as a range of saturated and unsaturated acids, the seeds containing 14 types of fatty acids, but only eight of these fatty acids occur in very low concentration in the flesh. Unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids. The oleic acid content of the seeds varies from 41.1 to 58.8%, which suggests that the seeds of date could be used as a source of oleic acid. There are at least 15 minerals in dates. The percentage of each mineral in dried dates varies from 0.1 to 916 mg/100 g date depending on the type of mineral. In many varieties, potassium can be found at a concentration as high as 0.9% in the flesh while it is as high as 0.5% in some seeds. Other minerals and salts that are found in various proportions include boron, calcium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, sodium and zinc. Additionally, the seeds contain aluminum, cadmium, chloride, lead and sulphur in various proportions. Dates contain elemental fluorine that is useful in protecting teeth against decay. Selenium, another element believed to help prevent cancer and important in immune function, is also found in dates. The protein in dates contains 23 types of amino acids, some of which are not present in the most popular fruits such as oranges, apples and bananas. Dates contain at least six vitamins including a small amount of vitamin C, and vitamins B(1) thiamine, B(2) riboflavin, nicotinic acid (niacin) and vitamin A. The dietary fiber of 14 varieties of dates has been shown to be as high as 6.4-11.5% depending on variety and degree of ripeness. Dates contain 0.5-3.9% pectin, which may have important health benefits. The world production of dates has increased 2.9 times over 40 years, whereas the world population has doubled. The total world export of dates increased by 1.71% over 40 years. In many ways, dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits

Answer 2

I SAY, if a person dates he or she won't feel alone. At least you know that there's someone out there who cares about you and listens to you. This helps people physiologically cause you then are occupied with that person and he or she actually pulls you away from doing all sorts of bad things. So there you have it, if you don't want to occupy yourself with all the bad things like depression which leads to smoking and drinking which affects your health go find yourself a date and go Bowling with him or her!