Date Fruit

Date popularly known as “Dabino” is a delicious and nutritional fruit eaten by so many people all over the world. The date fruit is a one seeded fruit of the date palm tree, which is botanically known as “Phoenix dactylifera’. Date fruits are some of the sweetest fruit that forms a part of staple diet in Middle Eastern Countries. The date fruit is popularly in the Northern part of Nigeria and can be seen being hawked along the streets with tiger nuts.

The date palm begins to bear fruits at three to five years of planting and fully mature at 12years. It is best grown and cultivated in the arid regions of the world. The popular use of date fruit around the world includes date vinegar, chutney, and date paste for bakery products, flavorings and roasted whole date seeds. The trees buds (hearts of palm) are tasty additions to salads.

Dates contain several nutrients that support the heart, and being them fat-free do not add to cholesterol. Preserved, they still have about the same amount of natural sugars as an apple. The date fruit does not cause a spike in blood sugar because it contains fiber and vitamins that makes it heart friendly and healthy. One ounce of dates has 21 grams of carbohydrates, of which 18 grams is sugar.

There are three nutrients from dates that are essential for heart health.

1. Magnesium: Makes the muscles in your heart and blood vessels relax, which lowers blood pressure.

2. Potassium: Regulates the electrical impulses that maintain a steady heartbeat. It also counter balances the effect of sodium in your diet by lowering blood pressure.

3. Vitamin B6: Removes the amino acid homocysteine from your body, which lowers its level in your blood. High levels of homocysteine are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. One ounce of date supplies 3 to 5 percent of all three nutrients.

The date fruit digest easily allowing your body to make full use of it. The date fruit also contains vitamin A and K which we all know protects the eyes and maintains healthy skin and mucus membrane.  It also protects the lungs and the mouth from developing cancer. While vitamin K is a blood coagulant that helps metabolises the bones.

 Benefits and uses of Dates fruit for skin and hair.

Dates are often considered as a regular fruit by most of us. But many of us might be unaware about how good this fruit is for our skin and hair. Dates are beneficial for our body and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It is very important that we try to cultivate the habit of consuming dates on a frequent basis. Let us study some of the important benefits of dates for our skin and hair.

Benefits of dates for skin

Dates which is the sweetest fruits in this world contains vitamins A, B1,B2, proteins, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus which are very good for the skin, enriches the subcutaneous tissues and gives the skin a tender and smooth look.

 Benefits of dates for hair

The dates help the hair in optimal growth and it helps in maintenance of the hair. Consuming 2 to 3 dates every day helps the hair stronger and healthier.

Eating date fruit nourishes the hair root plus date helps the weak and brittle hair. It also cures anaemic women during menstruation and delivery if eaten effectively.

By Maimuna Bagudu.