8 Health Benefits of Dates

 The health benefits of dates may include improved brain and heart health.

You can also eat dates to help with digestion and possibly ease labor.

1. Help Manage Blood Sugar

Consuming dates does not greatly affect blood glucose (sugar) levels because dates have a low glycemic index (GI).2 GI measures how fast foods raise your blood sugar. Low GI foods, like dates, raise your blood sugar slowly. Regulating your blood sugar helps manage type 2 diabetes and prevent heart disease.

2. Improve Digestive Health

Fiber regulates your bowel movements, which supports digestive health. Experts advise that women eat 25 grams of fiber daily, while men consume 38 grams. Three pitted Medjool dates provide 4.8 grams of fiber, which is about 13-19% of your daily goal.

In one small study, authors randomly assigned 22 women and men to eat seven dates daily or a carbohydrate and sugar mixture for 21 days. The groups switched after 14 days of no treatment. The authors found that people who ate dates had more frequent bowel movements.

3. May Ease Natural Labor

A meta-analysis of eight studies looked at the effects of dates on labor and delivery. The authors found that eating dates may reduce the period of the active phase of labor.4 This is when the cervix, or the lowermost part of the uterus, dilates from 6-10 millimeters. The cervix dilates (expands) during labor to allow the fetus to pass through the vagina.

Dates may improve the Bishop score, which measures how ready the cervix is for labor. The authors noted that dates do not affect the length of the rest of the labor or the frequency of Cesarean sections (C-sections).

4. Naturally Sweet

You have yet to use up any of your daily added sugar budget if you use dates to sweeten a meal or recipe. The sugar content in dates naturally occurs because they are whole, unprocessed fruits. The nutritional facts on an energy bar can list 0 grams of added sugar if it's sweetened only with dates.

Experts advise that you limit your added sugar intake. Some evidence suggests that added sugar increases the risk of heart disease and obesity.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar daily, which equals 25 grams or 100 calories. The AHA advises that men consume no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar, which is 36 grams or 150 calories.13

5. Protect Against Cognitive Decline

Certain compounds in dates help protect the brain. Preliminary research studies have found that dates may have therapeutic potential against cognitive decline

Dates are also part of the Mediterranean diet. This eating plan has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, which is a common type of dementia. Dementia impairs the ability to do daily tasks, memory, and thinking skills. Inflammation in the brain is a major cause of Alzheimer's disease.

6. Provide Nutrients

One pitted Medjool date supplies small amounts of a wide range of nutrients, including:

• Calcium: This nutrient assists your blood vessels and muscles in contracting and expanding, helps build strong bones and teeth, and secretes hormones.
• Magnesium: This mineral aids in muscle and nerve function, maintains a steady heartbeat, promotes strong bones, and supports your immune system.
• Potassium: Ounce for ounce, Medjool dates provide more potassium than bananas. Potassium moves waste out of and moves nutrients into your cells.
• Zinc: This nutrient helps break down carbs that your body uses for energy, promotes wound healing, strengthens your immune system, and supports cell growth

7. Rich in Antioxidants

Dates are rich in antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress and have anti-fungal properties. The antioxidants in dates include:

• Carotenoids
• Polyphenols, such as phenolic acids, isoflavones, lignans, and flavonoids
• Sterols 
• Tannins

8. Support Heart Health

Some evidence suggests that the high polyphenolic content of dates may benefit your heart. Polyphenols are bioactive compounds that naturally occur in plants. The polyphenols in dates help increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and reduce total cholesterol. Both significantly affect the risk for heart disease.

One study tested the effects of dates on blood fats and GI. The authors randomly assigned 100 adults with type 2 diabetes to eat three dates daily for 16 weeks or no dates at all.

People who ate dates had a statistically significant decline in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol. A measure of blood sugar control over the previous 2-3 months, or HbA1c, did not change.

Nutrition of Dates

One pitted Medjool date has the following nutrients:257

• Calories: 66.5
• Fat: 0.04 grams (g), or 0.1% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Sodium: 0.2 milligrams (mg), or 0.009% of the DV
• Carbohydrates: 18 g, or 6.5% of the DV
• Fiber: 1.6 g, or 5.7% of the DV
• Added sugars: 0 g, or 0% of the DV
• Protein: 0.4 g, or 0.8% of the DV

Risks

People with pollen allergies may have sensitivities to dates.26 Oral allergy syndrome happens when allergens found in raw fruits like dates produce similar reactions to pollen allergens. People with oral allergy syndrome rarely develop severe symptoms like anaphylaxix, unlike other food allergies.  Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.

Oral allergy symptoms include:

• Itchy mouth
• Scratchy throat
• Swollen lips, mouth, tongue, and throat

Consult a healthcare provider if you develop an allergic reaction after consuming dates. They can perform tests to check whether dates are causing your symptoms.

Tips for Consuming Dates

You can enjoy dates as is or use them in various ways, such as:

• Incorporate dates into cooked vegetables like sautéed kale or roasted cauliflower, garden salads, and vegetable stir-fries.
• Stuff dates with a nut and seed butter, plant-based "cheeses," or savory fillings, like olive tapenade and dairy-free pesto.
• Sweeten baked goods, chia or avocado pudding, energy balls, oatmeal, overnight oats, and smoothies with dates.
• Use puréed dates to make homemade plant-based "ice cream" mixed with add-ins like chopped  dark chocolate and pitted cherries, cinnamon, and plant milk.

Types

Dates range in color and size, depending on the type. Unripe dates may have a yellow color, while fully ripe dates have a deep brown color.

There are several types of dates, including:

• Fresh: These dates, such as Barhee dates, are only commonly found in places where date palm grows, such as the Middle East. 
• Wet: These include Hayany dates. They mature when refrigerating or storing at low temperatures.
• Semi-dry: Deglet Noor and Medjool dates are commonly found in grocery stores. They are chewy with a sweet taste. Medjool dates are known as "the king of dates" for their large size and sweet caramel flavor.
• Dry: These include Ameri, Halawi, Khadrawy, Thoory, and Zahidi dates. They are fibrous and tough.

How To Store

Store dates at low temperatures to protect their flavor, texture, and quality. Keeping your dates in an airtight container helps reduce moisture loss. You can keep dates at low temperatures for about 6- 12 months. Freeze dates to preserve them for longer periods.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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The Health Benefits of Greek Yogurt

There are many different types of yogurts on the market, but one that has gained huge popularity over the last few years is Greek yogurt. 

 

What makes this yogurt different from other yogurts is its nutritional profile. It’s full of calcium, protein, probiotics, potassium, and vitamin B12. To add to this, it also contains less lactose than other dairy products. Furthermore, the acidic property of this type of yogurt makes it easier for your body to absorb other important nutrients. 

 

 Greek yogurt is a versatile food that can be used in a number of ways. You can eat it on its own as a healthy snack, or on top of fruits and nuts of your choosing. It can also be added to smoothies or blended drinks. No matter how you choose to eat Greek yogurt, you’ll reap the benefits of its nutritional profile. 

 

Below you’ll find the top 8 health benefits of Greek yogurt. 

 

 1. Maintains Bowel Regularity

The probiotics also help to move food through the gut, promoting bowel regularity. Moreover, its nutritional profile helps with the digestion of other foods. This is also important for regular bowel movements and preventing problems such as constipation. 

 

2. Improves Digestive Health 

One of the main benefits of Greek yogurt is the probiotics it contains. Our digestive tract contains different types of bacteria – some good and some bad. The good bacteria that you get from the probiotics in Greek yogurt help to further increase the good bacteria in your gut and promote digestive health.

3. Aids Weight Loss  

If you’re trying to shed some pounds, including non-fat Greek yogurt in your diet is a must. Greek yogurt contains double the amount of protein that traditional yogurt has. Therefore, since the body takes longer to digest protein, it will help you feel fuller for a longer period of time. This will help to curb your appetite between regular meals, which is important when you’re trying to lose weight. 

 

Plus, Greek yogurt contains a good amount of calcium, which can limit fat production in the body. The iodine in Greek yogurt is important for proper thyroid functioning, which is essential for a healthy metabolism. The better your metabolism, the easier it is to lose weight.  

 

4. Controls Blood Pressure

To keep your blood pressure under control, add a few cups of Greek yogurt to your diet. The potassium present in it helps to control blood pressure. Just one cup of Greek yogurt contains 240mg of potassium. Potassium relaxes and prevents constriction of blood vessels, which would otherwise cause blood pressure to increase. This mineral also balances out the negative effects of sodium. Additionally, Greek yogurt is an important source of calcium and magnesium, which is believed to help lower blood pressure. 

 

5. Keeps the Brain Healthy  

The probiotics play an important role in maintaining a healthy balance between the gut and the brain. These are linked through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, where there are several neurons that are important for a healthy mind. 

 

To add to this, the vitamin B12 in Greek yogurt allows brain cells to form new connections, a process that allows memory formation. Vitamin B12 is a vital component of myelin, the coating that protects many brain cells. 

 

 6. Boosts Immunity 

A healthy immune system is a must if you wish to leave a disease-free life. To boost your immunity, you should consider eating Greek yogurt. Yogurts with live cultures can lead to higher levels of immunity-boosting cells. The healthy bacteria in the yogurt signal to the immune-boosting cells in your body to power up and fight off harmful germs. The good microbes also help the body absorb nutrients properly and make the digestive system strong. These two factors are extremely important in boosting the immune system. 

 

7. Fights Depression

The good microbes living in your intestines can influence your mood and anxiety level. In fact, eating some Greek yogurt on a daily basis gives a boost to these good microbes. Therefore, Greek yogurt can help fight off depression and improve your mood. 

 

Additionally, the potassium in Greek yogurt helps to maintain the electrical conductivity of the brain and nerve transmissions. It also helps in transporting serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of well-being and happiness.

8. Supports Bone Health  

When it comes to bone health, Greek yogurt is extremely beneficial as it contains calcium, which is important for building and maintaining strong bones and muscles. Without adequate calcium levels, bones will become weak and there is an increased risk of osteoporosis, a progressive disease which weakens bones, making them vulnerable to fractures. One serving of Greek yogurt contains 18.7% of your daily calcium requirement. 

 

Apart from calcium, the magnesium, protein, potassium, and phosphorous present in it work together to promote strong and healthy bones.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement