Dates are the perfect energizing snack to keep on hand at all times! There are many different varieties, all having slightly different taste and texture. Called the “Tree of Life”, the date palm is thought to be the first cultivated tree in history, having been grown for at least 8,000 years that we know of.
Directions for growing date palms are recorded on sun-baked bricks made in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago. The date palm is mentioned in the Bible, and in Eastern poetry. The date palm was carried to China about 1,700 years ago and in the seventeenth century, the Spaniards took date seeds to California.
Dates are one of the most nutritious forms of easily digested carbohydrates. Glucose or fructose is the main energy source in most dates, although the Deglet Noor, which is the most popular date grown in the US, contains sucrose.
Dates are an amazing source of fiber (8 grams in only 3 1/2 ounces), B vitamins, (niacin, B6, riboflavin, thiamine and pantothenic acid), as well as potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. They are a source of folic acid and zinc as well. For each ounce, dates have 260 percent more potassium than oranges and 64% more potassium than bananas.
Dates are one of the most alkaline of all foods, and contain a very unique type of soluble fiber called beta-D-glucan — which has been shown to decrease the body’s absorption of cholesterol, and to slow the absorption of glucose in the small intestine, helping to keep blood sugar levels even.
Beta-d-Glucan passes through the intestinal tract more slowly than insoluble fiber, which slows down gastric emptying (the rate at which the stomach digests and empties its contents after a meal) which can help in weight loss. Dates are also rich in antioxidant and anti-cancer compounds.
I love to eat dates whole, filled with a little almond butter, chopped up in salads, added to smoothies, as a flavor enhancer to vegan Moroccan stews and soups, and covered in raw chocolate! Enjoy some dates today.
