Dates

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Dates are one of the most ancient fruits grown by man. The fruits of the date palms are harvested. They have been grown since time immemorial in the desert areas of North Africa and the Middle East, where dates have been a major source of food for millennia. There is evidence that in these latitudes dates were valued as far back as 4000 years ago.

In general, dates are sold dried in packages. Fresh dates are hard and not tasty. Once ripe, they turn orange in color, and after fermentation acquire a dark brown color. On average, a date palm yields about 45-90 kg of fruit. Usually this palm lives about 100-200 years, and most fruits begin to bear when the palm reaches the age of 10-15 years.

Dates are high in carbohydrates and sugars, and an ancient Arab belief is that six of these delicious fruits are enough to cross the entire desert, defeat your enemies and spend exciting moments with your beloved woman. This is the reason why the Arab warriors took sacks of dried dates with them before going on a long campaign. Even when the warriors could find no other food, a few dates were enough to satisfy their hunger and provide them with energy.

The word date comes from Persian through Turkish hurma. The fruits are 4-8 cm long. More than 1500 varieties are known. As they mature, the dates lose their moisture and become sweet. Fresh dates have a strong aroma but are less sweet. After drying, they contain 10 times more protein, fat and carbohydrates.

Composition of dates

Dates are an important source of energy and in this respect surpass all other fruits. They contain absolutely all vitamins except E, and the largest and most important is the amount of vitamin B5 in them. They contain a complex of vitamins that strengthen the immune system and increase endurance. Significant amounts of sugar and fructose (about 75%), organic acids, vitamins C, B, P, carotene, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, protein, tannin, trace elements such as iron, iodine, zinc, copper and others.

And most importantly - dates contain active antioxidants. They reduce the level of bad cholesterol, but they can even change it. These fruits contain a lot of iron, magnesium and phosphorus, vitamins A and B and as many as 23 essential amino acids, which are absent in most fruits.

According to nutritionists, ten dates a day are enough to provide the necessary amount of magnesium, copper and sulfur, half the daily norm of iron and a quarter of the norm of calcium. In the dried dates contains 60-75% sugar (mainly glucose and fructose) - the highest percentage compared to all other fruits. There is a lot of folic acid, which makes them an important food for pregnant women.

At 100 g dates contains 282 kcal, 2.45 g of protein, 75.03 g of carbohydrates, 0.39 g of fat.

Selection and storage of dates

When buying dates on the market, make sure the package is tightly closed. The fruit must not have a crumpled rind. If the fruit is too dry, it means that it is either stored incorrectly or dried in poor conditions. The wine taste of dates is caused by special enzymes, which indicates insufficient quality processing of the fruit. When you smear the soft part of the fruit with your fingers, you can see if they are contaminated with insect larvae.

Dates, like other dried fruits, can be stored for a longer time at room temperature. Their nutritional and taste qualities are not lost for a year. However, it is still advisable to keep dates in a cool place, in airtight containers and away from direct sunlight. It is important that the dates are not kept in plastic bags, but in a cloth bag, pre-soaked in saline solution and then dried. This is a way to protect them from rot.

Dates in cooking

For thousands of years in Eastern culture, dates have been known to Europeans for only 100 years. However, this does not prevent the delicious fruit from quickly settling in European cuisine. Dates are usually served dried, drizzled with lemon juice or added cream. Dates are an integral part of some pastries, ice cream, yogurt. They are used to make pudding, mousses and marmalade. Dates are used to make various drinks - wine, sake, and their roasted seeds are used as coffee substitutes.

Benefits of dates

In terms of their taste, nutritional, medicinal and dietary properties, dates rank second after citrus fruits. Vitamin B5 has the ability to increase performance and enhance concentration and attention. Dried dates improve brain function by more than twenty percent, nutritionists say. Dates contain substances that are similar in structure to aspirin.

Even ancient healers used them to treat colds and headaches. Dates easily satisfy hunger and have the unique property of increasing the body's endurance.

In eastern countries, people have been eating dates for millennia, and it's no surprise that there are many long-lived people there. Dates reduce the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Nutritionists recommend eating dates instead of something sweet.

They are sweet, but the sugar in them is the harmless fructose and glucose. These hydrocarbons do not increase the level of insulin in the blood and therefore do not cause hyperglycemic syndrome, like ordinary sweets. Due to this fact, dates can be combined with fats and be entirely in the principle of a separate diet.

It is believed that a single date a day and a glass of warm milk can provide the substances necessary for survival. It is recommended to do it once a week for cleansing. Dates contain fluoride, which protects teeth from caries, and selenium, which reduces the risk of cancer and strengthens our immune system. They help with colds and are a good remedy against malnutrition.

Dates are especially useful for pregnant women. They strengthen the body's defenses, have a tonic effect and maintain mineral balance. Metabolic diseases respond well, especially in thyroid dysfunction, due to the high content of iodine in dates. In case of increased acidity of the gastric juice, dates are also useful. This delicious oriental fruit is a powerful tool for the prevention of cardiovascular and liver diseases.

Harm from dates

You should keep in mind that dates are very high in calories and should not be eaten in large quantities, especially for those of us who are prone to gaining weight. Dates have a sticky consistency that sticks to the teeth and can lead to plaque on the teeth. Therefore, brush your teeth well every time after eating dried fruit.

Quite often the processing of dates goes into industrial production and uses paraffin, which is harmful to asthma and allergies. Those of us who have problems with the digestive tract is good to consume dates and dried fruits in compotes or well soaked in water. Due to the tyramine contained in dates, which provokes the constriction of blood vessels, the fruits can cause migraines. It is also not recommended to eat kidney stones datesbecause they contain a lot of oxalic acid.