It is recommended to start Iftar by eating 2-3 dates, as it provides the body with sugar, helping restore low blood sugar after fasting all day. One of the most common reasons for headaches or dizziness during Ramadan is low blood sugar, which is why eating dates is very beneficial at the start of Iftar.
What are the benefits of dates?
Provide vitality: being rich in calories and sugar (80% of the date is made of sugar), as well as being easily digested and absorbed, they provide you with an immediate source of energy
- Rich in essential nutrients: dates contain 6 vitamins and 15 minerals and are especially rich in calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium and potassium
- Full of fiber: this facilitates digestion and moderates bowl function, helping prevent constipation
- Heart healthy: they have only traces of fat, are cholesterol free and can be consumed by all members of your family
Did you know?
You need to consume about 2-4 servings of fruits per day.
2-3 pieces of dates are considered as one fruit serving and contain about 70 calories!
Another way to add dates to your balanced diet is to incorporate them into your sweet recipes, this way you will replace some of the sugar as dates are naturally sweet and tasty.
A product of the date palm and cultivated since approximately 6000 B.C, the date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around and also happens to come in many different varieties. Although dates can be eaten fresh, the fruit is very often dried, resembling raisins or plums. But whether fresh or dry, the health benefits of dates are still just as plentiful.
Nutritional Content of Dates
If you’re looking for fiber, potassium, or copper, look no further than dates. While dates are rich in many vital nutrients and therefore offer many health benefits, the fruit is so small that you’ll need to consume a larger quantity to intake the necessary amount. The following nutritional data outlines some of the key nutrients found in dates, and is based on a 100g serving of the fruit.
- Fiber – 6.7 grams. 27% RDA.
- Potassium – 696 milligrams. 20% RDA.
- Copper – 0.4 milligrams. 18% RDA.
- Manganese – 0.3 milligrams. 15% RDA.
- Magnesium – 54 milligrams. 14% RDA.
- Vitamin B6 – 0.2 milligrams. 12% RDA.
Note: Dates are high in sugar content – coming in at a whopping 66.5 grams per 100 gram serving of the fruit. It is recommended to lessen sugar consumption as much as possible, even when the sugar is being consumed from fruit.
