14 Impressive Health Benefits of Dates (Dabino)

Dates are a delicious and nutritious fruit which originates from Iraq. Ever since this fruit was discovered thousands of years ago, it has grown to become one of the most sought after foods in the world, ranging from Africa, Europe Asia, America, etc. The fruits are actually from the date palm tree; they are either referred to as dates or date fruits.
In Nigeria, date fruits are one of the common fruits consumed by Nigerians. It is known as Dabino or Dabinu in Hausa. It is mostly grown and cultivated in the northern part of Nigeria. The scientific name for dates is Phoenix dactylifera.

In Muslim culture, dates (dabino) and yogurt or milk are traditionally the first foods to be consumed for Iftar (after sunset) during the Ramadan.

Some of the potent properties and nutritional content contained in Date fruit include – vitamins and minerals, fiber, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, zinc, etc.

However, this article contains 14 health benefits of dates, and I am much convinced that each point will amaze you. So, make sure you read through!

14 Impressive Health Benefits of Dates (Dabino)

Dates are regarded as one of the oldest fruits in the world, so numerous medical research has been done on the health benefits of dates. Hence, there are 14 health benefits of date fruits.

1. Cures Anaemia

Anemia is an imbalance that occurs as a result of deficiency of iron, and it is usually accompanied by a drop in the number of red blood cells in the human body. On the plus side, Dates contain a significant amount of iron, which makes them a great remedy for treating iron deficiency. When you consume dates regularly, it can help boost the amount of iron in your blood by a significant margin, and another thing about dates is that they are proven to be effective in improving the human strength and vitality.

2. Helps in Treating Constipation

Dates contain an enormous amount of soluble fiber, and due to this, they can help promote healthy bowel movements as well as the easy passage of food through the intestinal tract. Perhaps you are faced with constipation; you can treat it with dates simply by soaking the fruits in water overnight. You can then eat the soaked dates next morning like syrup for significant effects.

3. Helps in treating Diarrhoea

For people with diarrhea, dates are easily digestible, and they have a high content of potassium which plays an important role in managing looseness of the bowels. Additionally, the fruit contains soluble fiber which also improves the bowel movement and boosts the overall functioning of the excretory system. Hence, date fruits are a good laxative and are good for combating constipation.

4. Promotes Brain Health

Studies reveal that regular intake of dates may help improve the brain function. When dates are ingested, they work in the body system to inhibit the activities of amyloid beta proteins, which is associated with the production of plaques in the brain. Excesses of plaques in the brain may hinder the communication between brain cells, which may eventually result in brain cell death and Alzheimer’s disease.
In a similar vein, some animal studies also show that eating dates frequently can improve memory as well as learning ability in mammals. However, these brain-boosting properties of dates have been attributed to the antioxidants that are packed in the fruit.

5. Improves bone health

Perhaps you’ve been looking for a natural way to improve your bone health, and you don’t know how to go about it; the Dates fruit is for you! These fruits are excellent sources of selenium, manganese, copper, and magnesium which play an important role in healthy bone development and they also prevent bone-related issues like osteoporosis.
Additionally, dates contain a significant amount of vitamin K, which coagulates the blood and metabolizes the human bones.

You can Buy Dried Dates on Jumia

6. Strengthens the nervous system

As earlier mentioned dates are very rich in potassium and have very little content of sodium, which is very helpful in boosting the functioning of your nervous system. The high content of potassium in date fruits also helps in managing your cholesterol level so as to prevent you from certain health conditions, including coronary heart disease and heart stroke.

7. Promotes Healthy Skin

Dates contain a significant amount of vitamins C and D, which are very essential in improving your skin’s elasticity and tenderness. The Vitamin C content in the dates fruit help in reducing the appearance of skin issues like wrinkles simply by inhibiting oxidation and blocking melanin from accumulating inside your body. Additionally, dates contain vitamin B5 which is very helpful in dealing with skin conditions like stretch marks. Having said that, if you desire a youthful-looking skin then start eating dates regularly!

8. Prevents Cancer

Dates are not only a delicious fruit as it multiple studies show that it is capable of reducing the risk of Abdominal cancer, including stomach cancer, renal cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and even bowel cancer. Dates contain so many antioxidants that prevents cancerous growth, like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids.

9. Helps in Treating Intestinal Disorders

Part of the potent properties found in dates is “nicotine,” which is very effective in delaying the growth of harmful pathological organisms in the human system and thus enhancing the growth of the friendly bacteria in the intestines. Dates also contain soluble and insoluble fibers, alongside beneficial amino acids, all of which works together  to ensure proper digestion of food. This simply means that the digestive tract would be able to absorb the essential nutrients and ensure its proper usage in the body.

10. Helps in Treating Night Blindness

Night Blindness is majorly caused by vitamin A deficiencies. However, dates have a very high content of this vitamin, which means it will help combat this condition and restore you to a better state. Additionally, studies reveal that people who take dates regularly have rare cases of night blindness. Perhaps you are faced with night blindness; you can treat it with dates; all you need do is to rub date leaves on and around the eyes or better still eat the dates orally.

11. Dates and fertility

It is imperative to consume foods that have beneficial effects and remove toxins that affect the egg and sperm. Dates are one of such foods that are good for conception. A medical study showed that dates fruits have unique constituents that help in fertility. Some microelements present in dates include estrone, sterols, that improves male fertility. Many other studies have proven that dates increase the levels of estradiol and testosterone.

12. Dates and diabetes

Diabetes is a major problem for many Nigerians. Many people with diabetes have to look for natural products and their components to manage diabetes. Dates are healthy Nigerian fruit for diabetics.
An experimental study was conducted on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The study discovered that oral administration of dates extract improved body weight and reduces water intake and caused hypoglycemia in those rats. That means that dates are perfect for anyone preventing or managing diabetes. The glycemic index of dates are also very low.

13. Dates and pregnancy

Dates have also been said to promote easy natural late-term labor in pregnant women.

Many scientific studies show that eating date fruits during the last few weeks of pregnancy can promote cervical dilation and reduce the need for induced labor, which also helps in reducing labor time.

The reason for this is because dates contain tannins and compounds that imitate the effects of oxytocin in the body. Tannins are oxytocin are chemical compounds that facilitates contraction during childbirth.

Three different medical studies have shown that dates are helpful for pregnant women childbirth and labor.

14. Dates are great for weight loss

This healthy Nigerian fruit is also perfect for weight loss. The calories in a 100g serving of dates are 282 calories. Do you want to find out how you can eat dates if you want to lose weight? Keep on reading.

How to add dates it to your diet? 

Dates are usually hawked around in the streets of Nigeria or sold in local Nigerian markets. To enjoy dates, you need to wash them thoroughly and make sure that they are not spoilt.
Dates are versatile fruits that can be incorporated into a variety of dishes. You can choose to eat them as a snack, in salads, smoothies, and desserts. You can buy dates online on Jumia.

Dates definitely should be added to your diet, because they are nutritious, delicious and easy to enjoy.

Thanks for reading. Now that you’ve discovered some of the health benefits of dates, which of the benefits of dates amaze you most?
Kindly share and please comment below.

Collins Nwokolo

Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.