Dates: discover their benefits

The date is the fruit of the date palm. Fresh, it is fragile and delicate to transport. This is one of the reasons why they are dried. At Fidafruit, we offer you dates of Tunisian and Algerian origin, as well as organic Medjool dates from Israel and the USA.

Dates, a great source of energy for athletes

With an average of 280 calories per 100g, dates are an excellent source of energy, in addition to being rich in vitamins and minerals. Athletes are therefore advised to eat them before and during exercise.

Improve digestion by eating dates

Thanks to a high fibre content, dates help the digestive system function optimally. Indeed, fibres regulate bowel movements and prevent constipation. Moreover, these fibres are also beneficial for controlling blood sugar: they slow down digestion and prevent blood glucose from rising too high after a meal.

It is recommended to consume between 25 and 30 grams of fibre per day, and 100g of dates provide on average 6 to 7 grams of fibre to your body.

Dates, rich in antioxidants

Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals. These are unstable atoms which, in excess, can lead to premature ageing, cancers and other diseases.

Dates contain 3 particularly interesting antioxidants:

• Flavonoids that help reduce inflammation;
• Carotenoids that are beneficial for heart health and can reduce the risk of eye disorders;
• Phenolic acid which also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

Dates to protect the brain

A study carried out on mice showed that consuming dates improved their memory, learning ability and also played a role against anxiety.

Furthermore, dates would reduce certain inflammatory markers in the brain such as interleukin 6 and the activity of beta-amyloid proteins. These would promote neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or lead to the death of brain cells.

Replacing refined sugar with dates

Dates are partly composed of fructose, a natural sugar. This is why replacing refined sugar with date paste (dates blended with a little water) is an excellent idea. Moreover, dates have a more moderate glycaemic index (55) than white sugar (68). Note that the lower the glycaemic index of a food, the less it affects your blood glucose.

Replacing refined sugar with dates in your recipes can thus allow you to lose weight while benefiting from nutrients that you will not find in white sugar.

Discover our date-based recipes

• Energy Balls
• Hiker's granola bar
• Sweet bread with nuts and dried fruit