7 Health Benefits of Dates

Dates Nutrition Benefits
A delicious snack that you can enjoy on their own or with nut butter, dates offer the following health benefits:Are nutrient-rich,Have a variety of antioxidants,Are naturally sweet and provide no added sugar
Support digestive health,Protect heart and health and blood sugar regulation,Offer brain protection,Help ease natural labor
Dates Are Nutrient-rich
Three dates provide about 200 calories, 54 grams of carbohydrates with about five grams of fiber, a gram of protein, and no fat, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This portion also supplies smaller amounts of a wide range of nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and manganese.1 In other words, dates aren't simply sugar bombs or empty calories.
Dates Have a Variety of Antioxidants
In addition to their vitamin and mineral content, dates are rich in health-protective antioxidants. One 2019 study published in the Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences states that dates are a good source of natural antioxidants, which can be used to manage oxidative stress-related illnesses.2
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of cell-damaging free radicals and the body's ability to counter their harmful effects. It's a precursor to aging and cell damage that can lead to disease. Dates also contain anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds, which means they may also play a role in combating infectious diseases.
Other research published in a 2017 study in Frontiers in Plant Science has shown that dates contain many antioxidants, including carotenoids, polyphenols (e.g., phenolic acids, isoflavones, lignans, and flavonoids), tannins, and sterols. They also possess anti-fungal properties.3
Dates Are Naturally Sweet and Provide No Added Sugar
Many people think of dates as dried fruit—but they're actually fresh fruit since no water is removed. And because dates are whole, unprocessed fruit, their sugar content is naturally occurring. In other words, if an energy bar is sweetened only with dates, the label can list zero grams of added sugar. That's key because added sugar is the type we should limit due to its association with an increased risk of heart disease and obesity, says a 2016 study in Nutrients.4
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day, which equates to 25 grams or 100 calories. The advised cap for men is nine teaspoons of added sugar, which is 36 grams or 150 calories. If you use dates to sweeten a meal or recipe, you haven't used up any of your daily added-sugar budget, unlike sweeteners such as cane sugar.
Dates Support Digestive Health
Three dates provide about 18% of the daily goal for fiber, which supports good digestive function. One study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2015 looked specifically at the impact of date consumption on the gut. Healthy men were randomly assigned to eat either seven dates per day or a control addition of a carbohydrate and sugar mixture for 21 days. After a 14-day washout period, the groups switched.
Researchers found that while eating dates, the study subjects experienced improvements in their bowel movement frequency and a reduced level of stool chemicals known to damage cells and trigger mutations that may lead to cancer.5
If you've ever experienced constipation, you know how it can wreak havoc with your energy level and overall comfort. Dates can be a simple way to get things moving.
Dates Protect Heart Health and Blood Sugar Regulation
A 2020 study published in Nutrients tested date consumption on both blood fats and glycemic index. One hundred men and women with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to eat either no dates at all or to add three dates daily for 16 weeks.
The date eaters experienced a statistically significant decrease in total cholesterol and "bad" LDL. And HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar control over the previous two- to three-month period) did not change in the date eaters.
The study suggests that dates could potentially have a beneficial effect on lipid profile, especially in reducing total cholesterol and elevating HDL, because of the high polyphenolic content of dates (polyphenols are micronutrients that naturally occur in plants). In addition, the study suggests that a low-moderate consumption of dates did not impact glucose levels because of dates' low glycemic index.6
The findings are significant because blood sugar regulation and heart health are closely connected. People with type 2 diabetes have a twofold increased risk of heart disease, according to the American Diabetes Association, including heart attack; cardiovascular disease is the top cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes.7

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