Dates ….

f you are like me, you want the healthiest and most nutritional organic natural candy – I have been a fan of dates since I was very little as my family went to Palm Springs during the winter and Hadley Farms had the most magnificent date stand in the world. I became addicted to the sweet taste of dates when I was a child and later on I was pleased to find out that the desert type fruit is really healthy. I use dates in my smoothies, morning whole grains cereals and whenever I get a craving for something really sweet. My granddaughter thinks they are candy…….

My choice of dates is the Medjool, wonderfully delicious, packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.

Medjool dates are soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.

Medjool dates are rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.

Dates are a good source of vitamin-A and antioxidant flavonoids found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from the harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers.

Dates are an excellent source of iron and potassium that helps control blood pressure and protection against stroke and heart disease. Dates are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.

Further, dates have adequate levels of the B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of vitamin B-6, niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as co-factors that help the body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.

So, the next time you eat a date, don’t think for a minute that you are eating all sugar – Medjool dates are a powerful super-food.

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