Dates fruit – Benefits for Skin, Hair & Health

Presumed to be originated somewhere near Iraq, date palm or dates, as they are commonly known, belongs to the flowering plant species rather than the fruit-bearing species. It is a very commonly found plant in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, especially the places which have a scarcity of water. Dates have been around since the prehistoric Egyptians and Mesopotamia period, largely used for making wine or eating but were recognized for their health benefits in recent history. Dates contain a mixture of a lot of nutrients like sugar, which is about 80% of the fruit, fibres, protein, some elements like copper, fluorine, cobalt, zinc, selenium and magnesium. Dates are rich in potassium also. 

Apart from eating as a fruit, dates can also be consumed by making paste, syrups, soups or date honey. The oil extracted from the dates is very beneficial for the skin and hair. It provides the hair with more strength and makes the skin glow a little.

Skin Benefits for Dates

Apart from being a delicacy all over the world, dates are very beneficial for our body also. Here are some skin benefits of dates.

• Increases the elasticity of the skin: Our skin is as healthy as the amount of moisture it can retain. Dried skin gets damaged very easily and doesn’t appear good also. Dates are rich in vitamin C and help the skin to retain its moisture. Due to this, the skin stays healthy and the elasticity increases.

• Reverses the effect of Aging: Premature aging is becoming a global phenomenon with people spending billions of dollars every year on various cosmetic products. Dates are a very good substitute for expensive cosmetic products which are aimed to do the same thing. Regular consumption of dates decreases the free radical count in the body getting rid of premature wrinkles and lines.

• Natural remedy for various skin problems: One of the most abundant element present in dates is Vitamin B which helps in various skin problems like inflammation, acne, whiteheads, scars, and simple skin wounds or cuts. It reverses the damage done by free radicals and keeps the skin glowing for a long time.

Hair Benefits of Dates

• Gives longer and thicker hair: Date oil is very beneficial for hairs. Made by crushing soft, dried dates, this oil packs all the hidden nutrients of dates capable of giving stringer, thicker and longer hair with regular usage.

• Restricts hair fall: Dates and date oil improve the blood circulation in our head and near the scalp strengthening the roots and providing some extra support to the hair strands. Vitamin B and Iron nourish the hair strands making them strong and tensile, effectively reducing the hair fall.

Health Benefits of Dates

Dates are a useful natural ingredient used for maintaining proper health and improving immunity as well as the metabolism of the body. Here are some health benefits of Dates.

• Improves Heart’s health: Dates have a component called isoflavones which is a very crucial component in fighting against cardiovascular diseases. It is also full of antioxidants which prevent the clogging of arteries maintaining a clear blood flow. 

• Cholesterol Regulator: The antioxidants present in dates helps in maintaining a normal cholesterol level in the body. Dates are free from cholesterol which means that they don’t contribute towards total body cholesterol and are full of fibre and iron which help in keeping cholesterol levels at a minimum.

• Helps in Gaining weight: There are a lot of food products in the market which will help you in losing weight but if you want to gain some weight in a controlled manner then you should start consuming dates as it results in muscle weight, not water weight.

20 Home Remedies of Date Fruit

Energy Booster

Ingredients: Dried Dates, milk and cereal (optional)

Procedure:

1. Eat a handful of dates in the afternoon and morning.
2. You can chop dates and add them to your morning cereal also if you like.
3. Dates are full of fibre and provide an instant boost of energy.

Relief During Constipation

Ingredients: Dried Dates, Water.

Procedure: 

1. Remove the seeds of 8 to 10 dates and leave them to soak underwater for a night.
2. Grind the soaked dates into a fine syrup-like consistency.
3. Drink the syrup on an empty stomach. 
4. You can drink this liquid every day.

Fights Anaemia

Ingredients: Dates, Milk

Procedure: 

1. Finely chop some dates without their seeds and mix them into a bowl of milk. 
2. Heat the solution and bring it to a boil.
3. Dates are rich in iron and Vitamin C which increase the haemoglobin level in the body reducing the risk of anaemia.
4. Let the solution cool down before eating it like a cereal.

Fatigue and Exhaustion

Ingredients: Dates, banana, milk.

Procedure:

1. Remove the seeds from some dates and let them soak overnight.
2. Chop some bananas and dates and blend them with warm milk.
3. Drink this solution as an energy drink whenever you are feeling exhausted or fatigued.

Skin Allergies

Ingredients: Dates, honey, ghee, saffron.

Procedure:

1. Make a mixture of 100 ml ghee and 80 ml honey with some saffron blended in it. 
2. Add some dates and leave them to soak the mixture. 
3. Consume the ghee laden dates every day to decrease skin rashes and other skin-related allergies. 
4. This remedy is safe enough for an infant and a pregnant woman.

Cures Insomnia

Ingredients: Dates, milk, cinnamon.

Procedure: 

1. There is potassium in dates which comes in very handy during cases of insomnia and sleeplessness. 
2. Add some chopped dates and cinnamon in a glass of warm milk and drink the milk before going to bed to induce sleep.

Sexual Problems

Ingredients: Dates

Procedure:

1. Soak 8-10 dates in water for some time.
2. Blend the dates to make a concentrated syrup.
3. Consume this syrup to cure sex-related problems like stamina and weakness.
4. This remedy can be taken by both sexes.

Diet-Friendly

Ingredients: Dried dates.

Procedure:

1. Eat a handful of dried dates in the morning every day.
2. Dried dates are full of nutrients and natural sugars making them an excellent ingredient for diets.
3. Dates are also able to provide the taste of sugar without the scare of diabetes looming over your head.

Cures Diarrhoea

Ingredients: Dates

Procedure:

1. Soak some dates in water overnight.
2. Eat 4-5 dates with a glass of milk if you are suffering from diarrhoea.
3. Dates are laxative in nature and are full of fibres and friendly bacteria which stimulate normal bowel movements.
4. You can consume this remedy every time you experience diarrhoea.

Alcohol Intoxication

Ingredients: Dates, Water

Procedure: 

1. The water in which the dates were soaked, act as a suitable hangover fixer after a night of drinking and partying. 
2. Remember to consume the date water after eating something in the morning.

Stomach Ulcers

Ingredients: Dates, lime, sugar, salt.

Procedure: 

1. Immerse the dates in a solution of lime, sugar and salt.
2. Keep it in a glass container and under the sun for 2-3 days. 
3. The dried and pickled dates are very helpful for gastritis and stomach ulcer.

Gain Muscle mass

Ingredients: Dates, almonds, milk.

Procedure: 

1. Boil a mix of dates and almonds in a bowl of milk. 
2. Strain the milk and eat the boiled fruits. 
3. You can consume the milk for a further energy boost.

Sharp Nervous System

Ingredients: Dates, honey, cardamom, milk.

Procedure:

1. Boil some milk until fat layers start to appear.
2. Add some dates, a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of cardamom to the milk. 
3. Try to drink this milk daily for an enhanced nervous system.

Arthritis Cure

Ingredients: Date seed oil, cotton swab.

Procedure:

1. Heat some date seed oil for a few minutes. 
2. Using your hands or a cotton swab, apply this oil over the affected area. 
3. Repeating this procedure 2-3 times a day will provide relief from arthritis and the pain.

Grumbly Stomach

Ingredients: Dates, ghee, pepper powder.

Procedure:

1. Finely chop 8-10 fresh dates.
2. Mix a pinch of pepper powder and one teaspoon ghee to the dates.
3. Eat this remedy after waking up with an empty stomach which is cranky and grumbling.
4. This remedy takes around 2 hours to work its effect in relieving constipation and grumbling.

Good for the Heart

Ingredients: Dates.

Procedure:

1. Consuming dates daily will surely reduce the risk of getting strokes or unplanned heart attacks.
2. Dates have antihyperlipidemic properties. This basically means that dates are good for your cardiovascular health and your heart.
3. The sodium and potassium content in the dates help in regulating a normal heart rate and keeping the blood pressure under control. 

Healthy Sugar

Ingredients: Dates.

Procedure:

1. It is true that dates have a lot of sugar but it is healthy for the body because it is present in the shape of glucose and fructose. 
2. The body processes this glucose and fructose to extract energy from it. 
3. This means that if taken with care, dates can actually help you control diabetes.

Immunity against Allergies

Ingredients: Dates

Procedure:

1. Seasonal allergies affect a lot of people every year. 
2. Dates are a very effective cure for the situation as they contain natural, organic sulphur which is very helpful in reducing the effect of allergic reactions.

Prevention From Cancer

Ingredients: Dates

Procedure:

1. Regular consumption of dates can safeguard a person against prostate, lung, breast, or colon cancer. 
2. Dates are a good antioxidant agent capable of fighting against the oxygen free radicals present in the body.
3. These free radicals, if left untreated can turn into tumours can prove fatal.

Digestive Agent

Ingredients: Dates

Procedure:

1. Eating soaked dates before going to bed has a therapeutic effect during intestinal disorders and are very crucial in checking the development of pathological microorganisms. 
2. Dates have some nicotinic content in them which helps in increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut.

Precautions and Side Effects 

• Dates have pretty large seeds which are enough to choke an adult person. Precaution should be taken while eating dates so that you don’t swallow the seed accidentally. While feeding an infant, take the seed out and cut the fruit into little pieces. 

• Dry dates are well full of sugar with a glycaemic index higher than glucose. Eating a lot of dates in regular intervals can result in an increase in blood sugar levels. This in turn increases the risk of diabetes in a person.

• One of the biggest side effects of eating dates is tooth decay. The sugar and carbohydrates in dates are some of the biggest causes of cavities and tooth decay. Gargling your mouth with salt water after eating dates can reduce the chance of tooth decay.

• Refrain from eating store-bought dates as much as possible. Most of these dates are sprayed with wax to make them look shiny and increase their worth. This wax can cause constipation and diarrhoea in some people.

Myths and Facts about Date Fruit

Myth	Fact
Dried and Fresh Dates are Same	Apart from the difference in flavour, dried and fresh dates differ in nutrient content also. The concentration of nutrients and vitamins in dried dates is higher than in fresh dates.
Dates are only found in Deserts	Dates are mostly found in deserts because they can’t tolerate rain or humidity. They require water only from the soil, not from rains. That’s why dates can be grown at any place where rainfall is very low.
You can consume as many dates as you like	Granted that dates have very low to zero-calorie content but it still contributes to the overall calorie present in our body. The glucose and fructose present in the dates can substantially increase the sugar level of our bodies. Consumption of dates should be in a moderate amount.

FAQs

• How long can you store dates on a shelf?

The shelf life of dates varies depending on the type of storage. In an ambient environment, dates can last up to 3 months. Refrigerated dates are best used before 12 months since storage whereas frozen dates can go up to 18 months.

• When do dates ripe?

Dates are generally considered raw fruit with no exact stage representing the so-called ripe situation. Dates are harvested for three months from October to December depending on the variety of the date.

• What is the white powder spread over the dates?

In most cases, especially when the dates are coming from a natural source, the white powder over their surface is the dried sugar that got through the skin of the fruit through the process of osmosis. In store-bought or artificial dates, the powder is sprayed from the top is primarily made up of wax to bring a shine on the fruit.