Dates are a must-have Ramadan staple and are exported all over the world by the Kingdom. Recently, a dates festival was organized in Unayzah, north of the Kingdom. Here’s more about the Arabs’ favorite fruit.
1. Dates are believed to have originated around the Arabian Gulf, and have been cultivated since ancient times from Mesopotamia to prehistoric Egypt, possibly as early as 6000 BC. In later times, Arabs spread dates around northern Africa and into Spain, and dates were introduced into California by the Spaniards in 1765.
2. The fruit of the date palm tree is scientifically a drupe, known as a date. They are oval-cylindrical, 3-7 cm long, and 2-3 cm diameter, and come in different shades of brown.
3. Dates are loaded with nutrients: A 100 gram portion of fresh dates is a premium source of vitamin C and supplies 230 kcal (960 kJ) of energy. They are fat free, cholesterol free, and are a good source of fiber. Dates also contain Vitamin A1, B1, B2, B3, B5, C and more than 20 different amino acids, helping us digest and assimilate carbohydrates easier and control blood sugar levels and fatty acids content in our bodies.
4. Dates also have a protective action against diseases. The selenium in dates lowers the risk of cancer and heart diseases, as well as helps us keep our immune systems healthy. As a single date contains around 23 calories, this very low calorie count and the huge amount of healthy substances in dates make them one of the best nutrition sources for a diet plan menu.
5. Dates have been traditionally used for their medicinal benefits. They have a high tannin content and are used medicinally for their cleansing properties. The seed powder is also used in some traditional medicines, the roots are used to fight toothaches and even date pollen has been discovered to yield an estrogenic principle, estrone.
For the record.. I don't eat dates.
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