Medjool Dates Nutrition & Benefits – Apples, oranges, bananas and berries, these are the more common fruit we often have access to or knowledge of.

 

While these and other common fruit have their benefits for your health, there are many other fruits which some might consider exotic, that have a more complex and beneficial nutrient profile than what you’d expect.

 

One such fruit is the date, and specifically in this case, the Medjool dates.

 

Medjool Dates Nutrition & Benefits

 

 

 

Indigenous to Morocco, the Medjool date is a Mediterranean stone fruit.

 

Out of the numerous varieties of dates, this one is especially loved for its rich, caramel-like sweetness and its soft, chewy, candy-like texture.

 

Based on that description, you can see why this fruit is popular. Its basically natural candy.

 

Natural candy that’s not just delicious, but nutritious too.

 

 

Nutrient Profile Of Dates

Dates have an incredible nutrient profile. The health benefits of Medjool dates are attributed to the plethora of nutrients and antioxidants it contains.

 

You will find the following nutrients in dates:

 

• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Vitamin B6

 

5 Health Benefits of Dates

 

• Heart Health

The nutrients in dates that are active in maintaining and improving heart health are fiber and antioxidants.

 

Fiber helps regulate cholesterol. It boosts the presence of HDL cholesterol, also known as “good cholesterol” while lowering the levels of LDL cholesterol, referred to as “bad cholesterol”.

 

LDL is strongly linked to heart disease through the build-up of arterial plaque, leading to hypertension and atherosclerosis. In serious cases, this can lead to a stroke.

 

The antioxidant component protects your heart and blood vessel tissue from oxidative stress damage.

 

 

• Packed With Fiber

More on fiber, and aside from protecting the health of your heart, it has other important functions.

 

Firstly, the fiber component is great for your digestive health. Fiber helps keep the gut clean and functional while also serving another important digestive function.

 

That function is its prebiotic properties. Fiber nourishes the good gut bacteria living in your colon, helping them perform their daily functions the best way they can.

 

Aside from your digestive health, the fiber in Medjool dates also has a profound effect on managing blood glucose levels.

 

It achieves this by mediating the amount and rate at which sugar is taken into the blood from the gut.

 

This effect helps maintain healthy insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes.

 

• Contains Antioxidants

Antioxidants are very important, especially in modern times where our polluted environments, sedentary lifestyles and access to processed foods expose us to more oxidation stress than ever before.

 

Antioxidants limit the damage caused by free radicals, unstable molecules that disrupt the molecular structure of cell membranes, thus compromising your tissue structures.

 

This increases the rate of aging and can even encourage the formation of cancers.

 

The antioxidants in dates can be traced to the flavonoid and phenolic acid content of these fruits.

 

• Natural Unrefined Sugars

Sugar is often heralded as the big bad guy of nutrition.

 

This is mainly because it is associated with a number of bad health effects such as diabetes, obesity and poor oral health.

 

The thing is, we need sugar. Yes, you heard correct, sugar is essential to life. The problem we face with sugar is one of quality and quantity.

 

In terms of quantity, we eat way too much sugar. Its also pretty much added to all forms of processed foods, even the ones that aren’t particularly meant to taste sweet.

 

The other problem with our sugar is quality. We eat way too many processed and refined sugars that go straight to the blood and play havoc on our insulin management system.

 

Luckily dates come with whole, natural and unrefined carbs.

 

These sugars are taken up slower and deliver a more sustainable energy release.

 

The fiber component, as mentioned before, also contributes to a healthy sugar management situation.

 

 

• 5. Bone Health

Although not a super incredible bone health-boosting super food, Medjool dates have some of the right stuff when it comes to improving the health of your bones.

 

Calcium and manganese are particularly important for maintaining and improving the health of your bones.

 

Conclusion

Dates, especially Medjool dates are a great way to hit two birds with one stone, or in this case, stone fruit. Not only are they incredibly delicious, but they are also profoundly nutritious, the best of both worlds.