Dates and health, plus a seed milk recipe

Are dates really good for you? Are they a natural aphrodisiac? Can they really protect against cancer? Having a good root around for the truth about dates and health this is what I discovered.

There’s a mass of contradictory information about sweeteners out there. We know that sugar in any form is bad for us so when we do want something sweet what do we choose? If there was heaven and hell for things that taste sweet then refined white sugar would be right down in the fiery flames and the natural stuff in fresh fruit would be floating up on celestial clouds. Others like raw honey, coconut sugar, molasses, agave syrup, maple syrup, stevia and corn syrup would all be jostling for a slot somewhere in between, confessing their sins and bigging up their good works.

Some ‘health websites’ even warn about the natural fructose in whole fruit but this totally ignores that what determines whether sugar is bad for you or not depends on the context. It’s almost impossible to eat enough fruit to consume enough fructose in quantity to do harm. This is because it takes time to eat (chewing resistance) and digest due to the high levels of fibre plus lots of water so the fructose reaches your liver in slow, steady, manageable amounts.

So where do dates, which are fruits, fit into the picture?

Are dates good for you?

The date palm and its bounty have been associated with health for centuries. Inanna (Akkadian Ishtar) a Sumerian goddess of love and procreation whose symbol and home was the date palm was thought to protect women in childbirth.  Mary sought the protection of the palm while in labour with Jesus according to the Quran.

The Assyrians and Ancient Egyptians used dates as a cure for coughs, earache and stomach ache, made them into poultices to treat blisters and taken to fight demons (perhaps I should send a load to the US Democrat party). Crushed dried dates were mixed with milk to treat children’s coughs. Children were weaned off their mother’s milk with dates too.

Imagine eating 1/2 kilo of dates on your wedding night. That’s what grooms are advised to do for maximum potency and vigour. Many parts of the palm are thought to be an aphrodisiac including the palm heart and the inflorescence (long cases that contain flower clusters), as well as the fruit itself.

So is there any foundation for these health claims – and is their modern evidence that dates actually good for you?

“As well as tasting so delicious, dates are a brilliant source of soluble fiber, keeping you full and helping lower bad cholesterol. These sticky treats, while calorie-dense, are also great sources of minerals and vitamins, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, B vitamins and vitamin K. Because of the calorie content (nearly 300 calories for 4 fat Medjool dates), moderation is key. Sorry! But their high amounts of fibre, as well as eating them with something like walnuts or cheese, will affect your blood sugar levels much less than many other sweet treats. “. 

Kellie Anderson, Health Educationist and Nutrition Adviser with Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, and author of Food to Glow

Despite being high in natural sugar, dates are low on the glycemic index they don’t cause a huge spike in blood glucose after you eat them, and studies have shown that they could be ok for people with type 2 diabetes if eaten in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.

Dates as a natural sugar substitute

So dates are much healthier than refined sugars and bundled with other goodness. It’s better to reach for a few dates after exercise than a processed energy bar. They have the edge on other dried fruits as they are naturally dehydrated where they grow, easy to digest and retain a reasonable amount of water, especially in the rutab stage.

Dates have been the mainstay of the increasingly popular, raw, vegan diet and turn up in date caramel, bliss balls and un-cooked brownies. I first became aware of this way of eating in the early 80s from Leslie Kenton, then Health and Beauty Editor of Harpers & Queen UK, who was a huge proponent of a diet of mainly raw vegetables and fruit, mineral water and avoiding processed foods.  She used dates as a natural sweetener in many plant-based milks including this sweet seed milk which is easy to make, highly nutritious and easy to digest.

I find most milk alternatives pretty boring to drink on their own, including this one – you might disagree – but they are an excellent base, packed with goodness, for smoothies or natural flavours (see bottom of recipe).

Sweet seed milk

• Servings: 2
• Time: 2-3 minutes plus overnight soaking
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A plant-based milk packed with goodness with different delicious flavour variations

Adapted from Raw Energy by Leslie Kenton

Ingredients

• 30g pumpkin seeds
• 15g sesame seeds
• 250ml water
• 5 dates, stoned
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

Flavour options

• 1 frozen ripe banana
• or 25g raw cocoa or carob powder with a dash of vanilla extract
• or 30g dried shredded coconut

Directions

1. Put the seeds, water and dates into your blender and leave to soak overnight.
2. In the morning blend together well and add the lemon juice to taste. Serve immediately.

Flavour options: Blend again with the banana or cocoa/carob plus vanilla until smooth. If using the coconut soak overnight it with the seeds and add a little more water.

Other health benefits of dates

Studies have also shown that there is a lower rate of cancer and longer life among populations where dates are consumed regularly which may account for the longevity of Bedouins.  There are even claims that dates are beneficial in treating alcoholism (although I can’t find any scientific evidence but eating a healthy diet and avoiding refined sugar is recommended) as they minimise the urge for alcohol. You steep dates in water for a couple of hours and drink the liquid twice a day for a month is recommended Let me know if it works!

Main Sources: Kellie Anderson Food to Glow, Dates a Global History by Nawal Nasrallah, Healthline – are dates good for you, Health US News

Pin for later

Hope this has been interesting. I’m keen not to add to the wealth of unsubstantiated health claims for ingredients that abound online so have kept this to what I can find evidence for or been honest when I can’t.

You can read more about dates and recipes containing them if interested.