Do you eat dates? I feel like dates are underrated. They're a natural sweetener for smoothies, baking and snacks, they taste great dipped in nut butter, they can work as a binder in baked goods, or energy balls....
...And what's more, they're full of nutrients and have a variety of health benefits:
1. Nutritious
Their important vitamins and minerals include potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, vitamin B6. To note, as a dried fruit, they are also high in calories.
2. High in fibre
Fibre can be beneficial for preventing constipation and controlling blood sugar.
3. Disease-Fighting Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause harmful reactions in your body and lead to disease. The three most potent antioxidants in dates are...
- Flavanoids- may help reduce inflammation and their potential to reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and certain types of cancer has been studied.
- Carotenoids- promote heart health and may reduce the risk of eye-related disorders, such as macular degeneration.
- Phenolic acid- anti-inflammatory properties and may help lower the risk of cancer and heart disease
4. May promote brain health
Dates may help to lower inflammation and prevent plaques forming in the brain. These are both important in preventing Alzheimer's disease.
5. May promote bone health and aid in blood sugar control
Further study is needed into these benefits but dates have many minerals known for their potential to prevent bone-related conditions and their low glycemic index and fibre and antioxidant content suggest a potential to help with blood sugar regulation.
Importantly, they're tasty! Personally, we use them a lot in smoothies and we're a little bit obsessed with our favourite cacao smoothie recipe, so if you need any inspo on how to add dates to your diet, whilst also indulging in some morning chocolatey goodness, check out the link below:
Hope you enjoy! Be sure to share with us any of your favourite ways to include dates in your diet! @supernature_snacks