The date palm tree is fairly called one of the oldest trees on the earth. In Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Asia Minor thanks to the valuable and nutritious fruits, this fruit tree was sung by poets and artists. Both since ancient times, and today, the date palm tree was and remains to an important component of a diet at many people. It gives the chance to survive to people in deserts also what promotes oasitic agriculture where in its shadow also other cultural plants can grow with success.
Today in the east there are different opinions what it is more — advantage or harm of the use of fruits of a date palm tree. Let's try to understand it.
Representative of family of palm
Most noble work of the vegetable kingdom. So in the Bible encyclopedia by the archimandrite Nikifor an assessment is given to a date palm tree. This characteristic very precisely describes this amazingly harmonious and prolific tree.
In the countries with warm climate such palm trees really are pleasing to the eye and serve as decoration of east landscape. These trees usually reach up to thirty meters in height, and fructify practically up to 150 years!
Each tree annually makes several date clusters, and in one of them more than one thousand separate fruits called dates can be imposed.
Dates are considered to be the oldest products which the person learned to cultivate. In an extreme antiquity at orientals these fruits were one of fixed assets of livelihood. To this day for people of all globe this exotic product is a source of power and good health.
In this article we will consider in detail in what advantage of dates for the person, their structure and also harm if there is that.
That for a product and as looks
Fruits of a date palm tree are quite often called life berries and desert bread. And it is the truth. Scientists came to a conclusion that dates — ideal food because they contain all most necessary substances which are capable to support human life.
It is considered to be that it is possible to live for years without harm for health, eating only some dates and water.
Whether you know? At the moment the main producer and the exporter of dates is Saudi Arabia. Its inhabitants eat dates as bread.
By sight these nutritious fruits are oval or roundish. Are eaten in the form of dried fruits of henna-red color, and sometimes amber.
Types of dates
In the world about 1500 types of grades of date fruits are known. At each of them the distinctive features of tastes, the chemical composition and even the size.
In various countries because of the traditional preferences created throughout centuries like to eat different grades of dates.
But irrespective of high-quality preferences, all types of dates are divided into three degrees of a maturity of fruits:
- harak — a dairy maturity, fruits dense and dryish;
- rotab — a full maturity, fruit soft, sweet, with gentle consistence;
- tamar — a high maturity, at the same time dense and honey density of a fruit.
We study structure
Scientists rendered to dates the verdict: in these nutritious palm fruits available elements practically all table of Mendeleyev: calcium, selenium, copper, zinc, manganese, sulfur, iron, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, molybdenum, chrome, vanadium, pine forest, tin, silicon, titanium, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, sodium, phosphorus. And the content in them of magnesium and potassium makes dates the absolute leader among dried fruits.
Vitamins
Really dates can be considered vitamin drugstore. If to take 100 g of dates, then in them it will be found:
- carotene beta (vitamin A) — 89 mkg;
- folic acid (B9 vitamin) — 13 mkg;
- fillokhinona (vitamin K) — 2.7 mkg;
- niatsin (PP or B3) — 2.2 mg;
- Riboflavinum (B2 vitamin) — 0.1 mg;
- tocopherol (vitamin E) — 0.1 mg;
- pantothenic acid (B5 vitamin) — 0.78 mg;
- pyridoxine (B6 vitamin) — 0.19 mg;
- thiamine (B1 vitamin) — 0.09 mg.
Mineral substances
Also there is a big set macro - and minerals (on 100 g of a product). Here only some of them.
Macrocells:
- potassium — 652 mg;
- calcium — 64 mg;
- phosphorus — 40 mg;
- magnesium — 35 mg;
- sodium — 3 mg.
Minerals:
- iron — 1.15 mg;
- selenium — 1.9 mg;
- zinc — 0.29 mg;
- manganese — 298 mkg;
- copper — 288 mkg;
In what advantage
It is logical to conclude that existence of such richness of vitamins and minerals does date fruits by unique food product for people of any age and sex.
Important! Daily eating 5 or 8 pieces of such dried fruits, the healthy person can reduce many times risk of developing of strokes and heart attacks.
Dates can strengthen immunity, accelerate digestion, stimulate and improve brain activity, clean an organism from slags and toxic substances, lower harmful cholesterol.
The use by men of these fruits will promote at them to good potency. At women during regular intake of dates uterine muscles become stronger. At pregnant women during childbirth the patrimonial activity improves, after the delivery — the uterus is quicker recovered, and the newborn will have no threat of an allergy.
Now we will talk in more detail about advantage of east fruits for men, women and children.
For men
Scientifically a fact in evidence that this vegetable product brings special benefit for male health.
Important! During a feast before acceptance of alcoholic drinks it is necessary to eat infused on water within a day several dates and to drink the remained liquid (5 pieces on 0.5 l of water). It will help to avoid alcohol poisoning.
Here some of the reasons for which at a daily diet of the healthy man there have to be these tasty dried fruits:
- Prevention of development of oncological diseases, especially prostate cancer.
- Clarification of blood from the toxins and carcinogens which collected because of tobacco smoking and abuse of alcohol.
- Prevention of the main reason of men's mortality — diseases of heart and vessels.
- Natural soothing during stresses because of the intense schedule of life.
- Natural power tonic for increase in working capacity.
- Increase in sexual endurance and increase in number of active spermatozoa.
For women
As it was emphasized above, the advantage of this sukhofrukt for a female body is indisputable:
- Promotes successful incubation of a fruit during pregnancy at the expense of substances which help strengthening of muscles of a pelvic bottom.
- Reduction of risk of postnatal bleeding.
- Fast restoration after the delivery and breastfeeding.
Fast restoration is promoted after the delivery by baked apples, fish a silver salmon, onions-slizun.
- Considerable reduction of risk of oncological diseases, including mastopathies.
- The appearance of hair, skin, nails improves.
- Disposal of locks during pregnancy and a menopause.
- Regulation of a libido.
- High generation of power and working capacity.
- Absence of iron deficiency anemia at pregnant women and the feeding women.
For children
All know that children are very active and vigorous. To restore the spent forces on games and active lifestyle and also to fill up a children's organism with the necessary substances for active growth, it is just necessary to include this tasty, carbohydrate east delicacy in baby food.
Especially, it is possible to call date dried fruits ideal sweets which can quite replace to children of candy and cakes.
Important! The dates soaked in milk — the best cough medicine at a SARS, bronchitis and pneumonia at children and adults. To prepare this wonderful medicine, fruits need to be soaked during a half of days. Then fruits are removed, and dairy infusion is used as expectorant.
For children (of eight months is also more senior) from them cook compote from kolik: 200-250 g of a dry product to fill in 1 l of boiled water, to boil thoroughly 5 minutes, to allow to infuse within an hour.
Whether there is an advantage of a dried product?
The nature is created so that itself gives us hints where to take natural vitamin and mineral complexes for improvement and maintenance of health.
Whether you know? Dried fruits of a date palm tree have all useful properties which are in fresh.
When the ripened berries and fruit are dried up under the warm southern sun, they become for us mini-factories on development of excellent health. It occurs because moisture from them evaporates, and concentration of all poleznost remains high. Also dates are not an exception.
Stocking on winter from these tasty and useful dried fruit, it is possible not to worry that the organism during the winter will lose forces and it will be heavy to it to be restored. Except that such dried products are vitamin power engineering specialists, they still possess anti-inflammatory action, are capable to increase immune forces, normalize exchange processes, work as laxative and diuretic.
Such products as basil, kissel, peanut, beef tongue, kefir, parsley, capelin, sea cabbage normalize exchange processes.
Whether it is possible:
At pregnancy
In spite of the fact that many products during pregnancy it is impossible to use, dates because of all the useful qualities, above-stated at them, are those products which to the woman will be surely recommended by the obstetrician-gynecologist.
To pregnant women fish the loach, tea with ginger, broccoli also recommend to use, a chicken liver, beef liver, a yogurt.
And that is why:
- Permanent prevention of premature birth and abortions.
- Because of the high content of iron the production of hemoglobin amplifies.
- Depletion of intestines is facilitated.
- The morbidity of labor pains becomes dull and their duration is reduced.
On breastfeeding
It is possible to tell that all recommendations listed for pregnant women likewise work concerning the woman who recently became mother.
It is possible to mention some more bonuses from eating by nursing mothers of these delicacies:
- Fast recuperation after the difficult course of childbirth thanks to enough all components necessary for an organism.
- Strengthening of a lactation because of the high content of potassium.
Separately about weight loss on dates
This exotic product is irreplaceable for those who care for the figure. Though at it there is a large amount of sucrose, it is not laid in an organism in store, and is the real fuel for power generation. Therefore sweet teeth, it is heavy to them to refuse sugar, but at the same time with the person interested to look good, can quite replace it with this east sweet.
Whether you know? Dates, as well as chocolate, are good antidepressant.
One more important advantage of such dry fruit is that it has vegetable fibers. They give sense of fulness for a long time therefore the need for having a snack between day meals disappears.
Adding these dried delicacies to porridges, salads and drinks, we will receive a power breakfast which will help to keep cheerfulness and good mood and also can sate for a long time during weight loss.
Application in cookery: how to make candies
It is possible to regale on dates as a separate dish, and it is possible to add them to desserts, baked puddings, ice cream. They — fine addition to a tea drinking instead of candies and sugar.
Important! Dates are not exposed to processing by sulfuric acid unlike other dried fruits.
And now, one very simple and not expensive recipe for date candies:
To wash 5-10 pieces of dried fruits in warm water and to cut on two halves. To take a stone.
To put the peeled walnut or any other nut in each of halves. Nuts can be replaced with sunflower seeds. If desired to powder candies with coconut flakes as fragrance.
Whether it is possible to eat dates every day: norms of the use
Standard daily rate of consumption of this remarkable product — no more than 3-5 pieces daily for adults, and 1-2 — for children. This most optimum quantity to fill up everyday expenses of necessary substances.
Learn also about norm of the consumption of such dried fruits as dried apricots, dried apricots, a fig dried.
If there is a wish to eat more, then you should not be fond too: 250-300 g a day, no more. Otherwise there is a big risk of a lock or destabilization of digestion.
How to choose sweet
Usually dried fruits sell in shops or in the market. It is the best of all to buy fruit of dark color, dry and wrinkled. It is desirable if they are in packing, not stuck together among themselves. On fresh and qualitative sweets there should not be sugar crystals. If dates with gloss, then for giving of a commodity and attractive look could grease them with fat. It is necessary to refuse purchase of such goods.
Also fruits should not be too dried, with the cracked thin skin. Existence of a mold is excluded.
Harm and contraindications
At transfer of all useful properties of this exotic fruit, there can be an impression that dates bear only absolute advantage for the person. However it not absolutely so.
As well as in a case with any products of plant origin, using dried fruits, it is necessary to observe a measure.
At all advantage of dates, there are also contraindications for their use in a large number:
- In dry fruit the high content of fructose therefore using them more, than is necessary, you increase risk of caries of teeth.
- If excessively to be fond of this product, it is possible to provoke a lock.
- Sometimes these sweets cause swelling in an abdominal cavity and exacerbation of gastritis.
Absolute contraindication to consumption of these dried fruits are such diseases:
- gastroenteritis;
- colitis;
Without a doubt, if storage conditions and transportation of these fruit were broken, then at them there can be parasites, disputes of mushrooms and a mold. It is clear, that there are such fruits by no means it is impossible!
The Chinese relative, or what is unab
There is one more fruit which is called date too - it is unab, or the Chinese analog of the fruit described above. One more of its names known in our latitudes — zizifus. This plant surely lodged in gardens and on personal plots of our compatriots.
It — in five leading in the world medicinal analogs. It has a huge range of useful properties. Though it is a prickly bush, but all parts of this plant are applied on advantage to people. But unaba fruits are most of all used.
They are eaten as fresh, and in the form of a dry product. Generally they taste like date a little.
This vegetable healer the fact that in its structure there are important substances is valuable: over 2% of organic acids, from 25% — sugars, up to 4% of oils, over 2.5% of proteins and more than 7% of tannins. At it there are also a phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, tocopherol, thiamine, carotene, folic and nicotinic acids. In a large number vitamins C, River.
Whether you know? Vitamin C content in a zizifus by twenty times exceeds his quantity in a lemon, but at the same time the fruit has no sour taste.
Advantage for the person of a zizifus that accepting it it is regular in food, it is possible to restore the forces after the postponed infectious disease. The doctor at inflammations in a bladder, inflammation in a mouth can appoint them, for lowering of blood pressure and headaches.
Gynecologists advise them at toxicosis at pregnant women and also for strengthening of development of milk at the feeding mother.
At toxicosis also recommend to use tangerines, milk curdled milk, sauerkraut, ginger, pumpkin sunflower seeds.
Broths from leaves, bark and branches are known as bactericidal means, to them purulent wounds and abscesses, tuberculosis and lymphadenitis treat. Broth from dry room unab