Date is a healthy and vitamin rich fruit enjoyed by all age
groups. Historian assumes that its place
of origin is from the land of Iraq. Dates have been an essential food of
the Indus Valley and the Middle East for thousands of years. They are considered
to have originated somewhere in Iraq, and have been cultivated since ancient
times from prehistoric Egypt to Mesopotamia, possibly dating back to 4000 BC. Researchers
have also found archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia from
6000 BC. Hence, the origin of dates remains unknown because of its long
cultivation history.
Date palm tree grows 70 to 75 feet (21 to 23 m) in height; it
either grows singly or forms a clump with different stems from a single root
system.
Throughout the centuries, the travelers and the traders have
helped in spreading dates in parts of northern Africa, South West Asia, and
Spain. The Spaniards introduced Dates into
California and Mexico in 1765 AD.
There are numerous health benefits of dates that include healing
heart problems, relief from constipation, intestinal disorders, diarrhea, anemia,
abdominal cancer, and many other diseases. Dates are also very helpful in
gaining weight. They are loaded with rich vitamins, fiber and minerals. They
have a number of vitamins such as copper, iron, calcium, sulfur, phosphorous,
manganese, potassium, and magnesium which are all extremely beneficial for
health. Health specialist’s give advise that eating one date a day is necessary
for a healthy and balanced diet.
The tremendous health benefits of dates have made them one of
the best supplements for muscle development. People prefer to consume dates in different
ways, for example mixing the paste of the dates with milk, yogurt or with bread
or butter to make them even more delicious. During time of recovery from
illness or injury, this paste is beneficial for both adults and children. Scientific
studies have proofed that eating dates on a regular basis is beneficial for
pregnant women and nursing mothers.
It has now been
accepted that dates are useful in preventing abdominal cancer according to a latest
modern medical survey. Muslims break their fast (iftar) by having dates and
water according to the Islamic traditions. It really helps in avoiding
overeating of food especially if you have broken your fast by eating dates. Feelings
of hunger are repressed when the body begins to consume the high nutritional
intake of the dates. Significant amounts of potassium, present in dates, help
the nervous system at the time of breaking the fast.
The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Break your fast by eating dates
as it is purifying.”
Eating Dates after fasting provide 5 health benefits:
·
They
don’t exhaust the fasting person since they are easy to digest.
·
Eating
Dates helps in reducing the feeling of hungriness of a fasting person and so he
doesn’t indulge into excessive food eating, thereby it protects from digestion
disorders.
·
With
the release of natural juices and digestive secretions, dates help the stomach
to receive the intake of food after staying inactive throughout the day.
·
Dates
are loaded with sugary energy; hence the body is supplied with the most vital
nutrients which is sugar, that is necessary as a nutrient for the nerves and
brain cells.
·
Dates
help in protecting the fasting person from constipation as a consequence of
changing meals times or having less fiber amounts in meals.
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