DATES
English : dates,
Arabic : tamr
Islamic Medicine
According to classical scholar, Al Qayyim Ibn Jawziyyah (raheem Allah , may the mercy of Allah be upon him),
dates are categorized in accordance to the various stages of their freshness and ripeness.
Busr are green unripe dates, temperament hot and dry
Balah are fresh unripe dates, temperament cold and dry
Rutab are fresh ripe dates, temperament is hot and moist
Tamar are dried ripe dates temperament is hot and dry
Nakl is the date palm.
It is significant that dates are mentioned over 22 times in the Quran, more than any other fruit, more than any vegetable or animal product. This emphasis signifies their importance in nutrition and remedial benefits. The date palm is the national symbol of Saudi Arabia and for good reason, they have been in the land for over 10, 000 years. Dates were taken by Alexander The Great to Pakistan and the Kalifa Abdualrahman Aldakel took dates to Andalusia, Spain .
As we said theya re mentioned at least 22 times in The Quran. Here is one of the examples,
Surat(chapter 16) An-Naĥl (The Bee) – سورة النح
Surat 16, ayat/verse 11
“ With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought. “
The health benefits of dates are as follows
1.Energy And Weight Gain
Dates are great energy boosters as the natural sugars like glucose, sucrose and fructose provide a powerhouse of instant energy which is why it is traditional to eat them to break fast during Ramadhan. As the dates ripen , their sugar content increases .Even though dates have insignificant amount of fat , the sugar content is so high that they will help you gain weight if the sugar is not burnt up by your activity.
2.Sexual Performance
This high energy heat of dates enhance sexual performance , it is a consideration for young men and women who eat dates and should be active in their work or sports. dates soaked in fresh goats milk with honey and cardamom added, is promoted by some naturapaths to enhance sexual performance, stamina and endurance for married couples…va va voom !
- High Fibre and digestion
Dates helps improve the digestive system as they contain soluble and insoluble fibre. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate that is not digested by the body, however this fibre is vital for good health. dates come is all sorts of shapes and sizes but a 1/10 of the date weight is made up of insoluble fibre, which helps food move through the digestive tract. To get the full laxative effect from dates, you need to soak the dates overnight in water after washing them. You should consume these soaked dates in the morning, including the water they are soaked in for maximum benefit. The high fibre also helps in lowering cholesterol.
- Alleviates anemia
Dates are in one of the top 10 foods for iron. 20 small dates weighs about 100grammes, this quantity contains 1.5 mg of iron. The RDA for men is 8mg and 18 for women, more when pregnant. Date can contribute to what is needed however there are some better sources of iron like clams, liver and pumpkin seeds.
- Heart Health
Dates are rich in potassium which is an electrolyte as well as mineral; this means it carries the electrical charge. 100 grams of dates contain 636 mg of potassium which is 15% of the RDA. Potassium is a vital mineral and one of its roles is to control electrical activity of the heart, potassium also help regulate the water balance of the body. They also contain magnesium which helps lower blood pressure. - Nervous system
Dates are rich in B vitamins, high in vitamin B6. Because dates are a complete whole food there are other component of dates that make the absorption of vitamin b6 beneficial. It is well known by nutrients and naturopaths that getting vitamins and mineral from natural food sources is better than taking isolated vitamins and mineral in the form of tablets ,. Vitamin B6 for example excessive vitamin B6 can cause skin problem and stomach problems. the combination of B vitamins in dates helps the absorption of vitamin b 6 is necessary in the formation of organic chemical in the body that rejuvenate the brain spinal cord and nerves
- Stroke Prevention
In 2009 ,Professor Michael Aviram, a biochemist from the Technion-Israel Institute of Science and his team found that found that eating Hallawi dates daily for four weeks could improve the quality of lipids (fats) in the blood without raising sugar level
They carried out a tests on 10 healthy subjects who ate 3.75 oz of Hallawi dates per day for four weeks. The results were published online by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and showed a 15 percent decrease in triglyceride (fats) levels and a 33% drop in the amount of oxidation of fats in the blood.
“Oxidation is central to the deposition of cholesterol into the artery wall,” says Aviram of the Technion Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center. “Once it is deposited, it can cause blockage of the blood supply to the heart or brain, a phenomenon that causes heart attack or stroke.” It is the combination of insoluble fiber in dates as well as the other nutrient components like potassium that keep the circulation of blood, water and energy in the body in good motion.
