NutritionFacts.org
Browsing: Home / Videos / Are Dates Good For You?

Health Topics

Browse through 1,577 different health topics
from A-Z!
  1. #
  2. A
  3. B
  4. C
  5. D
  6. E
  7. F
  8. G
  9. H
  10. I
  11. J
  12. K
  13. L
  14. M
  15. N
  16. O
  17. P
  18. Q
  19. R
  20. S
  21. T
  22. U
  23. V
  24. W
  25. X
  26. Y
  27. Z
Browse All Topics

Are Dates Good For You?

Do the beneficial phytonutrients in dates make up for their high sugar content?

May 20, 2011 |
GD Star Rating
loading...
FavoriteLoadingAdd to My Playlist

Topics

Supplementary Info

Are Dates Good For You?, 4.9 out of 5 based on 7 ratings

Sources Cited

W. Rock, M. Rosenblat, H. Borochov-Neori, N. Volkova, S. Judeinstein, M. Elias, and M. Aviram. Effects of date ( phoenix dactylifera l., medjool or hallawi variety) consumption by healthy subjects on serum glucose and lipid levels and on serum oxidative status: A pilot study. J. Agric. Food. Chem., 57(17):8010{8017, 2009.

W. Al-Shahib and R. J. Marshall. The fruit of the date palm: Its possible use as the best food for the future? Int J Food Sci Nutr, 54(4):247{259, 2003.

Acknowledgements

Transcript

Dates are whole foods, but, by weight, are 80% pure sugar. Just to put that in perspective. Froot loops, are only 40% sugar. Half the sugar content of dates—and has fruit-shaped marshmallows, so it’s got to be healthy. Straight frosting? Only 60% sugar. And jellybeans? Only 70% sugar. Dates: 80%.
Yes, dates have fiber, they have phytonutrients, but the concern about consuming high sugar foods is that they can raise our blood sugar, raise our triglycerides, oxidatively stress our bodies, and make us fat. So, last year Israeli scientists took a bunch of people, stuffed them full of dates for a month and measured what happened.
Are dates bad for us? Does the sugar and fiber kinda cancel each other out? Or are dates good for us?
Dates are fantastic. No adverse effects on blood sugar or weight, and beneficial improvements in triglycerides and antioxidant stress levels. Check out the title of this review: possible best food? Concluding that “dates, may be considered as an almost ideal food.”…
As an aside, one date scored significantly better than the other. They’re both good, but one’s better. Medjool or the smaller and sweeter halawi dates? Without a doubt, halawi’s better.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

For some context, please check out my associated blog post: Soymilk: shake it up!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/LachicaveganaComefrutas/ Lachicavegana Comefrutas

    I’m Yerba mate Girl, and I am SO thankful about this one!! So dates didn’t raise blood sugar?? And lowered triglycerides? That’s crazy good!!!! So the low fluffing raw fooders may have missed the mark? YEAH!! Going to order from The Date People this year!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      I love the Date People! I’m averse to endorsing any sort of products or brands, but I’m a huge date fan and these are my favorite. But if anyone has another favorite I’ll certainly check them out.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/louisef/ LouiseF

    Great information! Thank you!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      You are absolutely welcome! As an aside, has anyone tried barhi dates? I’ve also seen them spelled barhee. They are my favorite. I freeze them (they are one of the moistest dates) and then eat them with apples and I swear it tastes like the caramel apples of my youth! Any other varieties out there people love that I should try?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/lisakskinner/ lisakskinner

    This is great news! Dates are a favorite treat in our household, I buy medjools at the shuk (open air market) here in Jerusalem. I’ll have to try the barhi and khadrawi varieties. Thanks for the tip about freezing, I’ll try it with the medjools, it sounds like a tasty summer treat.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Ooh, I’m jealous Lisa–I bet you get the freshest dates!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/BenjaminStone/ Benjamin Stone

    Despite my best efforts I have never been able to source a halawi date, only medjool. Still looking!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      I’m sure you can get any kind online, but I’ve found locally my best bets are middle eastern and Indian grocery stores (great place to also get cheap spices). And evidently Ramadan is a good time of the year to find great dates. You’re a little late, but maybe you’ll find some bargains!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/dave23/ dave23

    Hi Dr. Greger,

    Thank you for this fantastic, resourceful website. I’m a bit confused on how much fruit is safe to consume. The study you quote here says it’s healthy but there are other well known Doctors who say one should not consume more than 2 – 3 fruits per day. Apparently it can harm our liver and raise triglycerides? Thanks for clarifying.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      The only thing I can imagine they’re thinking about is the relationship between rising fructose consumption and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but the fructose is coming from high fructose corn syrup (mostly from soft drinks) and table sugar, not fruit. See for example this recent article. Fruit may even have beneficial effects, for example this study on prunes and liver function. As far as I (and as far as I can tell the best available science) am concerned, the more fruit the better.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/drdons/ DrDons

      Hi Dave23, Dr. Gregers articles provide good information concerning this issue. Fructose is metabolized solely in the liver whereas glucose is metabolized by all cells. Most studies of the adverse effects of fructose have been done on intake of HFCS in beverages. It does raise the concern that the fructose in fruits might be an issue. Fruits contain fructose, glucose and sucrose(half glucose,half fructose). Fruits also come with fiber and nutrients. There are some health care professionals that are speaking of fructose as a bad thing. At this time I know of no studies which would support this conclusion. Eating a variety of whole foods seems to be the best approach. Avoiding sweetened drinks and processed foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS) added seems to be best approach.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/dave23/ dave23

    I checked and they said that the issue is not just with high fructose corn syrup but with insulin resistance and fruit can still be an issue. Apparently fruit can be problematic with people that have insulin resistance?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/cubancuervo/ cubancuervo

      Fruits naturally contain sugar, but most do not have a great affect on blood sugar. Watermelon and pineapple are the exceptions because they have a high glycemic index, which means they rapidly increase blood sugar. Fruits are an important component to a healthy whole-foods, plant-based diet. Check out this video on fruit and vegetable recommendations http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/nine-servings-a-day-minimum/. Find out which fruits are best for cancer prevention http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/best-fruits-for-cancer-prevention/. Here is a video on treating diabetes with diet http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/how-to-treat-diabetes/.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Please ask for some science to back up their assertions–I’d be happy to review any papers they have, as what I’m seeing in the scientific literature is studies showing phytonutrients in fruits may actually improve insulin sensitivity (see this study on blueberries for instance).

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/sherala/ sherala

    Hello,

    I am happy to say I regularly enjoy black sphinx dates as I from, & still live in, the Phoenix area. If you’ve never tried one, I highly recommend them. They’re delicious and taste a bit like honey.

    If you are unfamiliar, check this out: http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/ark_product_detail/black_sphinx_date/

    Thank you for your informative site!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      Thank you for posting the tip!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/iggyputty/ Iggyputty

    Dr greger,

    General question on sugar – if 80%+ of my diet is whole food based veganism, how much harm is there in a serious sweet tooth? Several times a week probably, I have banana ice cream (frozen banana, vanilla, soy milk, cocoa powder in vitamix) with chocolate chips and/or homemade chocolate cake (ie whole wheat flour, now dates). Occasionally (several times a month) I indulge in high sugar candy like jelly bellies or vegan candy corn. Other than that, I don’t drink soda (I use either juice or erythritol sweetened drinks with my citrucel/miralax) or eat high sugar cereal (does kashi crunch count?). With that data, is this sweet tooth a problem, and do I need to cut back? Thanks.

    • http://twitter.com/little_bluej Jess Brooks

      You don’t have a sweet tooth problem. Humans are made to eat carbs! Your body is craving sweet things because it wants more carbs. Try adding more sweet fruit to your diet.

    • forwhatitsworth

      Iggyputty,

      I don’t want to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong since you addressed your question to Dr. G. So no problem if you don’t want my input.

      I’ve eaten the whole gamut of diets (omni, veggie, raw, vegan) and am now vegetarian again. I also have a sweet tooth, sometimes more than others. Moderation with it is definitely a wise move. I know that if I’m not eating a wide variety of veggies especially greens I’m depriving myself of lots of vitamins and minerals. Chlorophyl is our friend.

      All the best…

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/katev49/ KateV49

    Does this information about dates apply to dried dates as well as fresh? I LOVE dried dates but have tried to avoid them because of the high concentration of sugar.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Indeed, this information is totally relevant to dried dates. There is not much water in fresh dates to begin with. The concentration of sugar does not increase with dried vs. fresh dates.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/catchley/ catchley

    Hi Dr. Greger,

    I’m so confused about the date discussion here – as I am regarding all dried fruits for that matter. For example, dried plums or dried apricots have nearly HALF as much sugar as dates. Considering the research study that you mention, how can date sugar be any different than sugar in ANY dried fruit? Isn’t there ample evidence of the dangers of sugar to the cardiovascular system as well as the addictive nature of sugar in the way it stimulates the same region of the brain as does cocaine? Wouldn’t date sugar have the same affect at least with regard to the addiction factor?

    Last night’s “60 Minutes” segment on CBS,
    , presented a compelling case to definitely eliminate processed sugar, but I’m not clear about highly concentrated sugar found in some fruits such as dates.

    There’s also Dr. Lustig’s widely viewed lecture on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM, that he gave at UCSF that goes into detail regarding the dangers of high concentrations of sugar. Have you viewed these videos, and if so, what are your thoughts?

    Furthermore, it is certainly not uncommon for the conclusions from a scientific study to be later refuted as more evidence is collected. Isn’t it premature to draw such a conclusion about dates from this one study that you present?

    I would love to know your thinking on the matter as our family is attempting to follow the healthiest diet possible and cutting out sugar completely won’t fly with most of our members.

    Thank you so much!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Date sugar is not really sugar, its ground up dates. You would be eating a whole food. I don’t know anybody that would say eating fruits is not good for you!

  • ESSENIC ™

     Yum! :)

  • Assaf

    Hi Dr Greger,
    i wanted to ask – Does aerobic exercising and sweating reduce the level sodium on our body and can actually balance the sodium levels of our body?

  • http://www.facebook.com/lauren.r.ard Lauren Rae Layton Ard

    To anyone who sees this, I wanted to share my healthy “brownie” recipe. After seeing the videos about cocoa, dates, and nuts, I knew I had to give it a try, and they turned out DELICIOUS. You will not miss the old brownies after this! And, the best part is, you can eat as many as you want because every single ingredient is healthy!

    1 c dates
    1 c walnuts (I’m sure any nuts will work though)
    1/4 c cocoa (or to taste – everyone likes different amounts)
    2 tsp vanilla extract

    Put all of this in a high-powered blender (like Vitamix) and blend to desired consistency. We like ours with chunks of walnut still intact, but you could also blend them perfectly smooth.

    • http://www.facebook.com/margie.adelman Margie Adelman

      then what? after you blend it. Do you bake them or just put them in a pan and let it sit and then cut them?

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750664596 Eliane Mendes

        Don’t cook. It is a raw recipe!!

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong

      Thanks. Healthy and sweet. Will try.

    • Justasomeone

      Actually the high fat will make you lethargic. I was making something similar to this with coconut shreds instead of cocoa and no vanilla and did not feel as optimal as when I do low-fat. Low fat, high carb, fruit based raw vegan is most optimal.

  • mbglife

    I know that studies can be wrong, but I’m going to take this one on face value that the high sugar content isn’t a problem. In fact, I’ve even taken to putting a date in my coffee to take the edge off of it (can’t find date sugar). But I have another question, should we be at all concerned about it’s rating as “strongly inflammatory” on the Nutrition Data website. I read somewhere the analytical basis for their ratings is proprietary and many of their inflammation ratings cannot be verified. But is there any reason to go easy based on this rating.
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1882/2

  • mbglife

    I am taking it on face value that the results of the study are valid and trump any concern about too much sugar. But I noticed on the Nutrition Data site that dates are rated as “strongly inflammatory. Is there any reason to be concerned about that? As an aside, I have also read from some supporters of that sites, that Nutrition Data’s inflammation ratings are based on secret, proprietary analyses, and therefore cannot be verified.
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1882/2

  • Aaron

    Just found a delicious date-based “candy” bar from a UK company – http://www.naturalbalancefoods.co.uk/nakd/

    One of their bars is called “Pecan Pie” – Ingredients:Dates (52%), Pecans (28%), Almonds (20%), natural flavour

    Since I just learned that dates are the healthiest sweet, and pecans are the healthiest nut (thanks Doc!) I’ll be ordering up a case of these bars to stave off the occasional sweets cravings.

    I tried the orange chocolate ones today, they taste like Eatmore bars (or maybe tootsie rolls), only better!

  • zainab

    ajwa dates are probably the best dates ever,they are grown in arabia,you maybe able to find it in arabian groceries if lucky

  • lero

    I love dates ! Could you please link the studies mentioned in this video ? Or do they require some sort of subscription ?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=670735069 Tan Truong

    Yeah dates. Dates for so many things from sweetening to a carb source for exercise.

  • John

    Any thoughts on whether it is worth paying several times more for organic dates? To your knowledge are pesticide etc residues an issue. What about possible toxicity of natural chemicals used on organic produce. Info I have come across confusing. Any insight much appreciated. Thanks, John

  • AqiylHenry

    I love Medjool dates

  • hectorosvaldo

    I understand that and why dates are healthy, but what about date butter?

©2012 NutritionFacts.org - All Rights Reserved | In partnership with the Jesse & Julie Rasch Foundation
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contact Us