Dates
Phoenix dactylifera
Fruits. Middle Eastern & Unani.
Also called Khajur, Tamr, Date palm fruit
Spanish: Dátil
A sweet, soft fruit from the date palm, and a daily food across the Middle East and North Africa.
Did you know? Date palms have been cultivated for thousands of years, and many Muslim families break the Ramadan fast with dates.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Women's health. Several small trials found that eating dates in late pregnancy may help labor start and progress. Studies are small and results vary.Early proof
- Digestion & gut health. Dates contain fiber that may help constipation. Human studies on dates are few.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Arab and Persian healers recommended dates for energy and digestion. In many homes they are the first food eaten at sunset during Ramadan.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Nutritive, Laxative, Antioxidant. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Eat fresh or dried, chop into oatmeal, or blend into paste. Late-pregnancy trials used a daily amount over the final weeks, so ask your midwife or doctor before changing your diet.
Food.
Where to get it
Grown in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Iran and California. Buy dates in grocery stores and Middle Eastern markets, and choose soft, plump fruit with no sour smell.
Be careful
Safe as food. Dates are high in natural sugar and potassium. People with diabetes should count them, and people with kidney disease who limit potassium should ask a doctor.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Used together in many Middle Eastern sweets and snacks.
- Works well together
Both are sweet dried fruits common in Middle Eastern snacks.
- Works well together
Dried fruit snacks; dates add natural sweetness.
- Use cautionDiabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
Dates are high in natural sugar. Count them in your carbs if you take diabetes medicine.
Adds up with others that may lower blood sugar: , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 39 more.
The honest take
Dates are a nutritious food. The best human evidence is for eating them in late pregnancy, which is small but encouraging. Most other claims rest on tradition or lab work.