Where the sun gives its warmth year-round, where there is no cold and dank wind, where there is no snow, wonderful trees grow - date palms. It is here, in the warm land, the dates so beloved by all ripen. Useful properties and contraindications of this delicacy we will consider in this article.
Homeland sweet treats
Where do the dates, useful properties, composition, calorie content, and also contraindications of which are relevant for everyone who loves them, grow? The original homeland of the date palm is the Nile and Euphrates, now this delicacy is grown in Italy, Spain, Africa and other countries with a tropical and subtropical climate.
In North Africa and Arabia, dates are not just a sweet dessert, but also a product that completely replaces bread. No wonder in the East dates are called "desert bread." It is believed that even if you only eat dates and fresh water for a long period of time, the body will tolerate such a “diet” without stress and harm, because in these fruits there is simply an incredible amount of nutrients necessary for a person. The beneficial properties of dried dates are repeatedly described in various medical treatises.
Nowadays it is almost impossible to meet a wild date palm, as a rule, these trees are cultivated specifically for growing sweet fruits. And not in vain - dates are in great demand among people from all over the world, so exporting these fruits is quite profitable. There is no such person who would not try these sweet gifts of nature - dates! Benefits and medicinal properties, contraindications and harm - no matter what information lovers of sweets have studied about them, both adults and children continue to eat them.
Date trading in all countries of the planet is carried out by Iran, Israel, Yemen, Iraq, Bahrain, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Oman, Morocco and the USA. But the undisputed leader in the cultivation and export of dates is Saudi Arabia.
Obstinate palm
The date palm is a rather tall tree, which sometimes reaches 25 meters in height. These trees proudly rise above the smaller representatives of the flora, as if showing their superiority over them. The thick trunk of a date palm is completely bare, without branches, with the exception of leaves swinging on its crown.
Huge, fern-like, date palm leaves reach a length of about 6 meters, and sharp spikes form on their cuttings. Plantation workers remove these spikes in advance so that they do not interfere in the future. If this is not done, then workers can get hurt, while the wounds are very painful and take a long time to heal. Spikes are removed with a heavy and very sharp knife - this is a simple but time-consuming process, because there are tens of thousands of trees on a date plantation ...
Date pollination
After all the dangerous thorns are removed, the collection of inflorescences from which pollen is extracted begins. Why is this done? Everything is simple! A palm tree is a dioecious heterosexual plant on which female and male flowers are not located together (on the same tree), but separately (on different trees). Plantation workers collect pollen from male inflorescences, process and dry them, and then transfer it to female inflorescences in a mechanized way. By the way, date palm pollen is a strong allergen, which the body can never get used to.
Delicacy ripening
After pollination of date inflorescences, the period of harvest ripening begins. It is long enough - it takes almost 200 days to wait for the fruits. At the same time, in order to get the maximum yield from each tree, it is necessary to thin out the inflorescences, removing the weak and leaving the strong.
By the way, the fruits of the date palm grow mainly at night - at this time of day the tree does not evaporate the water so needed for dates.
After some time, the ripening fruits begin to gain more weight than the tree can withstand. In order not to lose a precious delicacy, clusters of dates are tied.
Night fees
Harvest begins at the end of August. Ripe fruits are not harvested manually, but using special equipment. At the same time, work is carried out at night - from 20:00 to 8:00. After collection, the dates are sorted by boxes, then packaged and sent for export. So, sweet dates appear on our tables, concealing in themselves not only a lot of useful substances, but also the painstaking work of many people.
Dried or dried dates, which adults and children eat with pleasure, most often fall into Russia. And they’re doing it right, because the useful properties of dried dates are truly invaluable!
Dossier on dates
So, sweet "travelers from distant lands" are dates. Useful properties and contraindications of sweet fruits, we will describe in detail in this article - such information will be useful to all lovers of this exotic.
Let's start with the good. These sweet fruits have a magical property: relieve fatigue and stress, cheer up, strengthen weak immunity, and are also a tasty preventive measure against cancer. And this is not all that dates hide in themselves! The beneficial properties and contraindications of these fruits have been studied for years - thanks to scientific research, with the help of this goodies you can not only cure, but also prevent some diseases.
In the composition of the date there is a large amount of potassium, which has a positive effect on the heart muscle. In addition to potassium, dates have iron, which helps the body fight anemia. Among other things, these exotic fruits have a beneficial effect on the kidneys and liver, and also help fight intestinal upset.
Natural stimulant
What else do dates have in themselves? Useful properties and contraindications for their use have a very wide range, therefore, before you eat them in large quantities, you should make sure that these fruits do not harm the body. For example, despite all the useful ingredients, dates contain a substance that affects the contraction of the uterus, so future mothers should eat them with great care. And at the same time, if the dates of the proposed birth have already passed, and there are no contractions, then a handful of dates will help stimulate labor. In this way, mysterious dates act - harm, healing properties, contraindications and indications - all in one!
Dates for nursing mothers are simply necessary - they stimulate lactation, enrich the composition of breast milk, so that the baby receives a more complete, fortified diet. In a word, knowing the useful properties of dates and contraindications, you can use this exotic delicacy as vitamins or medicine.
Guarding Men's Health
What are useful dates for men? This fragrant treat is simply necessary for the stronger sex! Dried dates contain a large amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and dietary fiber. They perfectly satisfy hunger and restore strength. This is especially important for those who engage in heavy physical labor. And what are the useful dates for men? Among the useful qualities of the product can be called such as: purification and improvement of blood composition, as well as increased potency and increased sperm count. Therefore, it is recommended to eat at least a couple of pieces of this delicacy daily - exotic fruits will support male strength in tone.
Exotic banned
Dates contain a lot of sugar - even, because they are very sweet! Therefore, people suffering from diabetes mellitus, especially insulin-dependent, it is better to abandon the use of these fruits or limit yourself to one or two things per day. Otherwise, dates can cause an increase in blood sugar, which is highly undesirable for diabetics!
To whom else can dates cause harm? Medical and research studies have shown that it is undesirable to eat these fruits for people prone to allergies, as well as those who suffer from bronchial asthma, the presence of kidney stones and problems with the biliary tract.
Ten troubles - one answer!
So, we can summarize. Warm-brimmed dessert is useful for those who:
- Anemia, a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood.
- Fatigue, apathy, fatigue.
- Fragility of teeth and brittle bones.
- High blood pressure.
- Weakened immunity, frequent colds.
- Insomnia, nervous disorders, depression.
- Decreased vision.
- Swelling of the extremities.
- Lack of labor in women.
- Decrease in quantity and quality of breast milk.
Sweet dreams
Useful properties of dates and contraindications to their use, we examined. It remains only to mention one fact that will appeal to those sweet tooth who can not quickly fall asleep. The fact is that dates contain tryptophan, an amino acid that, when ingested, is transformed into the hormones serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin is the so-called "hormone of joy", it is responsible for our good mood and pleasant emotions. Melatonin is a "sleep hormone", it helps a person fall asleep. Therefore, if after a hard working day you want to sleep, but you can’t fall asleep, eat a couple of dates - and a sweet dream will not keep you waiting!
Vitamins and Calories
It is rare that one of those who at least once tried dates (the beneficial properties, harm, calorie content, benefits and vitamin composition of which we examined in this article) did not like these overseas fruits. Indeed, dried sweet dates are a kind of natural sweets filled with the sun of hot countries and natural vitamins. It remains only to describe in detail the composition of this useful dessert.
So, in 100 grams of dates are present:
- 0.1 grams of saturated fatty acids;
- 1.5 grams of ash;
- 69.2 grams of mono- and disaccharides;
- 0.1 grams of unsaturated fatty acids;
- 20 grams of water;
- 0.3 grams of organic acids;
- 6 grams of dietary fiber;
- 1.9 milligrams of vitamin PP;
- 0.3 milligrams of vitamin E;
- 1 milligram of B vitamins;
- 1.5 milligrams of iron;
- 56 milligrams of phosphorus;
- 370 milligrams of potassium;
- 32 milligrams of sodium;
- 69 milligrams of magnesium;
- 65 milligrams of calcium.
In addition, 100 grams of dates contain about 292 kilocalories.