Top 5 Benefits of Dates

What's not to love about Dates?

Sweet. Caramely. Rich. Jammy. What’s not to love?

Although their wrinkly appearance gives “dried” vibes, dates are fresh, edible fruits cultivated from date palm trees. The dried-fruit-look is a direct cause of growing in desert heat.

There are hundreds of varieties of dates, but the most popular are Medjool and Deglet Noor. Scroll on to get better acquainted with these two and with the top five benefits of dates.

Dates Are Good For The Gut

Why are dates good for the gut? Dates provide a good source of dietary fiber. Just two big Medjool dates or five smaller Deglet Noor dates (the standard serving sizes for these) will each give you over 10% of the daily value for fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient for gut health and helps with regularity (it keeps things movin’, if you know what we mean). Dates have specifically been studied for this, and it turns out they do pretty well in the digestive function department.

In addition to being a good source of fiber, research shows eating dates can help the good bacteria in your gut grow, too. This is likely because the fiber in dates is a type of prebiotic, which is food for the good bacteria in your gut. Dates = food for you and food for friendly bacteria.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), dates are good for the heart and contain virtually zero sodium and fat. So, it’s no surprise that dates meet AHA’s criteria for being a heart healthy choice.

Plus, dates contain some potassium. Eating two Medjool dates gives you about 7% of the daily value for potassium, a mineral many people don’t eat enough of but is vitally important for overall health. Potassium helps maintain a normal blood pressure, balances fluids in the body, and is needed for muscles to contract and do their thing.

Dates Pack Antioxidant Power

Antioxidants? Dates are full of ‘em. Dates contain polyphenols – plant compounds that generally act as antioxidants and help keep us healthy. While different varieties of dates contain different types and amounts of polyphenols (and the science is complex), the takeaway is that dates give us antioxidant goodness that offer all sorts of potential health benefits.

Dates Are Naturally Sweet

Dates deliver a natural dose of sweetness which means when dates are in the mix, no added sugar is needed. While sugar, in general, has a bad rep, natural sugars—like those found in dates—aren’t a health concern for most people. Dates’ natural sweetness comes with water, fiber, and other nutrients, so it doesn’t affect the body the same way added sugar does.

When your sweet tooth calls, you can eat dates straight up, or use them in recipes that need a hint of something sweet. Or better yet, you can relax and enjoy the dates in a few Daily Harvest faves. Deglet Noor dates are a go-to ingredient in our Bites , and Medjools make an appearance in decadent Smoothies like the carrot cake-esque Carrot + Cinnamon . We made dates the star of the show in our Date + Almond Smoothie. It hits the spot for those who want both a decadent treat and a filling functional beverage.

It’s Always Time For A Date

We take care of food so food can take care of you. Stock up on our deliciously nourishing best sellers with dates at daily-harvest.com.

Important Notes: Unless otherwise noted, nutrition information is sourced from USDA FoodData Central and reflects the reference amount customarily consumed. These are standardized servings and not necessarily the amount present in the highlighted Daily Harvest recipes. Nutrition information for Daily Harvest products can be found on packages and under "Nutrition Facts" for each product at "dailyharvest.com". Vitamin and mineral functions are sourced from Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.