BENEFITS OF OTHER ITEMS

Top 8 Benefits and Side Effects of Dates

  What are Dates?

Dates are a sweet fruit that grows on tall trees (21 – 23 meters high) known as Date palm (Phoenix Dactylifera). They are one of the oldest cultivated fruit and are native to the Middle East, North Asia and India. There are over 2000 varieties of dates which can be eaten raw or added to many dessert recipes, shakes and other dishes.

     Nutritional Characteristics of Dates

·       Rich source of vitamins (A, K, B-12, b-3)

·       Contains minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium

·       High percentage (6.4%-11.5%) of dietary fiber

·       Contains unsaturated fatty acids include palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids

·       Has antioxidant properties

·       Natural laxative

PROVEN BENEFITS OF DATES

According to Dr. Marshall R. J, London Metropolitan University, Department of Health and Human Sciences, London, dates contain a high percentage of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber and fatty acids that provide many benefits to health, hair and skin.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT BENEFITS DATES HAVE TO OFFER.

1. Treats Constipation

Dates are a natural laxative fruit and rich in dietary fiber that helps in curing constipation. It is healthy and regulates your bowel movements. You can soak dates overnight and consume them in the morning like a syrup.

2. Promotes Bone Health

Dates contain a significant amount of minerals that strengthen bone health and cures painful bone diseases like osteoporosis. They contribute to healthy bone development and strength as you grow older.

3.  Maintains Healthy Nervous System

Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals which boosts the health and functionality of your nervous system. It also controls the heart rate and maintains the blood pressure of your body. Hayley Timm, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, USA states that deficiency of vitamin k can cause bleeding pulmonary hemorrhage. You can take 3 – 4 dates every morning or evening.

4. Treats Night Blindness

The date contains vitamin A which keeps your eyes healthy. It also prevents many eye diseases such as night blindness. You can make a paste of date leaves and rub around your eyes or you can consume them raw to cure night blindness

5. Promotes Weight Gain

If you are underweight, dates have essential vitamins and high amounts of sugar that help you gain a healthy weight. It also helps in gaining muscle mass if you are lean and slim. You can take 3-4 dates with cucumber paste to help you cure malnourishment.

6. Treats Anemia

Dates are rich in iron that boost hemoglobin of your body and regulates the production of blood cells. It prevents anemia in a pregnant woman as well as the fetus. Also, it helps in the smooth enlargement of uterus muscles.
Acts as an Anti-ageing Agent

Dates are rich sources of antioxidants that effectively counters the production of free radicals in your skin. It prevents the accumulation of melanin in your skin and wrinkles. They also prevent many skin diseases due to the presence of vitamin A.

8. Maintains Healthy Hair

Dates contain vitamin B5 which is vital for the maintenance of your hair. It reduces hair fall, improves brittle hair and split ends. Daily consumption of 3-4 dates in the morning helps reduce hair problems.

How to Consume Dates?

·       Add 3-4 Dates to your banana smoothie for a healthy morning breakfast

·       Add dates to your oatmeal

·       Add chopped dates to your kale and Quinoa salad

·       Soak 3-4 dates overnight and have it as a morning syrup

·       You can also eat them raw twice a day (morning and evening)

  

 Side Effects and Precautions

Dates are natural fruit that has no side effects. However, they have high sugar content and, hence, you should amount your dosage accordingly. It might increase your weight or blood sugar levels.

Important Questions About Dates Answered

What are the benefits of eating dates?

Dates offer multiple health benefits to its consumers. Dates treat constipation, promote bone health, maintain a healthy nervous system, treat night blindness, promote weight gain,

Treat anemia as well as maintain hair,

Are Dates bad for human health?

No, Dates are actually good for human health.

What are dates before they are dried?

Dates are sold as fresh dates as well as in dried form. Except for a lower moisture content, there is not much difference between fresh dates and dried dates.

How many dates can a diabetic eat in a day?

Though dates are one of the sweetest fruits, they are rich sources of carbohydrates and energy. A diabetic person can eat 2-3 dates a day as long as he is maintaining a healthy routine.

Can you eat too many dates?

Over-consumption of dates can cause imbalanced blood sugar levels and lose motions.

Do dates make you put on weight?

The date can make you put on weight because of their high sugar content. However, you can maintain optimal weight levels by consuming dates in moderate amounts.

Are Dates fattening?

Over consumption of Dates is fattening.

Do Dates go bad?

Yes, Dates do go bad. When dates smell bad or have a discoloured appearance, it is a clear sign of rotten Dates.

Benefits of Millet And Its Side Effects

Millet Nutritional Value of Millet Health Benefits of Millet Uses of Millet Side-Effects & Allergies of Millet Cultivation of Millet

The health benefits of millets are such that it treats coronary artery disorder helps in weight loss, reduces the risk of colon cancer, helps to decrease high blood pressure, helps in preventing Celiac disease, controls diabetes, a good source of antioxidants, helps in slowing down muscle degradation, aids in sleep, helps in relieving menstrual cramps, aids breast milk production improves skin elasticity.

Millet

Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for human food and as fodder. In India, millets have been mentioned in some of the oldest Yajurveda texts, identifying foxtail millet (priyangava), Barnyard millet (aanava) and black finger millet (shyaamaka), thus indicating that millet consumption was very common, pre-dating to the Indian Bronze Age (4,500BC). Millets, however, lack the nutrients critically important for a person’s body.

Nutritional Value of Millet

Millet is counted on around the world to provide basic nutrition for many developing nations. Every 100 grams of millets contain 378 calories of energy, 4.2 grams of total fat out of which saturated fat is 0.7 grams, total carbohydrate content is 73 grams, dietary fiber is 8.5 grams, protein content is 11 grams, folate is 85 mcg, niacin is 4.720 mg, Pantothenic acid is 0.848 mg, Riboflavin is 0.290 mg, Thiamine is 0.421 mg, Vitamin B6 is 0.384 mg, Vitamin E 0.05 mg, Tocopherol alpha is 0.05 mg, Vitamin K is 0.9 mcg, Calcium is 1%, Iron content is 17%, Copper is 38%, Magnesium is 28%, Manganese is 82%, Phosphorus is 28%, Potassium is 4%, Selenium is 4%, Zinc is 11%

Health Benefits of Millet

Mentioned below are the best health benefits of Millet

Treats Coronary Artery Disorder

Consumption of millet in large amounts helps to decrease triglyceride levels in the body. It thins the blood to prevent blood platelet clumping, thereby reducing the risk of sunstroke and coronary artery disorder.

Helps in Weight Loss

Millets contain tryptophan, an amino acid that lowers appetite and helps in managing weight. It digests at a slower rate and keeps the stomach full for a longer period of time. Millets are high in fiber and satiate hunger quickly, preventing overeating. People who want to lose weight should incorporate millets in at least one of their main meals.

Reduces Risk of Colon Cancer

Millet contains both fibers and phytonutrients, the combination of which is believed to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. Lignan, a phytonutrient in millet, is converted into mammalian lignan in the intestine that protects from breast cancer. In fact, the consumption of millet can lower the risk of developing breast cancer by 50%.

Helps to decrease high blood pressure

Magnesium in millet relaxes the muscles that line the inside of the arterial wall, which helps to reduce blood pressure. It also reduces the severity of asthma and the frequency of migraines.

Helps in preventing Celiac disease

Celiac is a disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. People who suffer from this disease cannot tolerate gluten. This makes millet a perfect food for them since it is completely gluten-free.

Controls Diabetes

The low glycemic index in millet slows down the digestion process and keeps the blood sugar level at a constant ratio. Millets increase insulin sensitivity for people suffering with diabetes and also helps to control the sugar levels for non-diabetics especially type 2 diabetes.

Good Source of Antioxidants

The high amount of antioxidants present in millets fights free radicals present in the body which slows down the aging process.

Helps in slowing down muscle degradation

Millets are high protein grains and contain lysine, an amino acid which slows down muscle degradation and helps to build leaner muscles.

Aids in Sleep

Tryptophan in millet raises the serotonin level in the body which helps in reducing stress. A cup of millet porridge every night can help to get sound and peaceful sleep.

Helps in relieving menstrual cramps

Because of its high level of magnesium, millet is a great food for women who suffer from unbearable pain and cramps during their menstrual cycle.

Aids breast milk production

Pregnant and lactating women are advised to consume Ragi in high amounts to increase the production of breast milk in their bodies. This enables the mother to feed the child for a longer period of time.

Improves skin elasticity

Millet is rich in amino acids called L-lysine and L-proline. These help to create collagen in the body, a substance that gives structure to the skin’s tissue. Thus, eating millet fortifies the collagen level to improve the skin’s elasticity and makes it less prone to wrinkles.

Uses of Millet

Millets are also used to prepare alcoholic beverages. Millets are traditionally important grains used in brewing millet beer in some cultures, for instance by the Tao people of Orchid Island and the Amis or Atayal of Taiwan. It is also the base ingredient for the distilled liquor rakish in Nepal and the indigenous alcoholic drink of the Sherpa, Tamang, Rai and Limbu people, tonga, in eastern Nepal.

Millets are major food sources in arid and semiarid regions of the world and feature in the traditional cuisine of many others. Millet porridge is a traditional food in Russian, German, and Chinese cuisines.

In addition to being used for seed, millet is also used as a grazing forage crops. Instead of letting the plant reach maturity it can be grazed by stock and is commonly used for sheep and cattle.

Side-Effects & Allergies of Millet

Millets are safe when consumed in a moderate amount. It has been consumed as a staple food by millions of peoples in the past thousands of years. However, excessive consumption of millet might cause an adverse effect. Millets contain goitrogen, a substance that interferes with the production of thyroid hormones and inhibits iodine uptake and utilization by the thyroid gland. Deficiency of iodine is a significant health problem which leads to the development of enlarged thyroid gland, known as goiter. Goiter causes dry skin, anxiety, depression and slow thinking. In the Sudan region of Africa where millet is consumed as the primary source of energy, the occurrence of goiter was much greater than anywhere else in the world. Hence, people with thyroid problems need to restrict their consumption of millets.

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