Benefits of dates ( KHAjOOR)

In the Quran, the date or the date palm is mentioned 20 times. A famous reference to the date palm can be found in Surat Maryam regarding Maryam's childbirth: "And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree; she cried (in her anguish) "Ah! Would that I had died before this! Would that I been a thing forgotten and out of sight." But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): Grieve not! for thy Lord hath provided a rivulet beneath thee; and shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon thee. So eat and drink and cool (thine) eye." (19:23-26) Another passage of the Quran referring to the date palm: "And the earth He has put for the creatures. Therein are fruits, date-palms producing sheathed fruit-stalks (enclosing dates)." (55:10-11) Date palms also served as a means for preserving passages of the Quran. During the life of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH), the Quran was recorded by some scribes on leafstalks of date palms. Date palms were also used for construction purposes. The Prophet's mosque in Madinah was originally constructed from the use of the date palm. The roof was made of palm fronds woven together and the trunks of palm trees were used to form the pillars of the mosque. Several references to date palms can be found in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). 'Abdullah b. Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Amongst the trees, there is a tree, the leaves of which do not fall and is like a Muslim. Tell me the name of that tree.” Everybody started thinking about the trees of the desert areas. And I thought of the date-palm tree but felt too shy to answer. The others then asked, “What is that tree, O Allah’s Apostle?” He replied, “It is the date-palm tree.” Sahih Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Hadith #58 Dates are essential food items during Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Muslims follow the manner of the Prophet by breaking their fast with dates. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said: "How excellent are dates as the believers Suhoor." [Abu Dawood, Ibn Hibban and AlBaihaqee, Sahih] Dates are great sources of iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, copper and phosphorous. They are also rich in natural fibers and contain many vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, biotin, folic and ascorbic acid. Dates are used to make syrups, jams, ice creams, soft drinks and a host of other products. Dates have also been known for their medicinal purposes. They were a source of nutrition for early Muslims who engaged in battles and helped serve as a muscle stimulant. Many early Muslims, including the Prophet (PBUH), survived for days on just dates and water. In more recent times, studies have shown that bedouin Arabs who consume dates on a regular basis show an extremely low incidence rate of cancer and heart disease. Researchers continue to explore the many uses of the date palm, which according to Arab tradition number 360 possible uses. Some of the medicinal uses include the treatment of bronchitis, tumors, hemorrhoids, poisonous bites, night blindness, skin allergies, anxiety, depression and many others. Health benefits of dates fruit are uncountable. The decoction of the fruit was used to treat bronchitis, cough and colitis as well as its uses as expectorant. In addition to its uses as an emollient, in gout and blood pressure cases. 1. Tamr is remedy for potassium deficiency diseases; Tamr is a general restorative if eaten as a daily food. Tamr treats the cardiac disorder especially after diarrhea and vomiting or after diuretic medications. 2. Tamr as lactagogue: Tamr containing Potassium; Glycine and Threonine; which activate the milk hormone (prolactin). Tamr acts as lactagogue if it is used in daily feeding of a woman in her lactation period. 3. Tamr as aphrodisiac: i. Remedy of tamr mixed with milk and cinnamon is aphrodisiac and activates the formation of sexual desire. ii. A breakfast meal composed of black bread and cooked yolk (seven eggs) with 100 gram Agua (or tamr ý) and 15 gram margarine is aphrodisiac food. This breakfast must followed with a cup of milk or carrot juice thus activates the sexual behavior. 4. Date and tumors: Feeding on tamr increase the body immunity and resistance to cancer diseases. Estron hormone is extracted from date kernels (seeds) and treated chemically to obtain 'stradiol' which can be used for cancer treatment. 5. Date and abscesses: A remedy of warm Agua paste (or tamr paste) and margarine is applied externally on the abscesses. The remedy is analgesic and a local antipyretic. 6. Date and skin allergy: Remedy of tamr paste in water is antihistaminic, the remedy is externally applied to the skin. Food containing tamr is sedative to allergy. Zinc is the active ingredient inducing allergic inhibition. 7. Date and poisonous bites: Prophet Mohammed said that: The direct external use of tamr past on the poisonous bites gets rid of its poisonous effect. 8. Date and muslim's fasting: Muslims in the fasting month (Ramadan) start their meals with tamr soaked in water for a period ranging from 3-12 hours. Soaked tamr containing a soluble sugars which are absorbed in 5 minutes from the soft tissues of the digestive tract. Tamr sugars recompansate the loss in the level of blood sugar during the fasting period (Famuyiwa,et al .1992). 9. Date and delivery: The consumption of tamr as ingredient of the daily meals of a woman after and before her delivery is acting as tonic for uterine muscles. In addition to its help activating the delivery process as well as prevent the post delivery bleeding due to the presence of constricting substance in tamr; the quiet typical example for this case Virgin Mary delivery and her feeding on tamr. 10. Date and pediatric anxiety: A child consumes seven dates (tamr) daily; is a remedy for anxiety and nervous disorders. 11. Date and ascaris: Daily dosage of seven dates Agua before sleeping kills ascaris worms due to its dysentery effect. 12. Date stones and eyes: The burned date seeds (stones) were powdered and added to 'kohl' (50%/50%; wt/wt). The remedy improve the ophthalmia and activate the growth of eye lashes. 13. Date and chest infection: A remedy used for throat and chest infections is: 50 gram tamr, 50 gram fig, 50 gram hibiscus and 50 gram dried grapes ( fruits). The mixture boiled in one liter water. The remedy is one dosage three times daily; it is recommended as an expectorant. 14. Date and renal calculei: i. A cup of hot tamr decoction (seven tamr) two times daily for a period of 15 days; the remedy is lithonotryptic and diuretic. ii. A drink made from powdered date stones with dosage three times daily, is lithonotryptic for hepatic and renal calculei. 15. Date and dehydration: Tamr decoction free from fibrous material is added to some table salt to recompensate for water and mineral loss. This remedy used to treat the dehydration resulting after vomiting and diarrhoea. 16. Date and hemorrhoids: The continuous feeding on tamr relief the hemorrhoids pains and increase the body resistance to this disease. The calcium, phosphorus and iron of dates are active ingredients in treatment of hemorrhoids. 17. Date and obesity: A daily meal containing tamr and almond or peanuts activate the person obesity. 18. Date and dermatitis: A medicinal soap made of powdered date stones, fats, alkali and antimicrobial substance is used for treatment of skin allergy and acrodermatitis. 19. Date and gout: A researches on tamr stones (seeds) were carried out in Egyptian Institute of Medicinal researches. The researches revealed that a coffee made from powdered tamr stones drunk twice daily relieves the gout pains. 20. Date and bronchial asthma: Decoction of tamr and fenugreek if drunk twice daily is recommended in the treatment of bronchial asthma. 21. Date and hyperacidity: Tamr or Agua when added to the food gets rid of stomach hyperacidity as well as blood acidity. 22. Date and general health: Mixture of 50 gram nuts (pinus + hazel nut + almond + walnut) and 50 gram of tamr were added to 15 gram margarine. The mixture is a dosage of one spoon (10 gram) before breakfast followed with a cup of hot Chamomil decoction. The mixture has general benefits for health and activity especially cardiac muscles and nervous system in addition to its increase of body immunity. 23. Date and renal disorder: Tamr is a renal restorative; its daily consumption prevent the formation of renal calculei due to its diuretic and anti-inflammatory actions. 24. Date and night blindness: the daily consumption of tamr in meals and its decoction as eye-lotion help in maintenance of eye hygiene and remedy curative to the night blindness and ophthalmia. 25. Date is a hygienic fruits: Date (tamr, Agua and Rutab) cannot transfer the infectious germs. Tamr were mixed with germs of Cholera (100-1000 times as noticed in the waste of infected persons) after three days the tamr under investigation were completely free from Cholera germs. 26. Palm and stomach bleeding: A remedy composed of the terminal bud of palm tree (Gomar) and honey for daily breakfast gets rid of stomach bleeding. The breakfast must be followed with a cup of Chamomile decoction. 27. Palm and depression: A decoction of palm leaf sheaths (fibrous sheath) sweetened with fructose sugar and drunk twice daily is efficient as an anti-depression drug. Intestinal Disorders: The nicotinic content that is present in the dates is said to be beneficial for curing any kinds of intestinal disorders. Continuous intake of dates helps to maintain a check on the growth of the pathological organisms and thus, helps in the rise of friendly bacteria in the intestines. Constipation: Date is termed to be a laxative food. This is the reason that dates are beneficial for people suffering from constipation. For getting the laxative effect from dates, you need to soak dates for one full night in water. You should consume these soaked dates in the morning like syrup to get their actual advantages. Healthy Heart: Dates are quite helpful in maintaining your heart in a healthy condition. When soaked for a night and crushed in the morning and consumed, they prove to be quite advantageous for weak hearts. They help in fortifying the heart, if taken twice in a week. Weight Gain: Dates are said to be a part of healthy diet. They consist of sugar, fats, proteins as well as many essential vitamins. If the dates are consumed with the paste of cucumber, one can easily come out from the problem of over-slimming. One kilogram of dates contains almost 3,000 calories. These calories alone are sufficient to meet the daily requirements of a human body. Sexual Weakness: Dates are even beneficial for increasing sexual stamina in the human body. A handful of dates, when soaked in fresh goat's milk for the night and then grinded in the same milk with the mixture of cardamom powder and honey, becomes a very useful tonic for increasing sex endurance and sterility caused due to functional disorders. Intoxication: Dates are known as an excellent remedy for alcoholic intoxication. Dates provide quick relief in the case of alcoholic intoxication. They should be rubbed and soaked overnight for getting more nutritious values from them. Diarrhea: Ripe dates contain potassium. Potassium is beneficial for controlling diarrhea. They are easily digestible, which helps to cope up with the problems of diarrhea. Abdominal Cancer: Dates are beneficial for curing abdominal cancer. They work as useful tonic for all age groups. They work as better as the medicines, and are natural and do not bear any side effects in the body. They can be easily digested and used for supplying extra and needed energy. Nutritional Value/Facts of Dates • 100 gm of dates contains; 2 mg of "Sodium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 75 gm of "Total Carbohydrates". • 100 gm of dates contains; 8 gm of "Dietary Fiber". • 100 gm of dates contains; 63 gm of "Sugars". • 100 gm of dates contains; 2 gm of "Protein". • 100 gm of dates contains; A 10 IU of "Vitamin". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.4 mg of "Vitamin C". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.05 mg of "Vitamin E". • 100 gm of dates contains; 2.7 mcg of "Vitamin K". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.052 mg of "Thiamin". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.066 mg of "Riboflavin". • 100 gm of dates contains; 1.274 mg of "Niacin". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.165 mg of "Vitamin B6". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0 mcg of "Vitamin B12". • 100 gm of dates contains; 19 mcg of "Folate". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.589 mcg of "Pantothenic Acid". • 100 gm of dates contains; 39 mg of "Calcium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 1.02 mg of "Iron". • 100 gm of dates contains; 43 mg of "Magnesium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 62 mg of "Phosphorus". • 100 gm of dates contains; 656 mg of "Potassium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 2 mg of "Sodium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.29 mg of "Zinc". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.206 mg of "Copper". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.262 mg of "Manganese". • 100 gm of dates contains; 3 mcg of "Selenium". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.39 mg of "Total Fat". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.032 mg of "Saturated Fat". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.036 mg of "Monounsaturated Fat". • 100 gm of dates contains; 0.019 mg of "Polyunsaturated Fat".