10 Health Benefits of Dates
Updated: Jan. 30, 2023
The health benefits of dates couldn't be sweeter!
When’s the last time you had a really great date? No, not the romantic type—the delicious stone fruit from the palm family. If it’s been a while, it’s time for a meet-cute in the produce aisle.
“Dates are such a healing food for your body,” says registered dietitian Kimberly Nanninga, RD, who points to the many health benefits of dates. “They are nutrient-rich, and high in fiber, iron and antioxidants that have been shown to help support your body in so many ways. I absolutely love dates!”
The next time you’re craving something sweet, skip the candy and opt for dates instead. They’re just as sweet as the artificial stuff and good for you, too.
Dates Nutrition Facts
A 3.5-ounce serving of Medjool dates provides the following nutrients:
- Calories: 277
- Protein: 2 grams
- Carbs: 75 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Potassium: 15% DV
- Magnesium: 13% DV
- Manganese: 13% DV
- Iron: 5% DV
- Copper: 40% DV
- Vitamin B6: 15% DV
For health and healing, Nanninga suggests eating four to six dates a day. Unless weight loss is a goal, you don’t need to worry about the sugar content. “The sugar you get from dates is in its whole form, accompanied with fiber, protein and so many minerals,” she says.
While you can eat them whole, there’s a lot you can do with dates. Nanninga says to try blending them into a smoothie for natural sweetness, chopping and adding them to salads, enjoying with a dip of healthy nut butter or making them into a paste and spreading on apples or celery sticks.
The Health Benefits of Dates
Dates are a natural treat and a delicious source of fiber, with high concentrations of potassium and vitamin A, among other vitamins and minerals. Here are the best reasons to add dates to your shopping cart ASAP.
1. Boost Energy
Whether you’re an athlete or just like to keep active, dates are a great idea. Why? “Because the potassium and fruit sugar is perfect for refueling the brain and muscles as you power through exercise,” says Nanninga. If you need a quick burst of energy midday, instead of going for a second cup of coffee, grab a handful of dates. If you don’t like them plain, whip up some energy balls or oatmeal bars packed with dates to fight the midday slump.
2. Strengthen Bones
Most people know that getting enough sunlight and foods with vitamin D is vital for bone health, but the combination of minerals like magnesium and copper packed into dates make them a superfood for strengthening bones too. Whether you are looking to fight off existing osteoporosis or bulk up your bones as a preventative measure, dates could help. These cranberry date bars are perfect for making on Sunday and snacking on all week long.
3. Promote Heart Health
Consistently making heart-healthy dinners is one way to help your ticker, but dates are high in potassium, which is essential to keeping your heart in tip-top shape too.
4. Reduce Inflammation
Magnesium is a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and you can definitely get your share of it in dates. A study with over 3,700 participants showed that a diet rich in magnesium was associated with a lower concentration of markers of inflammation in post-menopausal women. Turmeric can also help reduce inflammation.
5. Improve Sleep
Craving a little extra shut-eye? “Dates help your body to produce melatonin, which in turn helps your sleep quality,” says Nanninga. Dates are also high in fiber, which takes time to digest and can keep you feeling full throughout the night. She suggests eating one date two hours before bedtime.
6. Offset Anemia
If you’re iron-deficient, dates are a great way to help you get back on track. A single serving contains about 1 mg of the necessary mineral. Give these chocolate date energy balls a try for an iron-rich snack.
7. Encourage Weight Gain
If you struggle to put on pounds, dates are a healthy way to increase your body weight. While they’re packed with nutrients, they’re also packed with calories. A serving of four dates clocks in just shy of 270 calories.
8. Induce Calm
Feeling stressed? Suffering from panic attacks? “Dates are a calming and healing food because they are so nutrient rich, high in fiber, and are naturally sweet without any added sugar,” says Nanninga. She adds that studies have shown that dates can help lower inflammation in the brain and can help with the health of your nervous system.
9. Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
If you’re the type of person who can never get enough sugar, dates are a great alternative to unhealthy treats. Keep a pack on hand to help curb your cravings for cookies, candies and other sweet stuff.
10. Lower Cholesterol
If you’re looking for a way to bring your cholesterol down, dates are good source of soluble fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol as part of a healthy diet. These foods can lower cholesterol naturally too.
Next, learn all about the health benefits of honey.
Date-Nut Pinwheels
Pinwheel cookies with dates and walnuts are a family treasure. There are a few steps when prepping, so I sometimes freeze the dough and bake the cookies later. —Frieda Whiteley, Lisbon, Connecticut
Raisin Date Bread Pudding
All my leftover bread ends (raisin bread is a favorite in this house) and buns go in the freezer. Then, when I've stashed away enough, I whip up a batch of this pudding. It's an all-occasion dish—I've made it for holidays, potlucks, picnics...for any occasion or no occasion! —Dawn Green, Hopkins, Michigan
Date Pudding Cobbler
There were eight children in my family when I was a girl, and all of us enjoyed this cobbler. I now serve it for everyday and special occasions alike. —Carolyn Miller, Guys Mills, Pennsylvania
Fruit 'n' Spice Rounds
While I was looking for a way to use up an abundance of dates, I came across this recipe. Made with raisins, walnuts and a delectable lemon glaze, these quickly became a family favorite. —Allison Bell, Helena, Montana
Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding with Caramel Cream
Simple rice pudding gets a makeover with this upscale recipe. It has just the right thickness to soak up a hot caramel topping. —Janice Elder, Charlotte, North Carolina
Poteca Cake
Rock Springs is home to 56 nationalities, and this recipe showcases its Slavic heritage. It’s one of my favorite ethnic holiday treats. —Rachelle Stratton, Rock Springs, Wyoming
Gluten-Free Sugarplums
Lots of moist, fruity flavor and nutty crunch give these sweet/spicy bites a kind of gumdrop richness. They make a delicious addition to cookie trays. Sneak one early—they’ll be gone before you can lick the sugar off your fingers! —Corleen Heidgerken, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Festive Cranberry Cake
Each fall here in Alaska, an abundant crop of wild cranberries is ripe for cooking. This cake, a favorite in my family, makes good use of the harvest. What's more, since you can prepare it the night before your Thanksgiving celebration, the recipe is a real time-saver at a hectic time of year. —Gladys Wilson, Anchorage, Alaska
Date-Filled Rugelach
I like to take old recipes and make them my own. They’re so special to my family. Sometimes I roll the dough in cinnamon sugar instead of flour. —Barbara Estabrook, Appleton, WI
Finnish Pinwheels
When my sister was hosting an exchange student from Finland, she served these cookies I'd made to her guest. The young lady instantly recognized what they were. So I know they're still being made in our ancestors' country. —Ilona Barron, Ontonagon, Michigan
Steamed Carrot Pudding
This recipe, passed down from my Canadian grandmother, has been in my family for at least three generations. It's been a favorite wintertime dessert for us and is always served for Easter and other holiday meals. —Ann Searcey, Kettering, Ohio
Candied Fruit Cookies
These no-fuss candied fruit cookies are both nutty and fruity, so they're always a hit at holiday time. —Florence Monson, Denver, Colorado
Walnut-Date Pumpkin Pie
I'm forever looking for a little something extra to add to a favorite recipe. In this case, crunchy walnuts and chewy dates take traditional pumpkin pie to a new level. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana
Honey-Date Pumpkin Cookies
Just in time for harvest, here are some delicious drop cookies, plump with dates, pumpkins and nuts. The old-fashioned cream cheese frosting will remind you of Grandma’s kitchen.—Eunice Stoen, Decorah, IA
Cuccidati
The compliments make these Sicilian cookies worth the effort. It’s the best recipe for cuccidati I’ve found! —Carolyn Fafinski, Dunkirk, New York
Pumpkin Fruitcake
I make this fruity cake many times between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The dense cake has wonderful pumpkin flavor and is flecked with pecans, dates, raisins and cherries. —Janet Hradsky, Three Rivers, Michigan
Date-Filled Sandwich Cookies
Of all the cookies I've baked over the years, these have remained one of my all-time favorite. The dough is very easy to work with, and the result is eye-catching. —Debbie Rode, Oxbow, Saskatchewan
Date Pecan Tea Bread
Packed with dates and pecans, this sweet bread is excellent on its own and even better topped with the chunky cream cheese spread. We enjoy it during the holiday season, but also for after-school and late-night snacks. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Date-Walnut Pinwheels
Every time someone drops in for coffee, I bake up a batch of these fruit and nut pastries—I always keep the ingredients in my pantry. The recipe's a cinch to double, too, so it's good for parties and potlucks. —Lori McLain, Denton, Texas
Spiced Rum Fruitcake
This fruitcake not only can be made weeks ahead, it tastes better that way! You can substitute Brazil nuts, pecans and hazelnuts for the walnuts—or use a combination of nuts. —Jason Boor, Manchester, New York
Fruitcake Pie
This recipe came from a friend who knows how much we love fruitcake. The pie has similar flavors, but it’s more manageable to make than a large batch of fruitcake. I usually serve it with whipped cream. It’s excellent with ice cream, too. —Doris Heath, Franklin, North Carolina
Cherry Kisses
Cookies that melt in your mouth and are practically fat-free—is it any wonder these crispy meringue morsels disappear as fast as I can whip them up? Friends and family love them. —Jo Ann Blomquest, Freeport, Illinois
Frosted Spice Cookies
This recipe has been handed down through many generations of my husband's family. The cookies were always in his grandmother's cookie jar when he'd visit. Today, he enjoys them more than ever—and so do I. —Debbie Hurlbert, Howard, Ohio
Candied Fruitcake Squares
I'm not big on citrussy fruitcake, so when I found this version decades ago, I knew I'd found "my" recipe. We're all nutty for it. —Nancy Johnson, Laverne, Oklahoma
Fruit 'n' Nut Cookies
Once after making a fruit cake, I had some fruit and nuts left over. I mixed them into a basic cookie dough along with pineapple and coconut. These soft, colorful cookies are a nice addition to a Christmas dessert tray. —Jennie Loftus, Gasport, New York
Carrot Fruitcake
Even those who don't care for fruitcake love this special holiday dessert. It's a fun way to "dress up" that old favorite, carrot cake. Try it—your friends and family will agree. —Ann Parden, Chunchula, Alabama
Fruit-Filled Spritz Cookies
From the first time I baked these cookies, they've been a big success. Old-fashioned and attractive, they make a perfect holiday pastry. —Ingeborg Keith, Newark, Delaware
Winter Fruit Macaroons
Coconut macaroons with sweetened condensed milk instead of egg whites are my version of a recipe my mom loved. All you do is mix, drop and bake. —Veronica Miller, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Bacon Date Bread
Friends joke that whenever I’m asked to bring a dish to a party, my contribution always contains bacon. This recipe has the sweet and salty flavors of date-nut bread and bacon-wrapped dates. —Terrie Gammon, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Cranberry Date Bars
I first discovered this recipe at Christmas a couple years ago, but it's a great way to use frozen cranberries throughout the year. I help out at the elementary school our three sons attend and am active at our church. It seems I'm always baking a batch of these moist bars for some event. —Bonnie Nieter, Warsaw, Indiana
Tiny Tim's Plum Pudding
In A Christmas Carol, everyone claps for plum pudding. Our family has made this pudding our own tradition, and it really is something to clap for. —Ruthanne Karel, Hudsonville, Michigan
Chunky Breakfast Cookies
Who says cookies aren’t for breakfast? We devour these hearty oatmeal cookies, especially on the run. Add any dried fruits and nuts you have on hand. —Lea Langhoff, Round Lake, IL
Pumpkin Swirl Bread
This combination of pumpkin, nuts and dates makes a delicious, golden pumpkin cream cheese bread. The surprise inside—a rich creamy swirl—is like a luscious layer of cheesecake in each slice. —Cindy May, Troy, Michigan
Spiced Fruit Crisp
When it comes to a heartwarming treat on a chilly winter's day, this home-style crisp is hard to beat. The gingersnap-crumb topping nicely accents the apples, pears, raisins and dates. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas
Fruitcake Christmas Cookies
As holiday gifts, these rich fruit-and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. These are great make ahead Christmas cookies —the taste actually gets better over time! —Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa
Oatmeal Date Bars
In no time at all, you can treat your family to these bars. They'll never suspect how light the snacks are. —Helen Cluts, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Crumb-Topped Date Bars
The basic dough doubles as a shortbread-like crust and crumbly topping for these sweet date bars. —Gloria McBride, Payson, Utah
Lebkuchen
It's tradition for my family to make these German treats together. The recipe came from my great-grandmother's cookbook, and judging from the amount of requests I get, it has certainly stood the test of time. —Esther Kempker, Jefferson City, Missouri
