Dates for PCOS: Do They Have Any Benefits?

Contents:

• What’s the Nutritional Profile of Dates?
• Delicious Dates: Benefits for PCOS
• Scrumptious Ways of Eating Dates for PCOS
• What’s the Best Time to Eat Dates?
• Is Too Many Dates a Bad Idea?
• More Reasons to Eat Dates
• Don’t Have Time To Read? 
• FAQs
   

What’s the Nutritional Profile of Dates?

Dates are the dried form of the fruits harvested from the Phoenix dactylifera or date palm tree. According to USDA, 100 g of Medjool dates contains the following nutrients.
 

Delicious Dates: Benefits for PCOS

Dates have a low glycaemic index (GI) of 42, meaning dates can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall slowly. The fibre in dates may digest slowly and delay the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, which may prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar levels. 

This can also make you feel full for a longer time and prevent you from consuming extra calories that will be stored in your body in the form of fat. Excess weight can worsen your symptoms of PCOS.

In PCOS, the rise in glucose levels and related insulin levels can disrupt the hormonal balance and increase the androgen levels in the body, which may worsen the PCOS symptoms. 

Thus, dates may help in managing blood sugar levels and body weight, which in turn, may help to manage the symptoms of PCOS. 
 

Scrumptious Ways of Eating Dates for PCOS

• Dates contain a natural sweetener, a fruit sugar called fructose that can be a better substitute for refined sugars.
• Dates can be blended with fruits and vegetables to make fine smoothies with enhanced flavour and taste.
• Chopped dates can be added to yoghurt, cereals and salads.
• Dates are sweet, and flavoursome and can be an excellent binder, which can be used in preparing healthy dry fruits laddu.
• Dates can also be used in the preparation of cookies and other Indian sweets. 

What’s the Best Time to Eat Dates?

Dates are available throughout the year and can be consumed at any point of the day. You can eat dates as a mid-morning and evening snack or have them post-lunch. 

As dates are high in calories, it is important to consume them in moderation, which means limiting your consumption to not more than 3 to 4 dates in a day.

Is Too Many Dates a Bad Idea?

Avoid consuming dates if you are allergic to them. Mould or sulphites present in them can cause mild wheezing to serious anaphylactic reactions such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, etc, which need immediate medical attention. 

For women with PCOS, check with your dietician as to how many dates can be consumed per day.
 

More Reasons to Eat Dates

• Fibre can improve your digestive health by preventing constipation. The fibre in dates can increase the weight and size of your stool and soften them, which makes it easy to pass bulkier stool with constipation.
• Dates are anti-inflammatory and contain flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid. They may help reduce inflammation in the body and aid in lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. 
• Carotenoids present in dates may also help reduce the risk of eye-related disorders, such as macular degeneration, which may cause blurred vision.
• Dates are believed to promote and ease natural labour if consumed during the last few weeks of pregnancy. The tannins and oxytocin present in dates may help induce uterus contraction.
• Some studies claim that minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium may help osteoporosis, a condition that makes your bone fragile.
• Dates are rich in isoflavones, which are also known as phytoestrogens. Isoflavones have a similar structure to oestrogens that can bind with oestrogen receptors in your body and produce similar results. Therefore, studies suggest that dates may help relieve menopausal symptoms, along with other PCOS symptoms.