Lucknow: The advice of the Prophet of Islam to break fast with dates underscores the fruit's multiple health benefits, thus making it a Ramzan staple. Fasting Muslims can break their fast with even a single date.
In his book ‘Plants of the Quran', author Dr M I H Farooqi, former joint director of the National Botanical Research Institue, states that date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera: Hindi/Urdu: Khajur or Khurma) is renowned as a source of nourishment, making it a popular and wholesome food worldwide. It provides a wide range of essential nutrients and offers potential health benefits. Often described as a powerhouse of energy, it is also known to stimulate the heart, strengthen the brain, and support bone health. In fact, it is said that a person could survive for years by consuming only dates as their food source.
A single date, typically weighing between 15-20 grams, contains the following energy-boosting nutrients: Energy: 25 kcal; Carbohydrates: 8g; Natural Sugars: 5g; Dietary Fiber: 0.5g; Proteins: 0.2g; Fats: 0.03g; Vitamin B6: ~0.16mg; Niacin (B3): 1.5mg; Pantothenic Acid (B5): 0.8mg; Folate (B9): 15mcg; Vitamin K: 2.7mcg; Potassium (K): 50mg; Magnesium (Mg): 5mg; Calcium (Ca): 3mg; Phosphorus (P): 5mg; Iron (Fe): 0.07mg; Zinc (Zn): 0.03mg; (All values are approximate.) Dates also contain flavonoids, which act as antioxidants, essential amino acids, and tannins.
India is leading importer of dates, with 400,000 metric tons worth 250 million dollars imported annually and demand increases 6% every year.