No, not the ones you remember as a teenager. We’re talking about the kind you eat. And love, love, love. Because dates are the sweetest dried fruit packed with the most fructose (as high as 60%), the natural sugar that doesn’t need insulin to be absorbed by your body. So their Glycemic Index (a ranking of how a carbohydrate affects blood glucose levels) is relatively low at around 30 to 50. They replenish energy and vitality almost immediately, as well as provide an extraordinary amount of nutrition, vitamins, minerals and fiber, which can prevent LDL cholesterol in the gut, and protects the colon’s mucous membrane from carcinogens.

Dates grow on date palms (Phoenix dactylifera), which may have originated along the Nile and Euphrates Rivers in ancient Mesopotamia. They may have been first cultivated 6000 BC., but now grow in warm climes worldwide. The actual fruit is known as a “drupe”, with the outer flesh covering a pit, or encased seed. Oval or cylindrical in shape, dates range from 3-7 centimeters long, and 2-3 centimeters wide, ripening to an amber, red or brown color, and are available in many varieties: unripe, full-size/crunchy, ripe/soft, and ripe/sun dried.

As a superfood, they contain tannin antioxidants that are anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic; Vitamin A and zea-xanthin for healthy vision; and other antioxidants that prevent damage from free radicals throughout your entire body. Calcium, manganese, copper, magnesium, and Vitamin B are also present in substantial quantities, as well as the hard to find Vitamin K.

So, you can try to recapture some of those teenage memories by French kissing a date, always a wonderfully sweet experience (lol). Or you can just dig into some MUD — the all natural dairy free ice cream that‘s sweetened exclusively with premium dates.

The above information is for educational purposes only, and gathered from a variety of different sources. It should not be construed as medical advice, or as an endorsement of any particular product. Your healthcare provider is your best source for medical and nutritional direction, and should be consulted on any health decision you make.

© 2021 Eat MUD