Health benefits of date

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree, which is grown in many tropical regions

of the world. Dates have become quite popular in the recent years. One can tell

whether or not dates are dried based on their appearance. Wrinkled skin indicates

they are dried, whereas smooth skin indicates freshness.

Dates are high in some important nutrients and have a variety of advantages and uses. This article will discuss 7 health benefits of eating dates and how to incorporate them into your diet.

Nutritious

Dates have an excellent nutrition profile. Since they’re dried, their calorie content is higher than most fresh fruit. The calorie content of dates is similar to that of other dried fruits, such as raisins and figs.

Most of the calories in dates come from carbs. The rest are from a very small amount of protein. Despite their calories, dates contain some important vitamins and minerals in addition to a significant amount of fibre. Dates are also high in antioxidants, which may contribute to many of their health benefits.

High in fibre

Getting enough fibre is important for our overall health. Dates in our diet is a great way to increase your fibre intake. Fibre can benefit digestive health by preventing constipation.

It promotes regular bowel movements by contributing to the formation of stool. In one study, 21 people who consumed 7 dates per day for 21 days experienced improvements in stool frequency and had a significant increase in bowel movements compared to when they did not eat dates.

Furthermore, the fibre in dates may be beneficial for blood sugar control. Fibre slows digestion and may help prevent blood sugar levels from spiking too high after eating. For this reason, dates have a low glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly blood sugar rises after eating certain food.

High in disease-fighting antioxidants

Dates provide various antioxidants that have a number of health benefits, including reduced risk of several diseases. Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that may cause harmful reactions in our body and lead to disease.

Compared to similar types of fruit, such as figs and dried plums, dates appear to

have the highest antioxidant content.

Here’s an overview of the three most potent antioxidants in dates:

• Flavonoids: Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation and have been studied for their potential to reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer.

• Carotenoids: Carotenoids are proven to promote heart health and may also reduce the risk of eye-related disorders, such as macular degeneration.

• Phenolic acid: Known for their anti-inflammatory properties, phenolic acids may help lower the risk of cancer and heart disease.

May promote brain health

Eating dates may help improve brain function. Laboratory studies have found dates to be helpful for lowering inflammatory markers, such as interleukin 6 (IL-6), in the brain. High levels of IL-6 are associated with a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Additionally, other studies including animal studies have shown dates to be helpful for reducing the activity of amyloid beta proteins, which can form plaques in the brain.

When plaques accumulate in the brain, they may disturb communication between brain cells, which can ultimately lead to brain cell death and Alzheimer’s disease.

One animal study found that mice fed food mixed with dates had significantly better memory and learning ability, as well as less anxiety-related behaviours, compared to those that did not eat them. The potential brain-boosting properties of dates have been attributed to their content of antioxidants known to reduce inflammation, including flavonoids.

However, more human studies are needed to confirm the role of dates in brain health.

Natural sweetener

Dates are a source of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruit. For this reason, dates are very sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste. They make a great healthy substitute for white sugar in recipes due to the nutrients, fibre, and antioxidants that they provide.

The best way to substitute dates for white sugar is to make date paste. It is made by mixing dates with water in a blender. A rule of thumb is to replace sugar with date paste at a 1:1 ratio. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you’ll replace it with 1 cup of date paste.

It is important to note that although dates are high in fibre and nutrients, they are still fairly high in calories and best consumed in moderation.

Other potential health benefits

People claim dates have a few other health benefits that have not yet been extensively studied.

• Bone health: Dates contain several minerals, including phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium. All of these have been studied for their potential to prevent bone-related conditions like osteoporosis.

• Blood sugar control: Dates have the potential to help with blood sugar regulation due to their low glycemic index, fibre, and antioxidants. Thus, eating them may support diabetes management.

Although these potential health benefits are promising, more human studies are needed before conclusions can be made.

Easy to add to your diet

Dates are incredibly versatile and make a delicious snack. They are often paired with other foods, such as almonds, nut butter, or soft cheese.

Dates are also very sticky, which makes them useful as a binder in baked goods, such as cookies and bars. You can also combine dates with nuts and seeds to make healthy snack bars or energy balls.

It is important to note that dates are high in calories and their sweet taste makes them easy to overeat. For this reason, they are best consumed in moderation.

The bottom line

Dates are a healthy fruit to include in our diet. They are high in several nutrients, fibre and antioxidants, all of which may provide health benefits ranging from improved digestion to a reduced risk of disease.

One popular way to eat them is as a natural sweetener in various dishes. They also make a great snack. It is easiest to find dates in their dried form, though these are higher in calories than fresh fruit so it is important to eat them in moderation.

Dates are definitely worth adding to our diet, as they are both nutritious and delicious.

Adapted from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-dates#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10

Porosh’s anniversary celebrations

For Porosh it has been a roller-coaster ride over the last four years. Within a year of establishing its operations Covid had set-in. Thus, a fledgling organization was face-to-face with an unprecedented challenge as it had to chart an unknown

terrain. Grit, courage and self-belief formed the bedrock of its existence since then. It was indeed baptism through fire. Dozens of lives of Porosh’s members were saved with the co-founders – Paushali Chakraborty & Souparno Roy Choudhury – literally putting their own lives at stake. The entire healthcare ecosystem had virtually collapsed at that time. Fear had gripped all.

With the passage of time Porosh has been able to establish itself as a dependable entity for elder care support at home in Kolkata. However simple it may appear to provide end-to-end healthcare support to the elderly people (especially, in the absence of their children) but the fact of matter is that it is a very delicate equation as one has to consistently provide quality services on time. A single mistake and the organization’s reputation is at stake.

Two years down-the-line Porosh’s team started to expand in response to operations spreading their wings beyond Kolkata to the suburbs like Chandannagar, Kharda etc. One must admit that it was not an easy task to develop a pool of individuals who are committed to work for such a cause and also not bound by the mindset of sticking to 9 to 5 office timings. Obviously, the screening process is quite rigorous. The efficacy of the process can be gauged by the fact that none has left Porosh since then. It also indicates that while Porosh takes care of its members, employees are also meaningfully engaged.

While the number of members have been increasing steadily over the years yet Porosh takes extra precaution to ensure that there is no voluntarily discontinuation of its services. It is negligible.

During this journey we have indeed made some good friends. There are children of many deceased members who still maintain cordial relationship with Porosh and are also instrumental in spreading among their close circles the work it does.

Sundowning and senior citizens

What is sundowning?

Sundowning is the name for a group of behaviors, feelings and thoughts people who have Alzheimer's or dementia can experience as the sun sets. The behaviors start or get worse around sunset or sundown. However, this delirium can potentially occur at any time, not just at sunset.

Also known as late-day confusion, sundowners syndrome or sundown syndrome, sundowning is most often experienced by people with dementia, a group of symptoms that can affect:

• Memory.

• Thinking.

• Personality.

• Reasoning.

• Behavior.

• Mood.

Around 20% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease experience sundowning at some point.

What are sundowning behaviors, feelings and thoughts?

Some of the behaviors associated with sundowning are specific to the time of day, while other behaviors can be common at any time for a person with dementia.

Behaviors associated with sundowning include:

• Pacing.

• Rocking in a chair.

• Wandering.

• Violence.

• Shadowing. This is when the individual follows their caregiver very closely,

• everywhere they go.

• Crying.

• Insomnia.

• Yelling.

People who experience sundowning can feel many emotions as a result, including:

• Sadness.

• Anxiety.

• Fear.

• Agitation.

• Restlessness.

• Irritability.

Sundowning can also lead to certain mental states, such as:

• Confusion.

• Paranoia.

• Delusions and hallucinations.

What makes sundowning worse?

Sundowning can get worse when the person with dementia is sleep-deprived. But there are theories about certain triggers that can make sundowning worse, including:

• Disrupted circadian rhythms (sleep-wake cycles).

• Insomnia or other common sleep disorders.

• Infection.

• Dehydration.

• Side effects of medications.

• Problems with seeing the difference between reality and dreams.

• Physical illnesses.

• Pain.

• Fatigue (tiredness).

• Overstimulation from a busy day.

• Low lighting.

How long does sundowning last?

Sundown syndrome begins during the middle and later stages of Alzheimer’s disease and usually continues as long as triggers (listed above) continue.

What is the treatment for sundowner’s syndrome?

Treating the underlying trigger is the most important way to resolve sundowning. But there are other options for treating symptoms of sundowning.

Nonmedication treatments include:

• Light therapy.

• Music therapy.

• Environmental changes. Keep familiar objects (such as family photos) nearby.

• Ensure your loved one has adequate lighting in their environment during the day and darkness at bedtime. Also if your loved one wears eyeglasses or hearing aids, make sure these are available.

What medications are used for sundowner’s syndrome?

The individual behaviors, feelings and thoughts of people who go through sundowning can sometimes be treated with medications. Examples include:

• Antidepressant medications.

• Antianxiety medications.

• Antipsychotics. (These should be used with caution as they have long-term

• risks of stroke.)

• Melatonin to help with sleep.

• If you’re caring for someone experiencing sundown syndrome, you can take the

• following steps to help them settle in at bedtime:

• Make their bedroom room quiet. Turn down all noises such as televisions and

• other electronic devices.

• Play quiet music that’s soothing and gentle.

• Read to the person.

• Do a simple activity — enjoy a snack together, work on an easy puzzle or watch a favorite show.

• Practice sleep hygiene by having your loved one go to bed at the same time, in the same place every night.

• Identifying what causes sundowning behaviors, feelings and thoughts is the best way to help your loved one. For example, if they have insomnia, it might be because they had a very busy, overstimulating day. The proper treatment may be to give them a simpler, easier schedule with fewer people, sights and sounds.

How can I prevent sundowning?

There might be some things you can do to prevent sundowning and lessen the

severity. Try the following:

• Make sure your loved one gets enough rest at night.

• Avoid caffeinated drinks after the morning.

• Avoid drinking too much alcohol.

• Try to help your loved one get plenty of sunlight during the day by sitting by

• a window or going out for walks.

• Exercise every day.

• If a nap is necessary, make it short and early in the day.

• Plan some activities throughout the day but not too many.

When should sundowning be treated by a healthcare provider?

Sundowning symptoms should be addressed by a healthcare provider as soon as possible to create a treatment plan. Contact your primary healthcare provider, or talk with a geriatrician (a doctor who cares for people over the age of 65).

Keep in mind that your loved one with sundown syndrome may not understand or be able to communicate that they’re extra agitated because, for example, they’re in pain from a urinary tract infection or other condition. They may need an advocate to prompt a healthcare provider for appropriate tests.

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22840-sundown-syndrome

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