The benefits of dates and honey for body health

If you start to often find dates sold in supermarkets, roadside fruit sellers, or in some places that sell dates, you can say that you have entered the month of Ramadan.

Yes, there are several foods that are increasing in popularity during Ramadan - one of them is dates. Many people eat dates directly, or in combination with honey as a delicious takjil dish.

The date palm grows in tropical areas of the world. The taste is sweet and easy to eat, making dates much coveted as a healthy snack during the fasting month.

In fact, not a few people like to mix dates with a few drops of honey for a more delicious taste.

Yes, the combination of dates and honey is believed to support the health of the body during fasting, including:

1. Stabilizing blood sugar levels

When fasting, you tend to consume a lot of sweetness that comes from food and drinks during sahur and iftar. If you are worried about spikes in blood sugar levels, consumption of dates and honey can be an option.

A study published in the Nutrition Journal states that although dates contain high amounts of natural sugars, they have a low glycemic index. So, you don't need to worry about blood sugar will increase rapidly after you eat it.

So it is with honey. The distinctive sweet taste of honey can be an ideal alternative to sugar. Eating too much sugar will contribute to excess calories without providing benefits. Meanwhile, adding honey to your food and drinks can sweeten the taste while providing the body with a variety of good nutrients.

Even so, diabetics must first consult their doctor on how much dates and honey you can consume while fasting.

2. Lowering triglyceride levels

Not much different from a normal day, food and drinks consumed "carelessly" during dawn and breaking, of course, can have a bad impact on the health of the body. For example, eating foods with high calorie, sugar, and fat content can be one of the triggers to increase triglyceride levels in the body.

This increase in triglycerides then triggers the emergence of various diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Interestingly, reported from the Healthline page, several studies have proven that consumption of honey can reduce high triglyceride levels.

This is also supported by research published in the Scientific World Journal, comparing the consumption of honey and sugar to the increase in triglyceride levels. The result, as much as 11.19 percent lower triglyceride levels in the group who consumed honey.

As with honey, dates are also allegedly effective in lowering the body's triglyceride levels. A study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that eating dates can reduce triglyceride levels by 8-15 percent better.

3. Meet nutritional needs

Various activities undertaken during fasting require the body to always be fit in all conditions. One of the practical and easy ways you can do is by eating dates and honey, both at dawn and breaking the fast.

The reason is, dates contain a variety of vitamins and minerals needed to optimize the health of the body. Like the B vitamins in dates, it is useful in helping the process of digestion of food as well as the formation of new blood cells. Not only that, vitamin A and vitamin K contained in dates are also believed to maintain a healthy body while you are fasting.

The amount of minerals the body needs is not as big as other nutrients, but if it is not fulfilled properly, it will be dangerous for health. Therefore, dates contribute to important minerals needed by the body, especially during fasting when your only meal time is at dawn and breaking, for example copper, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc.

All the good nutrients from dates will be even more optimal if you accompany them with a few drops of honey. Yes, honey is no less good in supplying essential nutrients to the body during fasting. Therefore, honey contains many important antioxidants - such as phenols, flavonoids, and organic acids.

Many of these antioxidants have been linked to a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, several types of cancer, and are believed to improve eye health.

4. Increase energy

Fasting is not supposed to weaken your body's energy. Even though you are required to hold on to eating and drinking for approximately 13 hours, you can still meet your energy needs by eating honey and dates at dawn, or when breaking the fast to restore lost body energy.

The reason is, in one tablespoon of honey weighing 21 grams contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar - such as fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose, while dates are a source of natural fructose.

These contents will be processed into calories, which can be relied on to increase the body's energy that has been depleted during your activities while fasting.

Honey and dates are also practical for consumption

There are various ways you can try to consume honey and dates - for example by eating them together, processing them into a light snack, or eating dates accompanied by mixing honey in a drink.

However, if you want a more practical way, you can choose a product that has combined dates and honey in one package. This one method is considered more practical to consume, easy to obtain, and most importantly the content has been adjusted to the needs of your body.

The method of consumption is not difficult, you can drink it directly at dawn and breaking the fast, or mix it with water to serve as takjil when breaking the fast.

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