A lot of what gets written about the nutrients in date fruits is repeated from one website to the next without a source. This page sticks to what can be checked. The figures come from USDA FoodData Central, the daily amounts from the NHS, and the few eating studies from PubMed.
What 100 g of dates contains
USDA FoodData Central has laboratory records for two common varieties. For 100 g of Medjool dates it lists 277 kcal, 75.0 g of carbohydrate, 66.5 g of total sugars, 6.7 g of fibre, 1.81 g of protein and 0.15 g of fat. For 100 g of Deglet Noor dates it lists 282 kcal, 75.0 g of carbohydrate, 63.4 g of total sugars, 8.0 g of fibre, 2.45 g of protein and 0.39 g of fat.
So most of a date's weight is sugar. The mix differs by variety. Medjool is listed at 32.0 g of fructose, 33.7 g of glucose and 0.53 g of sucrose per 100 g. Deglet Noor is listed at 19.6 g of fructose, 19.9 g of glucose and 23.8 g of sucrose.
The minerals, measured against a day's needs
Per 100 g, USDA lists 696 mg of potassium, 54 mg of magnesium, 64 mg of calcium and 0.9 mg of iron for Medjool dates. Deglet Noor comes in at 656 mg of potassium, 43 mg of magnesium, 39 mg of calcium and 1.02 mg of iron.
The NHS works with a smaller amount. It counts a 30g portion of dried fruit, such as dates, as 1 of your 5 A Day. Here is what 30 g of Medjool gives, worked out from the USDA figures, next to the NHS daily amounts for adults aged 19 to 64:
- Potassium: about 209 mg. The NHS says adults need 3,500 mg a day, so that is about 6%.
- Magnesium: about 16 mg, against 300 mg a day for men and 270 mg for women.
- Calcium: about 19 mg, against 700 mg a day.
- Iron: about 0.27 mg, against 8.7 mg a day for men and 14.8 mg for women aged 19 to 49.
- Fibre: about 2.0 g, against the 30 g a day that UK guidelines set for adults.
The World Health Organization names dates, with bananas and papayas, among the fruits that contain potassium, and it suggests adults take in at least 3510 mg a day. In the same note it says that increasing potassium intake significantly reduces blood pressure in adults. That finding is about potassium from the whole diet, not about dates on their own.
Vitamins: less than the lists claim
Vitamin C is close to absent. USDA lists 0.0 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of Medjool and 0.4 mg in Deglet Noor. The B vitamins are there in small amounts. Per 100 g of Medjool, USDA gives 0.05 mg of thiamin, 0.06 mg of riboflavin, 1.61 mg of niacin, 0.249 mg of vitamin B6 and 15 µg of folate.
Fibre and digestion
The NHS says that eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer, and that fibre can help with digestion and prevent constipation. Most adults eat only about 20 g a day against the 30 g target. The same page counts foods with 6 g or more of fibre per 100 g as high-fibre, and both USDA date records clear that line.
There is one catch. Because dried fruit is sticky, the NHS says it is better eaten as part of a meal rather than as a between-meal snack, to lower the risk of tooth decay.
What the eating studies measured
Earlier versions of this page said the fibre in dates lowers cholesterol. A pilot study gave 10 healthy adults 100 g a day of Medjool or Hallawi dates for 4 weeks. Their total, VLDL, LDL and HDL cholesterol did not change significantly, and neither did their BMI. Fasting glucose did not rise. Triglycerides fell by 8% after Medjool and by 15% after Hallawi. Ten people for four weeks is a small trial, and the authors call it a pilot.
A larger trial ran in people with type 2 diabetes. Seventy-nine patients were given 60 g of dates or 60 g of raisins a day for 12 weeks, and 61 completed it. There was no difference in HbA1c, fasting glucose, blood lipids or blood pressure. The authors found no improvement, and no harm to glucose control either.
Fitting dates into the day
The sugar is the part to plan around. In 30 g of Medjool there are about 20 g of sugars and 83 kcal. The NHS says sugar found naturally in whole fruit does not count as free sugars, although it is included in the total sugars figure on a food label. In NHS terms, 30 g of dried fruit is equivalent to around 80 g of fresh fruit.
Kurma Piarom Exporter supplies dates for everyday use, gifts and events, with delivery across the country. The About Us page has the details, and the Contact Us page lists the WhatsApp number for questions or orders.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medicine, ask your doctor or a dietitian before changing your diet.
References
- USDA FoodData Central. Dates, medjool (SR Legacy, FDC ID 168191). fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168191
- USDA FoodData Central. Dates, deglet noor (SR Legacy, FDC ID 171726). fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/171726
- NHS. 5 A Day: what counts? nhs.uk
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others (potassium, magnesium). nhs.uk
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: calcium. nhs.uk
- NHS. Vitamins and minerals: iron. nhs.uk
- NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet. nhs.uk
- NHS. Sugar: the facts. nhs.uk
- WHO eLENA. Increasing potassium intake to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in adults. who.int
- Rock W, et al. Effects of date (Medjool or Hallawi) consumption by healthy subjects on serum glucose and lipid levels and on serum oxidative status: a pilot study. J Agric Food Chem. 2009;57(17):8010-7. PMID 19681613
- Butler AE, et al. Effect of date fruit consumption on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Nutrients. 2022;14(17):3491. PMID 36079749