> > > >> >> > > > > > > >The Middle East's Leading English Language Daily >23/08/2009 > >> > >The bounties of the date >Mariam A. Alireza | mariam.alireza@ gmail.com > >With the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan, we rush to select the best >quality dates to adorn our iftar (breakfast) tables. This tradition comes from >Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who recommended breaking the fast with >dates or water. >> > >During the summer season, a wide variety of fresh dates of different stages >(balah, munassaf, ruthab and tamr) abound in fruit markets. Date shops display >them arranged in pyramids inside glass boxes like gems and sell them at >considerably high prices. Since it is date season this Ramadan, I find it >appropriate to discuss the many benefits of this "blessed" fruit. >> > >For Westerners, dates and the palm tree symbolize Arabia. Arabia is the origin >of the precious tree. It is a gift to the inhabitants of this barren land. >Ancient Arabs thrived and survived on the palm tree, which surprisingly >prospers in arid land and yields the nutritious date. Very few fruits rival it >in nutritional value. Its benefits are heightened and complemented when it is >taken along with goat or camel milk as the Bedouins do. Arabians found use for >every section of the palm tree. >> > >They employ the fronds to weave baskets and ropes and to thatch roofs. Palm >trunks are used as pillars to support houses and tents. The liquid of boiled >luqqaah (the sheath of flower clusters) is given to quell upset stomachs. Date >pits yield cooking oil. The center of the palm trunk, jummar or heart of palm, >makes a delicious salad ingredient. >> > >Coming back to the fruit, the date only ripens at the peak of desert heat >(August), which yields a superior quality fruit. Dates are eaten at different >stages. The first stage is the deep red and bright yellow crunchy balah. The >best in the red balah is the long zahou Al-Madinah and the shorter barhi in >the yellow ones. As they mellow, one half becomes soft and brown. They are >called munassaf, meaning half and half. When they turn completely soft and >brown, they become rutthab. Freezing can maintain the latter stage for months, >making it available all year long. Some types are better than others for >freezing. To last a whole year to the next season, they need to be dried to >become tamr. Different types of dates are dried to different levels. Date >syrup is sometimes added to keep them soft and to preserve them. >> > >There are around a hundred varieties of dates in Arabia. Al-Madinah >Al-Munawarah used to be the main supplier of quality dates in the country. >Now, many regions provide good dates. The most popular ones from different >regions are the, ajwa barhi, khlas, khudhari majdoulah, nabbout saif, saqq'i, >sukkari, etc... >> > >Dates contain 80 percent carbohydrates (fructose) along with protein, minerals >and vitamins. They have very little fat and no cholesterol. Their nutrients >are bioavailable even to children and the elderly. Let us review some of these >nutrients. >> > >Magnesium in the fruit lowers blood pressure; relaxes the muscles, nerves and >arteries; helps make bone mass; protects against cancer (lung); and controls >hypertension and heartbeat along with its copper content. >>Calcium in dates is another muscle, artery, and nerve relaxant; builds bones; >>prevents osteoporosis; and helps regulate blood pressure. >>Potassium from the fruit strengthens the heart muscles; enhances appetite; >>prevents muscle spasms; lowers blood pressure; improves bone structure; and >>reduces cancer risk. >>Boron in dates builds bone; relieves arthritis; enhances sexual desire; and >>treats brain cancer. >>Phosphorus in them protects teeth and bones and stimulates the reproductive >>and sexual organs in both males and females. >>Selenium in the fruit prevents infections (hospital bacteria); prevents >>antibiotic resistance; works against cancer; strengthens immunity; reduces >>joint inflammation; improves mood disorders; normalizes thyroid activity; and >>enhances fertility. >> > >Sodium, chloride, and potassium contents in the fruit help balance stomach >acid. >>Iron along with vitamin B2 and copper in dates builds red blood cells; >>transports oxygen in the blood and muscles; improves vision; provides energy; >>is important for child bearing years and pregnancies; and eases delivery. >> > >Fluorine in the fruit protects against tooth decay, making dates a good >substitute for sweets for children. >>Vitamin C in dates is high enough to protect against scurvy; strengthen blood >>vessel walls; help gum disease and bleeding; and bolster and aid in liver >>detoxification. >>Vitamin A's availability in the date improves eye and skin dryness, night >>vision and sexual drive. >>Vitamins B1 and B2 respectively treat nervous system disorders and anemia. >>Pectin in dates, like apples and pears, lowers cholesterol to prevent >>cardiovascular disease. >>Fiber is high in dates. It improves digestion and bowel movement and >>decreases colon cancer risk. >>Traditional medicine in Arabia prescribes dates for many conditions ranging >>from digestive and respiratory disorders and bone building to pregnancy, >>childbirth, flagging sexual drive, low-sperm count, fertility, and insect >>bites. During pregnancy, they bolster energy; supplement mother with >>important nutrients; prepare for delivery and lactation; regulate >>contractions; and prevent hemorrhage. >> > >Different regions of the Arabian Peninsula have different recipes to ease >childbirth. Some suggest eating several dates with cinnamon tea; others use >clove, cumin, or anise tea with dates. After delivery, dates are given to >prevent postpartum bleeding and void the placenta. To invigorate the new >mother, they give her dates, black seeds, Nigella sativa, and fenugreek, or >they prepare for her wheat gruel with dates, butter, pepper, and aromatic >seeds, plus an egg in the morning. Date cures may have been influenced by the >Holy Quran when God addresses Mary, or Mariam, Mother of Jesus (PBUH) during >her labor pains: "And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee: It will >drop fresh dates upon thee (Chapter: 19; verse: 25). >> > >Until the invasion of modern diets, the date was the main nutrition in the >Arabian Peninsula. Most desserts such as henaini, saeedha and maamoul, are >made from dates, even rice and vegetable recipes include dates.. They can be >added to pastries, cakes, pies, and chocolate bonbons. Date syrup is used in >desserts. Dates with nuts make a nice snack. Plain or nut-stuffed dates are >savored with the cardamom-flavored Arabic coffee. >> > >Dates are particularly popular during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Breaking the >fast with one, three, or up to seven dates is highly recommended by Prophet >Muhammad to energize after a long day of abstinence from food. Nutrients >replenish and antioxidants detoxify. He suggested: "Whoever takes every >morning seven dates of ajwa, he will neither be harmed by poison nor sorcery >on that day". Ajwa, the Prophet's favorite date, is the short black >highly-prized date, grown in Al-Madinah. >> > >Dates, like fruits, should be taken on an empty stomach in order to benefit >from their nutrients and antioxidants, which nourish, detoxify, and cleanse >the body. Consuming too many can be detrimental to health and counteracts >weight control. Dates should be restricted or approached with prudence by >individuals with medical conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and >triglycerides and obesity. The average date contains approximately 20 calories. >> > >Dates may be an age-old fruit, but they offer a number of health benefits, >which have yet to be researched and discovered. Meanwhile, do not miss this >health-promoting "blessed" fruit, but "in moderation!" Bi siha wa afia! >Ramadan Mubarak to all. >> > >"Natural Remedies of Arabia" by Robert Lebling and Donna Pepperdine, MH. > > >Copyright:Arab News © 2003 All rights reserved. Site designed by: arabixand >powered by Eima IT >-- >This message has been scanned for viruses and >dangerous content by MailScanner, and is >believed to be clean. > >________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Try it now. > > > >__._,_.___ >> Messages in this topic (1) > > Reply (via web post) > | > > Start a new topic >Messages > > > > > | Polls > > > >Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) >> Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch >> format to Traditional >> Visit Your Group > | > > Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | > > Unsubscribe >> > > > > > >. > >__,_._,___
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