The benefits and effects of red dates, and what happens if you eat too many?

  Red dates have always been regarded as a superior tonic food, and there is a folk saying that "eat three dates a day, and you will never look old in your lifetime." Red dates are rich in vitamin C, with a content close to that of fresh jujubes; in addition, the protein, fat, calcium, iron and many other nutrients contained in red dates are all needed by the human body, so red dates are regarded as an excellent tonic.

Pictured: red dates

  The benefits of red dates

  1. Strengthen human immunity. Red dates contain large amounts of saccharides such as grape sugar and fructose, and these saccharides are also indispensable to the human body, so they have a great effect on strengthening human immunity.

  2. Protect the liver. Experiments show that if rabbits with damaged livers are fed a jujube decoction every day, improvement appears after one week, which also confirms the liver-protecting effect of jujubes.

  3. Anti-allergy. Experiments show that a certain extract in red dates can inhibit the production of antibodies, which is of great help to people with an allergic constitution.

  4. Anti-cancer. A certain compound contained in red dates has an anti-cancer effect; in addition, the nutrients contained in red dates can strengthen immunity, which is effective for preventing cancer and maintaining the liver.

  What happens if you eat too many red dates

  Although red dates are a superior tonic, eating too many also has side effects, so they should be eaten in moderation. The side effects of red dates are introduced below.

  1. Eating too many red dates easily causes diarrhea and bloating, so people who already have these symptoms should not eat them.

  2. Women should not eat red dates during menstruation. During menstruation, women experience swelling of the hands and feet, which is a sign of heavy dampness in the body; eating red dates will worsen the edema. People with abdominal bloating during this period are also not suitable for drinking red date water, lest it worsen the condition without improvement.

  3. Red date skin is high in fiber, so it should be chewed thoroughly when eaten, especially by people with poor digestion, to avoid causing indigestion.