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Dates

Phoenix dactylifera

Also known as dates, medjool dates, deglet noor, khajoor

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The dried fruit of the date palm, around two-thirds to three-quarters sugar by weight, and used both as a fruit and as a whole-food sweetener in pastes and blended dishes. Medjool dates are larger and softer than the drier deglet noor type.

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthWomen's HealthGut & Digestive Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Small crossover studies find that dates produce a lower glucose rise than an equal amount of glucose, probably because of their fibre and polyphenol content. That comparison is a low bar, the studies are small, and it does not make a concentrated sugar source a blood-sugar-friendly food.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Pregnancy nutrition

Women's Health
Limited evidence

Several small trials report that eating dates in the last weeks of pregnancy is associated with more favourable cervical status at admission and less use of induction agents. The trials are small, concentrated in a few centres, at meaningful risk of bias, and reviews describe the finding as promising rather than settled.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Bowel regularity

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Small trials report improvements in stool frequency and consistency when a daily portion of dates is added to the diet, consistent with their fibre content. The trials are few, small and short, and the same effect would be expected from other fibre sources.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Dates

Ask about Dates

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories277 kcal14%
Protein1.81 g4%
Total fat0.15 g0%
Carbohydrate75 g27%
Fibre6.7 g24%
Total sugars66.5 g—
Water21.3 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A7 µg1%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin K2.7 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.05 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.06 mg5%
Niacin (B3)1.61 mg10%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.805 mg16%
Vitamin B60.249 mg15%
Folate15 µg4%
Choline9.9 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium64 mg5%
Iron0.9 mg5%
Magnesium54 mg13%
Phosphorus62 mg5%
Potassium696 mg15%
Sodium1 mg0%
Zinc0.44 mg4%
Copper0.362 mg40%
Manganese0.296 mg13%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene89 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin23 µg—
Ash1.74 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Dates, medjool (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168191).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedChanges texture and blendability

    Soaking dried dates in hot water softens them for blending into pastes used as a sweetener. This is a culinary effect; it does not change the sugar content.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Very energy- and sugar-dense

    Dates are dried fruit, so water has been removed and sugar concentrated. A handful is easy to eat and delivers a sugar load comparable to confectionery, whatever the fibre alongside it. Being unprocessed does not make the sugar count differently.

  • Worth knowing

    Sticky texture and dental risk

    Dates adhere to tooth surfaces and prolong the time sugar is in contact with enamel, which raises caries risk more than a comparable amount of sugar in a drink swallowed quickly.

  • Worth knowing

    FODMAP content can trigger IBS symptoms

    Dates carry fructans and excess fructose, and even a few can provoke bloating and wind in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Portion size is the main variable.

  • Worth knowing

    High potassium in advanced kidney disease

    Dried fruit is a concentrated potassium source, which matters for anyone on a potassium-restricted diet for chronic kidney disease.