Science Letters

A review on the nutritional content, functional properties and medicinal potential of dates

Muhammad Umar Nasir *a, Sarfraz Hussain a, Saqib Jabbar a, Farhat Rashid a, Nazia Khalid b, Arshad Mehmood a

a Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

b National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

Abstract

This review article emphasizes on the nutritional and functional constituents of dates. Dates are found to be rich in carbohydrates (44-88%), mainly glucose and fructose, but low in proteins (2.3-5.6%) and fats (0.2-0.5%). These are also a good source of vitamin B complex, dietary fiber, minerals, phenolics, carotenoids and antioxidants. Due to these important functional compounds, dates exhibit various health benefits by preventing various diseases. Keeping in view the detailed information on nutritional and health promoting components, dates may be considered as an almost ideal food, providing a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.

Keywords: Dates, nutritional value, functional properties, health benefits.

Received October 11, 2013 Revised December 05, 2014 Published online first December 30, 2014

*Corresponding author Muhammad Umar Nasir Email umar_nasirft@yahoo.com