Jakarta –
Not only eaten intact, many people also like to consume date palm juice and dates. Nutritionists reveal the nutritional facts behind it.
Dates should ideally be eaten intact, but can also be used as processed such as dates, dates milk, dates soaking water, and date palm juice. So, what about the nutrients?
Nutritionist, dr. Samuel Oentoro said that the benefits of dates will be reduced when processed into dates and dates soaking water, especially those through the filtering process.
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“The date palm juice increases blood sugar faster, because the content is only carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. But it does not contain fiber,” he said when contacted by CNNIndonesia.com some time ago.
Fiber serves to control the absorption of sugar so it is not too excessive. Meanwhile, date palm juice and palm immersion water do not have fiber because most of them will be filtered first before consumption.
 Nutritionists suggest consumption of whole dates because there are additional fiber. Photo: Istock |
“Well, if there is no fiber, the sugar content can soar high. And if consumed every day can be at risk of diabetes,” he said
Samuel then emphasized that as a nutritionist, he advocated more to eat the original dates than processed. Because, eating directly the dates will get the benefits of the fruit as a whole.
A similar opinion was also conveyed by Nutritionist Fiastuti Witjaksono who was contacted separately some time ago.
“If the dates, don’t know it’s pure dates or only date palm sugar water. So even if you want to consume dates, you must know the contents in it,” said Fiastuti.
He then agreed that to get the best benefits of dates is to consume its fruit directly.
Because the dates contain a variety of nutrients such as calories, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamin K, minerals, calcium, magnesium, folate, as well as various vitamins and other minerals.
Quoted from various sources, dates are dates that are mashed and then taken the juice. Dates juice tends to have consistency such as honey or thick thick black syrup.
While the palm immersion water or also known as Nabeez water, resembles infused water which leaves dates soaked with warm water and then drunk.
Samuel and Fiastuti then added that the benefits of processed dates such as date palm juice and dates soaking water can still be obtained in full if there are no dates discharged.
 Nabeez water, dates water immersion water is widely consumed by Muslims. Photo: Getty Images/Istockphoto/Sri Widyowati |
“So when making dates water immersion, don’t be filtered, but all the fruit that is destroyed or dissolved in water is still consumed and not given other additions, especially sugar,” said Fiastuti.
While Samuel said, “The best is indeed eaten directly or more practically blended with the pulp too. So the pulp should not be thrown away because the fiber is there.”
This article has been aired on CNN Indonesia with the title “Dissecting the benefits of dates and dates soaking water”
(ADR/ADR)
