DATES (Khajur) : Treat backache and pain in the buttocks. Useful in respiratory disorders in general and in asthma. Clears phlegm from chest and lungs.

HEALTH TIPS - DATES ARE VERY NUTRITIOUS AND BENEFIT TO HUMAN KIND

Date Palm

(Phoenix Dactylifera Linn.)

DATE PALM  :

COMMON NAMES

Datte, Dattier (Fr.)

Palma (Lat. It.)

Tamar (Arab., Heb.)

Khurma (Pars., Urdu)

Kharjur (Sans.)

Finik (Russ.)

Foinika (Gr.)

Palmera, Datil (Sp.)

Nakhl (Arab., Pers.)

Dattelpalm (Ger.)

Khejur (Beng.)

Pirichai (Tam.)

Karjuru (Tel.)

Khajur, Pend (Hindi, Urdu, Guj., Mar.)

Khazir (Kash.)

Entha (Mal.)

Pind (Punj.)

BOTANICAL NAME  :    Phoenix Dactylifera Linn.

                                           (Family  ;  Arecaceae)

Parts Used : Fruit and Seeds.

System Affected : Reproductive and nervous system.

Specific action : Restorative tonic, nutritive and aphrodisiac.

Description

According to one interpretation either two or more trees grow out of a single root or that pal trees grow sometimes as odd trees and sometimes in great thick clusters. Date Palm is a tall tree, about 30-36 m high; trunk covered with the persistent bases of petioles; the foot of the stem is surrounded by root suckers which is not seen in other species, leaves grey in color, pinna about 20-40 cm long, petiole grey, laterally compressed, almost flat, Flowers 8-13 mm long, sweet scented. Fruit about 2.5 - 7.5 cm long, reddish or yellowish brown when ripe, pulp is fleshy, sweet. The palms are propagated by seeds and suckers which are obtained from the basal portion of the young plants. Plants grown by suckers yield good dates. The average age of date-palm is about two hundred years but good fruiting occurs only for one hundred years.

History

Date-palm is said to be the King of Oasis.It is assumed that the domestication and cultivation of date-palm started 6000 to 8000 years back in Mesopotamia, the region which today lies with in the borders of Iraq. Probably no other fruit plant was in cultivation at that time anywhere in the world and that may be the reason why date-palm is supposed to be the plant most associated with the development of human culture and civilisation. Phoenix, the generic name of palm is also the name of an imaginary mythical bird. it is said that several thousand years back this bird was found in the great Arabian desert. Its average age was five to six hundred years after which it burnt itself and emerged once again from its ashes to live through another cycle of years. Old Greek and Roman literature is full of stories about the possible connection of the date-palm with the mythical bird. The date-palm garden is called Nakhlistan which also means an Oasis. 

Geographically the area of cultivation of date-palms extends from western India to the East of Africa but the best producing regions are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt. In India, some good verities of date-palms have been recently introduced in Gujrat and Punjab. It is hoped that in coming years, India may become self-sufficient in Date production.

In view of the historical, and cultural importance as well as nutritional  and medical values, the date-palm may really be taken as a "Favour of Gos" to Man  and that is probably the reason it has been repeatedly mentioned in the Qur'an with reverence. Many verses of Bible also show reverence to the Palm. For instance, a verse of the Book pf Psalm (92:12) says 'The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.' to the palm 

Medical Properties

The fruit is not only sweet and delicious nut is one of the best known nutritious diet for mankind. According to an old saying in Arabic, the uses of date-palm are as many ways as the number of days in a year. Its wood is used as a building material, and big leaves are very useful for making several handicrafts like fans, ropes, sticks, mats etc. It contains more than 60% invert sugar along with a small amount of sucrose in addition to protein, pectin, tannin, cellulose, starch and fat in varying proportions. Vitamin A, B and C are also present in appreciable amounts. The mineral constituents present are Iron, Sodium, Calcium, Sulphur, Chlorine and Phosphorus.

Date palm male female plants occur separately and the cross pollination between their flowers is responsible for the production of fruits. One male plant is supposed to be sufficient for the pollination of flowers of one hundred female plant.  

• Dates are reputed for great medicinal value, it is a demulcent, an emmolient. a heart stimulant and helps in checking the loss of memory.
• Useful in respiratory disorders in general and in asthma in particular.
• Dates are laxative, diuretic and aphrodisiac. Thus taking into account of all its constituents and qualities, it can be rated as a wholesome nutritious diet and a health tonic.
• A plaster of powdered date-stones helps in the cure of eye diseases of Keratites and Opthalmia.
• The advice is obviously based on scientific reasons as dates contains dietary fibres which can not be easily digested by persons recovering from illness when digestive system becomes weak.
• Fruit when boiled in milk is useful as restorative tonic and aphrodisiac. 
• It is considered as sedative and nervine tonic is employed to treat backache and pain in the buttocks, 
• Clears phlegm from chest and lungs, and is prescribed in cough, fevers and gonorrhoea.
• The juice is administered to patients suffering from tuberculosis as it is cooling and laxative. 
• Seed powder is good for cleaning  teeth; powder and ash of seeds is a traditional haemostatic and acts antiseptic in the treatment of external wounds.

Leaves - Good for liver and aphrodisiac.

Flower - Bitter, tonic to liver, expectorant; useful in fever and blood complaints.

Fruit - Tonic and aphrodisiac; useful in chest and lung complaints, paralysis; enriches blood; strengthen kidneys; useful in fever and blood complaints. 

Dry Fruit - Sweet, aphrodisiac, diuretic, useful in bronchitis; enriches blood.

Seed - Applied to wounds, reduces inflammation. 

Sap - Sweet sap is converted to brown sugar - Gur, which is more nutritious than cane sugar. 

NUTRITIVE VALUES 

                       Dates Fresh                   Dates Dried

Proteins                    1.2 gm                             2.5 gm

Fat                            0.4 gm                             0.4 gm

Minerals                   1.7 gm                            2.1 gm

Crude Fibre              3.7 gm                            3.9 gm

Carbohydrates        33.8 gm                          75.8 gm

Iron                         0.96 gm                           7.3 gm

Calcium                 22.0 gm                         120.0 gm

Phosphorus            38.0 gm                           59.0 gm

Values are per 100 gm of edible portion.

Source : Nutritive Value of Indian Foods,\

              NIN, Hyderabad.

Note : The information given is meant for educational purpose only

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About G A Moinuddin

Ahmed Moinuddin retired from his position as HR Manager in a top Indian Public Sector Organization. He holds Masters in Sciences and has versatile experience in managing people and departments. His passion is to share knowledge from the bucket of experiences he had over these years at personal and professional front.