The best fruit for vitamin C supplement in autumn. It would be a shame if you didn’t eat it yet!

Jujubes are now on the market, they are sweet, crisp and delicious, are you unable to stop eating them? Are you thinking about replenishing blood while eating?

This article will talk about eating dates and answer all your questions about eating dates.

Fresh dates are the best source of vitamin C

Among common fruits, which one provides the best vitamin C? Fresh dates are undoubtedly the best.

The fresh dates available on the market are mainly winter dates, which contain up to 243 mg of vitamin C per 100 g. 44 g of pitted winter dates can meet the daily vitamin C requirement of an average adult (100 mg). [1]

2 large dates, 3 medium dates, or 4 small dates each weigh 44 grams.

Figure: 44 grams (2 large or 3 medium or 4 small)

Different varieties of winter dates are gradually released in September and October. It is strongly recommended to eat two a day to supplement vitamin C.

Don't rely on eating red dates to supplement iron

In addition to winter dates, most dates are processed into dried dates, which are what we call red dates. We often hear that red dates can nourish blood and nourish the skin, so much so that there is a saying among the people that "three dates a day will keep your face young forever", but the fact is:

1. The red color of red dates comes from hydroxyanthraquinone derivatives, which have nothing to do with the red color of blood (hemoglobin). [2]

2. Every 100 grams of red dates contains 2.3 mg of iron. Although this content is the same as lean beef, the iron in red dates is non-heme iron, and its absorption rate is very low. It is really unreliable to rely on it to supplement iron .

In addition, the Vc content of dates is severely lost during the drying process, and the Vc content is only 6% of that of fresh dates. Therefore, it is not reliable to expect to supplement Vc by eating dried dates.

However, it is great to add a few red dates to add natural sweetness when cooking porridge, making soup, making soy milk, or steaming buns.

**Real black dates are not rich in anthocyanins, ** Fake black dates are actually persimmons

Image source: e-commerce platform

Black dates are made from 70% to 80% ripe dates, which are repeatedly washed, steamed, baked, and dried. They are also called purple crystal dates or black crystal dates. They have a wrinkled surface and a sweet and sour taste. They are said to be the noblest of dates. The truth is:

Its black color comes from the melanoidin produced by the Maillard reaction [3], not from the fact that it is rich in anthocyanins, so it is impossible for it to have a good antioxidant effect.

In addition, high-temperature processing causes heavy losses of vitamin C due to oxidation and decomposition. Every 100 grams of black dates contains only 1 mg of vitamin C[4]. So, just like dried dates, it’s okay to add a few to sweeten the dish, but don’t expect any health benefits.

There is also a kind of black dates on the market, also called soft dates (Junqianzi), but it is not a date, but a kind of persimmon .

Some varieties have seeds and some are seedless. Like ordinary persimmons, it has a high tannin content. You cannot eat too much on an empty stomach, otherwise it may combine with gastric juice to form "small stones" called gastric stones.

Image source: Internet

Real and fake candied dates are too sweet

Candied dates are preserved fruits made from fresh dates with additional white sugar and maltose syrup.

In the ingredient list, white sugar and maltose syrup are often listed after dates, which indicates that the sugar content is very high. Excessive intake of added sugar will increase the risk of obesity and tooth decay, so it is recommended to eat less.

In addition, some candied dates will be labeled with the concept of "donkey-hide gelatin", but the amount of donkey-hide gelatin added is very small. For example, the amount of donkey-hide gelatin added in a certain brand of candied dates is only 0.05%, as shown in the picture. Besides, the main ingredient of donkey-hide gelatin is collagen, which is nothing special.

There is another kind of candied date - the palm date, which is actually not a jujube (Zodia genus, Rhamnaceae), but the fruit of the palm plant Date palm of the palm family.

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It has an extremely high sugar content, which is mostly sweet sucrose, glucose, and fructose[5], so it is extremely sweet. No wonder it is also called candied dates. Its energy (333 kcal/100 g) is higher than that of red dates, so people with high blood sugar or those who are trying to lose weight should eat less of it.

The energy of jujube is so low

In addition to the soft dates (Junqianzi) and palm dates, the large green dates (also called milk large green dates) are not dates. Although it is in the same genus as the dates, it is another species and has no direct relationship with ordinary dates.

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Its energy is only 41 kcal/100g, which is 36% of winter jujube. Its vitamin C is 36.5 mg/100g, which is not comparable to winter jujube, but higher than citrus fruits, oranges, tangerines, and lemons. It is very friendly to weight loss and is also good for supplementing vitamin C.

Among the 6 types of dates, the one that makes people fattest is the crispy date

Except for winter dates, most other dates are processed into date products, including dried dates, crisp dates, candied dates, and wine dates. Which of these five types of dates has the highest energy? As shown in the table:

Data on candied dates and crisp dates come from e-commerce

As can be seen from the table, fried crispy dates have the highest energy, which is 4.4 times that of fresh winter dates. This energy is higher than potato chips.

In fact, fresh dates, which have the lowest energy among dates, also have quite high energy. Among fruits, except for durian, coconut and avocado, it has the highest energy.

7 large winter dates are equivalent to 1 bowl of rice (50 grams of raw rice, 130 grams of cooked rice), so if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer .

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Li Wenfei, Feng Wei, Lü Jiafei, et al. Research progress in the extraction technology of red pigment from jujube[J]. Modern Agriculture, 2010(07):10-11.

[3] Sun Xin, Zhang Chengming, Shi Chuan, et al. Comparison of sensory characteristics, functions and aroma components of red dates before and after blackening[J]. Chinese Food and Nutrition, 2019.

[4] Taiwan Nutrition Facts Table https://consumer.fda.gov.tw//Food/tfndDetail.aspx?nodeID=178&f=0&id=378

[5] USDA Food Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171726/nutrients

Planning and production

Source: Nutritionist Gu Chuanling

Author: Gu Chuanling, Deputy Secretary General of Capital Health Nutrition and Gourmet Society, Registered Nutritionist

Editor: Yang Yaping