Red Dates - Varieties, History, Nutrition and Analysis

Since ancient times, it has been listed as one of the "five fruits" (peach, plum, plum, apricot, and jujube), and has a long history. The most prominent feature of jujube is its high vitamin content. A clinical study abroad showed that patients who continuously ate jujubes recovered their health more than three times faster than those who simply took vitamin pills. Therefore, jujubes have the reputation of "natural vitamin pills". Jujubes are temperate crops with strong adaptability. Jujubes are known as "hardcore crops" and are drought-resistant and waterlogged-resistant. They are the preferred variety for developing water-saving forestry and fruit industries.

Red Dates – Introduction

Red dates, also known as jujubes, are widely cultivated in China, reaching Jinzhou and Beizhen in Liaoning in the north, with the largest output in Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui and Zhejiang.

Red dates are a nutritious product, known as the "king of fruits". Red dates are rich in vitamins A, B, C and other essential vitamins for the human body, as well as 18 kinds of amino acids and minerals. The content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is as high as 70-80 times that of grapes and apples, and the content of vitamin P is also very high. These two vitamins have certain effects on preventing cancer and preventing hypertension and hyperlipidemia. According to the "Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic" and "Compendium of Materia Medica", dates have the effects of nourishing qi and kidney, nourishing blood and beauty, nourishing liver and lowering blood pressure, calming the mind and strengthening yang, and treating asthenia and fatigue. The rich content of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and catechins in red dates has unique anti-cancer and antihypertensive effects, so red dates are an excellent nutritional tonic.

The elderly, young children and people with sensitive teeth are not suitable to eat too many dates. In order to facilitate the absorption of nutrients in dates, Hanbo Company has launched red date concentrated paste. A bag of 25 grams of red date concentrated paste is made from half a pound of red dates, and a bottle of 745 grams of red date concentrated paste is made from seven pounds of red dates. The red date concentrated paste completely concentrates the essence of dates.

Red date concentrate adopts a small bag with an easy-tear design, which is easy to carry and easy to drink. It is a new fashionable healthy nourishing beverage that has become very popular in recent years. Red date concentrate is concentrated from high-quality large red dates from the original ecological red date planting base in the Yellow River Basin through the innovative comprehensive integrated application of high-tech food production technologies such as vacuum extraction, composite enzymatic hydrolysis, and three-effect rotary falling film concentration. It is rich in calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, crude polysaccharides and dietary fiber. It is sweet and sour, mellow and delicious. Regular drinking can improve the internal structure and function of the human body, and play a role in nourishing blood and strengthening the spirit, promoting body fluid and beauty, enhancing physical fitness, strengthening muscle strength, replenishing the middle and replenishing qi, nourishing the stomach and strengthening the spleen. It can be consumed by men, women, old and young.

Red Dates – Varieties

1. The "Yellow River Beach Dates" from Zaolinping, Suide, Shaanxi Province have sweet, soft and fragrant flesh and are commonly known as "Ginseng Fruit".
2. The "golden thread jujube" from Cangzhou, Hebei, is seedless, high in sugar, and can be broken into threads;
3. The "winter dates" from Huanghua, Hebei, are sweet and crispy and suitable for fresh consumption. They are available in winter and spring.
4. The "big dates" of Shanxi are large in size and can be dried to make "crisp dates";
5. "Yiwu Jujubes" from Zhejiang.
6. Winter jujube is a specialty of Zhanhua, Shandong. It matures in late autumn and early winter. The fruit is large, crisp and sweet, but not easy to store.

Red Dates – History

According to historical records, red dates are a traditional specialty tree species native to China. Archaeologists have discovered date core fossils from the Feiligang cultural site in Xinzheng, proving that dates have a history of more than 8,000 years in my country. As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, people began to use red dates to ferment and brew red date wine as a superior tribute to entertain guests and friends. The nutritional and health-care effects of red dates were discovered and used by people in ancient times. The "Book of Songs" has a record of "peeling dates in August". "The Book of Rites" has "dates, chestnuts, and honey to make them sweet"; and they are used in the preparation of dishes. "The Strategies of the Warring States" has "the benefits of dates and chestnuts in the north... sufficient food for the people", pointing out the important role of dates in northern China. "Han Feizi" also recorded that the Qin State used dates and chestnuts to save the people during the famine. Therefore, the people have always regarded dates as one of the "hardcore crops" and "woody grains". Dates have been used as medicine for a long time. "Shennong's Herbal Classic" has been included, and it has been recorded in medical books of all dynasties, and the understanding of its health preservation and treatment has been continuously deepened. Until now, jujubes have been regarded as an important tonic. Li Shizhen said in Compendium of Materia Medica that jujubes are sweet and warm in nature, can replenish qi, nourish blood and produce body fluid, and are used to treat diseases such as "weak spleen, sugary stools due to poor appetite, and qi and blood deficiency". Regular consumption of jujubes can treat physical weakness, neurasthenia, spleen and stomach disharmony, indigestion, cough due to fatigue, anemia and weight loss. It is particularly effective in nourishing the liver and preventing cancer. There is a saying that "eating three jujubes a day will keep you young for life". Today, jujubes are still one of the main dried fruit ingredients in Chinese cooking. Chinese jujubes were introduced to the Mediterranean coast and Western Europe via Syria in the 1st century AD, and were introduced to North America from Europe in the 19th century.

Red Dates – Nutritional Information

The Chinese herbal book "Ben Jing" records that red dates are sweet and warm in nature, and belong to the spleen and stomach meridians. They have the functions of tonifying the middle and replenishing qi, nourishing blood and calming the mind, and alleviating the medicinal properties. Modern pharmacology has found that red dates contain rich nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, trace amounts of calcium and multiple amino acids.

Nutritional analysis

1. Dates can improve human immunity and inhibit cancer cells: Pharmacological studies have found that red dates can promote the production of white blood cells, lower serum cholesterol, increase serum albumin, and protect the liver. Red dates also contain substances that inhibit cancer cells and can even transform cancer cells into normal cells.
2. People who often eat fresh dates rarely suffer from gallstones. This is because the rich vitamin C in fresh dates converts excess cholesterol in the body into bile acid. With less cholesterol, the probability of stone formation is also reduced.
3. Jujube is rich in calcium and iron, which play an important role in preventing and treating osteoporosis and anemia. Middle-aged and elderly people often suffer from osteoporosis during menopause, and adolescents and women who are at the peak of growth and development are prone to anemia. Jujube has an ideal therapeutic effect on them, and its effect is usually incomparable to drugs.
4. It also has a good tonic effect on people who are weak after illness;
5. The rutin contained in dates is a substance that softens blood vessels and thus lowers blood pressure, and has preventive and therapeutic effects on hypertension.
6. Dates can also resist allergies, remove fishy and strange odors, calm the mind, improve intelligence and brain health, and enhance appetite.

Related groups: General population can eat

1. It is especially suitable for middle-aged and elderly people and teenagers;
2. People with chronic diseases should eat it with caution, people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much, patients with dental diseases should not eat dates, and patients with constipation should eat it with caution.

Food incompatibility: Dates should not be eaten with seafood.

Production Guidance

1. Jujube peels are rich in nutrients and should be cooked with the skin when making soup;
2. Boiling red dates and fresh celery roots together has a certain effect on lowering blood lipids and cholesterol.

Red dates – Pharmacological effects

Modern pharmacology has also discovered that red dates can enhance the phagocytic function of the body's mononuclear phagocyte system, thereby protecting the liver and enhancing physical strength.

This discovery coincides with the method of using red dates in the Chinese medicine formula "Liver-nourishing Soup" to nourish the liver and detoxify.

Each 100g of various dates, which are green like jade or red like agate, contains 600-900mg of vitamin C. Therefore, dates have the reputation of being the first of all fruits and the king of natural vitamins.

According to Dr. Xun Xiaolin from the Nutrition Department of the Beijing Military Region General Hospital, jujube has strong antioxidant and free radical resistance, anti-aging and cancer prevention effects. In addition, jujube contains more vitamin C, which can turn cholesterol into bile acid, thereby preventing the occurrence of gallstones. Because the cause of gallstones is high cholesterol, once cholesterol is dissolved in bile, it will not cause stones. Jujube is also good for the heart. It contains rutin, which is a very beneficial substance for the human body. It can lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and is very beneficial for patients with hyperlipidemia and hypertension. There is a folk recipe of "decoction of fresh red dates and fresh celery roots". After taking it, it has the effect of lowering blood lipids and cholesterol.

Patients with liver disease and cirrhosis can also eat more dates, because dates can promote the synthesis of albumin in the liver, and the vitamin C contained in dates can reduce the damage of drugs to the liver. People with insufficient qi and blood, malnutrition, cardiovascular disease and allergic constitution should eat dates more often, because the rich calcium and vitamin C contained in dates have anti-allergic effects. Dried dates can also prevent constipation and are a good detoxification food. Dates are natural foods, which are easier to absorb than synthetic vitamin C tablets and have no side effects. However, do not boil them in water when eating, because the vitamin C in the dates will be destroyed if the temperature exceeds 80℃. It is most nutritious to eat them raw after washing with clean water. Eating 5 to 8 dates every day is very beneficial to the body.

Doctor Zhuang Shuqi, consultant of Medical Star, strongly recommends that women who have undergone caesarean section should drink nourishing liver soup before delivery. She believes that women who have undergone caesarean section can drink nourishing liver soup to eliminate the toxicity of anesthetics, protect the liver, and relieve pain after surgery. The method of making nourishing liver soup is as follows: wash seven red dates, cut each with a knife to help nutrients overflow, then cover with 280cc of boiling water, soak for eight hours, and then cover and steam for another hour. Red dates have such wonderful effects, and at the same time they are good quality and cheap, so people should make more use of them.

A small red date has powerful effects. It is often seen in Chinese medicine prescriptions because it can alleviate the medicinal properties; it can replenish qi and blood and is a very good nutritional product.

According to the Chinese herbal medicine book "Ben Jing", red dates are sweet and warm in nature, and can nourish the spleen and stomach meridians. They can nourish the blood and calm the mind, and moderate the medicinal properties. Modern pharmacological research has shown that red dates can increase the oxygen content in the blood and nourish cells throughout the body. They are a tonic with a mild effect.

Red dates have aphrodisiac effects. Red dates are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, amino acids such as lysine and arginine, and more than 36 trace elements such as calcium and iron. Red dates contain triterpenoid compounds, which have anti-fatigue effects and can enhance endurance. In addition, it is rich in cyclic adenosine phosphate, which has the effect of dilating blood vessels. It can not only improve the nutritional status of the myocardium, but also improve the blood supply to the penis and increase the hardness of erection. "Famous Doctors' Records" clearly pointed out that red dates can "strengthen muscles and bones, help yin, and make people fat and healthy." Men with qi deficiency and kidney deficiency often eat red dates, which can significantly increase their sexual desire. Although red dates have good effects in nourishing the body, moisturizing qi and blood, and strengthening yang, they are not suitable for men with hot constitutions. In addition, it is best not to eat more than 20 dates each time. Eating too much will damage the digestive function and cause constipation. Because red dates contain a high sugar content, eating too much can easily lead to tooth decay. Generally, men can eat 10 a day. It should be noted that the skin of red dates is hard and extremely difficult to digest. You must chew them thoroughly when eating, otherwise it will damage the gastrointestinal tract and affect the absorption of nutrients.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the applications of red dates can be divided into the following categories:

1. Strengthen the spleen and stomach: People with weak spleen and stomach, diarrhea, fatigue and weakness can eat seven red dates a day, or use them together with Codonopsis pilosula and Atractylodes macrocephala. It can replenish qi, strengthen the spleen and stomach, increase appetite and stop diarrhea. Red dates, ginger and Pinellia ternata can be used together to treat gastritis caused by careless diet, such as bloating, vomiting and other symptoms.

2. Tonify Qi and Blood: Red dates are a good tonic and are often added to dietotherapy and medicinal food to nourish the body and moisturize Qi and Blood. Dr. Andy Sun of the National Taiwan University School of Immunology strongly advocates eating more red dates, astragalus, and wolfberry to enhance the body's vitality and strengthen immunity.

3. Nourishing blood and calming the mind: For women with bipolar disorder, crying disorder, restlessness, etc., use red dates, licorice and wheat together in the "Ganmai Dazao Decoction", which can nourish blood and calm the mind, soothe the liver and relieve depression.

4. Alleviate the properties of medicine: Red dates are often used in prescriptions with strong medicinal properties to reduce the side effects of strong drugs and protect the body's vital energy. For example, in the "Ten Jujube Soup", red dates are used to alleviate the toxicity of laxatives such as gansui, daji, and wuhua, protecting the spleen and stomach from damage.

Red dates are a holy product for nourishing qi and blood, and they are also inexpensive. People do not need to buy expensive supplements in the market. They can achieve the effect of health care by making good use of red dates. However, it is best for diabetics to eat less because the sugar content is too high.

Red dates are a natural beauty food that can also invigorate the spleen, promote the biochemical circulation of qi and blood, and resist aging.
In addition, red dates have some lesser-known functions:

Anti-allergy: Red dates can treat allergic purpura. Eat 10 red dates three times a day. Generally, the effect will be seen in three days. Recently, Japanese scientists have found that red dates contain a large amount of a substance called cyclic adenosine monophosphate, which has the effect of dilating blood vessels and anti-allergic. It also has the effect of enhancing myocardial contractility and improving myocardial nutrition.

To treat low blood pressure: 20 jujubes and a hen. Cut the chicken into pieces, stir-fry over high heat, add seasoning, add the jujubes when it is 80% cooked, and simmer until cooked. Eat in several portions.

Liver protection: Eating 20 red dates a day can prevent hepatitis. For patients with acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and patients with high serum transaminase activity, taking a dose of red date peanut soup (30 grams each of red dates, peanuts and rock sugar, fry the peanuts first and then add the red dates and rock sugar) before going to bed every night for 30 days as a course of treatment can reduce serum alanine aminotransferase levels.

Anti-cancer: Red dates are rich in triterpenoids and adenosine diphosphate. Most triterpenoids have the function of inhibiting cancer cells. Therefore, people who often eat red dates rarely suffer from cancer.

It has a 2,000-year history of cultivation. The fruit is sweet and rich in vitamin C. It can be eaten raw, or made into candied fruit and preserved fruit, and used to make wine. The fruit can be used as medicine to nourish the spleen and stomach, moisten the heart and lungs, and replenish qi and nourish the body. The wood is hard and dense, and is used for making utensils and carvings. It has a long flowering period and is an excellent source of nectar.

Red dates – Notes

1. Good red dates have purple-red skin, large and uniform grains, short, strong and round fruit rows, few wrinkles and shallow marks; if there are many wrinkles, deep marks, and the fruit rows are sunken, the date flesh is of poor quality and is an immature fresh date made into dried products; if there are holes on the end of the red date stem or coffee-colored or dark brown powder, it means that it has been eaten by insects;
2. Eating too many dates can cause excess stomach acid and bloating;
3. Rotten jujubes will produce fruit acid and methanol under the action of microorganisms. People who eat rotten jujubes will experience poisoning reactions such as dizziness and visual impairment, which can be life-threatening in severe cases, so you should pay attention.
4. When eaten raw, the jujube skin is easily retained in the intestines and is not easy to be excreted, so the jujube skin should be spit out when eating jujubes;
5. Eating too many dates will cause bloating. If pregnant women have bloating, they should not eat dates. It is okay if they only drink red date soup.
6. Do not eat high-protein foods such as seafood and dairy products immediately after eating dates, because vitamin C will cause the protein in these two foods to coagulate and become difficult to absorb, so you should eat high-protein foods 1 to 2 hours after eating dates.