Amazing Benefits of Date Palm (Kurma/Korma) for Healthy and Pregnancy

What are the Amazing Benefits of Date Palm (Kurma/Korma) for Healthy and Pregnancy

Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae, in the genus: Phoenix, and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.

The date fruit is a "drupe", in which its outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 3–7 cms long, and 2–3 cms diameter, and ripe dates range from golden-yellow, amber, bright-red to deep-brown depending on the cultivar type.

What are the Health Benefits of Consuming Dates :

Nutrients in Dates :
One nutrient-dense medjool date -- a sweet type of date that is popular for its soft, tender flesh -- has about 66 calories. Eating a few in one sitting could make a healthy snack or dessert during pregnancy. Dates are high in potassium, which helps you maintain the electrolyte balance in your body as your blood volume expands during pregnancy. Dates also contain calcium that helps support fetal bone growth and iron that prevents anemia and keeps you from becoming overly fatigued. Dates also supply niacin, folate, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, zinc, manganese and magnesium.

Fiber :
Fiber in a pregnancy diet is often overlooked, but maintaining adequate fiber intake can help prevent common pregnancy complications such as constipation and hemorrhoids. A high-fiber diet in early pregnancy can reduce the risk of preeclampsia toward the end of the pregnancy, according to a study in the August 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Hypertension."

Pregnancy Nutrition :
Pregnant women need to eat about 300 calories per day more than their non-pregnant peers to gain the weight needed to support pregnancy. Instead of choosing high-calorie foods that are low in nutrients, pregnant women should choose nutrient-dense foods, such as dates, that provide plenty of vitamins and minerals along with the calories they need. While getting the recommended daily allowance of all vitamins and minerals is important during pregnancy, nutrients of particular concern for fetal and maternal health include calcium, folate and iron.

Folate:
Folate or folic acid aids in the formation of new cells and prevents a form of anemia.
It helps in the prevention of dangerous birth defects which may damage the brain and spinal cord of your newborn, like Spina bifida and Anencephaly.

Vitamin K:
Vitamin K plays a key role in blood clotting and keeping the bones strong.
Babies are generally born with low levels of Vitamin K and thus the need for compensation during pregnancy.
Deficiency of Vitamin K in infants can be hazardous since it affects the blood clotting, and can lead to a life threatening situation.
It also aids in bone development of the baby.

Iron:
Iron plays an important role in a number of metabolic processes.
Along with globin molecules, iron helps in making oxygen reach all the cells of the body.
It is particularly important during pregnancy because iron is an integral part of myoglobin, collagen and enzymes.
It prevents anemia in the child and makes immunity stronger.

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