THE DATE PALM

WITH CHINEDU AGU

Phoenix dactylifera, variously called date palm, dabino, Ojo, etc, is small sweet darkish brown
prolate shaped fruit with a great history. It is usually eaten dry and contains a hard stone core.
The tree which grows singly with no branches to about 30 meters (100 feet), forms a clump with
several stems from a single root system. It is said to be slow growing with very deep roots and
has a life span of up to a hundred years if weather conditions are favorable.
ORIGIN
The Phoenix dactylifera, which is a member of the Arecaceae flowering palm family, grows in
many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and has about 12 -19 species with earliest
specie grown as early as 4000 B.C in ancient Region of Mesopotamia near Iraq. Though it is
claimed that the origin of the palm has been lost in antiquity, it is widely cultivated in North
Africa, the middle east, south Asia, and the northern part of Nigeria.
Other Date producing countries comprise Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan
MYTHS
It is worthy to note that there are many myths surrounding the fruit, for instance, many claim that
it is a sacred fruit with some aphrodisiac effect, the Arabs refer to it as the tree of life, the
Egyptians claim it enhances fertility while the Hebrews and Greeks liken it to triumph and the
sacred. Thus, the Hebrews consider it as one of the seven holy fruits and they celebrate Palm
Sunday with it.

Again, it is claimed to be one of the staple foods for the people of Israel during ancient times, and during
the Sukkot holiday or the Feast of Tabernacles, date palm is one of the four species used in daily prayers.
Members of the Islamic faith see it as a fruit that not only assuages hunger but cures many
disorders and has purification power especially when used to break a fast. They also have it that
it was the food shown to Mary, mother of Jesus when the pangs of labor came upon her whereas
the Phoenicians considered it the palm from God.
NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTH VALUES
To many desert dwellers like the Bedouin or travelers, the date palm is not only used as food but
also it provides valuable shelter, shade, and water, as date trees usually grow where there is
water in the desert.
However, despite that a hand full of people may be sensitive to the consumption of dates, the
fruit is well tolerated by a greater number of people largely because of the taste and wellbeing
benefits. Said to be a rich source of protective plant compounds with very generous antioxidant
properties which include carotenoids and Lignans, it is claimed to help in curtailing
inflammation, plaques formation in the brain, chronic ailments like heart diseases, cancer,
Alzheimer, and diabetes.

Again, because of its high fiber content, it said to be beneficial to the digestive system,
promoting regular healthy bowel movement, controls sugar level as digestion and sugar
assimilation are slowed down by the fiber content, and regulates the cholesterol level in the
blood. It may support bone health on account of the content of minerals like potassium, calcium
magnesium and vitamin k.
It has also been claimed that date syrup significantly lowers birth pain intensity and the length of
the activity phase of labor time. What this means is that the intake of date palm or its inclusion in
the diet close to the final stages of pregnancy may promote and aid natural labor as certain
compounds in the fruit may trigger hormones involved in the contraction which in turn promote
easy cervical dilation.

Other ailments that are claimed to be alleviated by date palm consist of sore throat, colds, throat,
and chest infections (by mixing equal amounts of dates, fig, hibiscus, and raisin, boiled in water
and used as expectorant), fever, bronchial asthma, and intestinal disorder.
It can counter alcohol intoxication, used as an aphrodisiac by mixing dates with milk and
cinnamon, and neutralize poison when applied as paste onto the affected area.
Gum from the trunk is claimed to check diarrhea and urinary infections, while the root is used to
treat tooth ache and the seeds grounded into past to treat some kinds of fevers such as malarial
and skin infections.

WAYS AND WHEN TO EAT DATES
Dates can be taken solo or combined with other nuts for a delicious mixed trail for snacking. In
this case, cut open the dates, carefully removing the hard kernel, chop them up and add to the
mix of almond, pistachio walnuts, cashew, peanuts, and pecans. Preferably, it is advised to take it
in the morning especially as snack before a workout.
Chopped dates can also be added to your cereal in the morning especially oats, can also be added
to your vegetable salad, iced cream, or sprinkled on your smoothie and yoghurt.  Dates are also
used in baking bread, cakes, and preparing desserts.
Other ways of consuming dates comprise processing into paste, syrup, jam, jelly, date cubes,
date sugar powder, date vinegar and even date alcohol. They are also marketed as chocolate-
covered dates, at times peppered with diced pistachios, walnuts, or raisings.
Both the leaves (young foliage) and the seeds are consumable. Whereas the terminal buds and
tender leaves, which are rich in phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and ash, can be turned into a
salad or cooked as a vegetable dish, the seeds are not eaten directly. They are rather roasted,
ground added with cardamom by travelers as a cheap alternative to Arabic coffee
Date syrup which can be made by soaking the fruit in water and blending until the pulp is fine
and well mixed, can be used as sugar replacement in pap, oat porridge and tea. It can also be
used in the preparations of local almond milk, tiger nut and coco nut milk respectively.
Beyond the enumerated list of nutritional and medicinal benefits of the date palm above to man,
the date seeds can also be ground and turned into nutritional feed for animals such as goats,
camels, sheep cow and chicken. The trees can

However, like every other food, despite the medical and nutritional value, moderation is advised