The Nutritional Profile of Dates: Nature's Original Energy Bar
Dates are quite the energy providers! Dates are primarily carbohydrates, making up about 75% of their mass . Within these carbs, you'll find a good chunk of sugars, around 63% , and also a fair bit of dietary fibre, about 8% . The main sugars present are monosaccharides like glucose (23–30%) and fructose (19–28%) , with only a negligible amount of sucrose. They contain less than 1% fat , and provide about 2% protein . Dates also pack in some important minerals. A 100-gram serving is considered a rich source of potassium (22% of the Daily Value ) . They're also a moderate source (10–19% DV) of pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, magnesium, and manganese . Despite their sweetness, dates have a relatively low glycemic index (GI) in the range of 38–71, with an average of 53 . Their glycemic load (GL) is also low, averaging at 9 for a serving of three fruits (27 grams) . There are reportedly 250-400 date cultivars and varieties. A cultivar (cultivated variety) is a plant v...