How can eating dates daily lower cholesterol levels and cut plaque build up?
Dates are not only delicious and tasty snacks, but they could provide us with numerous health benefits. Dates contain nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins like B6 , minerals like potassium, magnesium, antioxidants etc.
The research studies have brought to light that consuming dates regularly would be fantastic as they could lower our bad cholesterol levels and reduce the build-up of plaque in the arteries.
Various ways by which intake of dates would lower our bad cholesterol levels are
Rich in soluble fibre:
The soluble fibre content that is present in the dates would help in cholesterol control. The cholesterol in our digestive system would get bonded by the soluble fibres and by this absorption in the bloodstream would be avoided. Truth is that date intake would lower the bad cholesterol levels or LDL and increase good cholesterol or HDL in us. By eating dates regularly, our lip profiles would get improved and we would have lower chances of getting heart diseases.
Antioxidant properties:
There are flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid present in the dates. It must be noted that these would combat the oxidative stress that could result in inflammation and plate build-up etc. Our blood vessels would be healthy as free radicals would be neutralised by antioxidants. We would have less risk of getting atherosclerosis etc.
Potassium for heart health:
For maintaining a healthy blood pressure level, potassium is very essential and dates are rich in potassium. When we eat dates rich in potassium, then our sodium levels would get counteracted and cardiovascular function would get improved. The strain on the blood vessels would get reduced due to potassium as it could regulate the blood pressure in us. This would boost our heart health.
Natural sweetener with low GI:
When we consume dates, our blood sugar levels would rise slowly as dates have low glycemic index or GI. It is true that intake of processed sugars could lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels in us. In other words, dates could be an alternative for refined sugars as they would prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar levels. It is known that the rapid spike in insulin would lead to increased cholesterol levels in us.
How to consume dates?
We can consume dates as such or by adding to smoothies/oatmeal/yoghurt etc. It is good to eat 5 to 6 dates per day and excess intake might lead to diabetes also.
