Dates
Why dates are anti-inflammatory
Dates are anti-inflammatory, which is strange for something that is roughly seven tenths sugar. The reason is that nothing was taken out. A date is a whole fruit that dried on the tree, so the sugar comes wrapped in fibre, minerals and a heavy load of plant polyphenols. That packaging separates a date from the syrup it replaces.
Fibre is what slows the sugar down. It thickens what is moving through your gut, so the sugar trickles into the blood instead of arriving at once. That is why dates have a low glycemic index despite being mostly sugar. The polyphenols work on the other side, helping the body clear the cell damage that inflammation leaves behind.
Size matters more than variety. A Medjool is big, soft and close to caramel, while a Deglet Noor is smaller, drier and about a third of the weight. Three Medjools carry more sugar than a can of soft drink, so a few dates means different things depending on the box. Dates earn their place as a swap: blended into a paste, they take over from sugar in baking and bring the fibre with them.
That is why dates land at 3 out of 10 on the inflammation scale rather than down among the berries. Nothing in a date pushes the wrong way, and even in type 2 diabetes three a day for months leaves long-term blood sugar where it was. But the sugar is concentrated. A date is a portion of fruit, not something to graze on.
Dates on the AIP diet
Dates are fine on the Autoimmune Protocol, including the elimination phase. Dried fruit is not on the list of things the protocol takes out, and dates are one of the few ways to finish a meal on something sweet while the rules are at their strictest. Watch two things: the amount, because AIP keeps daily fruit sugar low, and the packet, since some dates are coated in syrup or oil.
Benefits
- Sugar that arrives with its own brake, because the fibre is still in the fruit
- A low glycemic index despite being mostly sugar, so blood sugar stays steadier
- One of the richest dried fruits in polyphenols, which drying concentrates
- Even in type 2 diabetes, three a day for months left long-term blood sugar unchanged
Watch out for
- Roughly seven tenths sugar, and three Medjools beat a can of soft drink for it
- Dried fruit sticks to teeth, which dentists mind more than the sugar itself
- Date syrup and date sugar drop the fibre and keep everything else
- Some packs are coated in syrup or oil to keep them glossy
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Frequently asked
Are dates inflammatory?
No, dates are anti-inflammatory, even though they are roughly seven tenths sugar. Nothing was taken out of the fruit when it dried, so the sugar still comes with fibre, minerals and a dense load of polyphenols. That is what separates a date from the syrup or the sweet it stands in for.
Are dates bad for blood sugar?
Less than the sugar content suggests. Dates have a low glycemic index, and in people with type 2 diabetes three a day for four months left long-term blood sugar where it was. That is three, though, and not a handful.
Are Medjool dates better than Deglet Noor?
Not better, just bigger. A Medjool weighs around three times what a Deglet Noor does, so three Medjools is a much larger portion of sugar than three of the small ones. If you are keeping track, count grams rather than dates.
Are dates allowed on the AIP diet?
Yes, in every phase including elimination. Dried fruit is not among the foods the protocol takes out, so dates clear it without a problem. Keep the amount modest, since AIP asks you to hold daily fruit sugar down, and check the packet for added syrup or oil.
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