Although dates are the favorite food of all seasons with their health benefits, they have a special place in Ramadan. Dates become one of the indispensable parts of traditional iftar times during Ramadan. For this reason, choosing this fruit, whose intake rate has increased much more, is one of the main issues of general public health.
WHAT IS THE DAMAGE OF DATES FLAVORED WITH GLUCOSE SYRUP?
Generally, dates treated with glucose syrup have a shiny appearance, have a softer consistency, and become sticky to the fingers when you open the date.
In fact, before we talk about the harm of glucose syrup, it would be useful to briefly examine the relationship between blood glucose and glycemic index. Glucose; The level of insulin in the blood is regulated by the hormone insulin secreted from the pancreas.
The steps of change in blood glucose level starting with nutrition can be summarized as follows; As the first step, it stimulates the secretion of insulin from the pancreas with the increase in the glucose level in the blood after digestion.
In the second step, with the secretion of insulin, the transition of glucose into the cells began. Liver and muscle cells store the ingested glucose as glycogen. Liver cells convert excess glucose into fat and leave it in the blood circulation system.
Balanced and adequate nutrition has a serious role in regulating blood glucose level. The glycemic index (GI) of the food is; It expresses the relationship between how fast the glucose level in the blood increases after the related food is consumed and how fast the insulin hormone secreted depending on the situation decreases to the normal level. In the light of this information, the fact that the products we consume contain glucose syrup and that it is not included in the contents of the package in order to raise awareness of the consumer, or that the consumer is not informed about this in the products sold in the open causes serious problems. Especially in cases where sugar consumption is limited; It is inevitable that such consumer-deceptive behaviors can have very serious consequences for people with diabetes, insulin resistance, gestational diabetes and those receiving special treatment.
IF THE DATE HAS A WHITE LAYER OUTSIDE…
After the drying process, sometimes there may be a flow of sugar from the inside of the fruit to the outside. This outward movement of sugar causes a white layer to form on the outside of the fruit. Bleaching of the outer layer of dates is usually a sugar problem. Sometimes this white layer also indicates microbial growth. However, if there is microbiological deterioration, it is not possible to make a decision by visual inspection without laboratory analysis.
HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE HARMFUL DATE EXPOSED TO BACTERIA?
The fact that it has a color, smell and/or appearance that is not specific to date strengthens the possibility that this product is not healthy. In addition, microbiological deterioration may have started in products that do not have any physical defect in their external appearance, but are offered for sale and/or stored without complying with food safety requirements. At the beginning of the measures that can be taken in this regard, the preference of packaged foods is actually the preference, so that the aforementioned risks are reduced to minimum levels. In addition, if the consumer encounters any non-compliance, a legal follow-up process will be initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry against the relevant product seller/manufacturer by making a complaint about the product via the Alo 174 whistleblowing line.
WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN BUYING DATE?
Non-shiny, matte-looking date varieties should be preferred. Products displayed in the open can pose serious risks in terms of hygiene and health. Therefore, choosing packaged and traceable foods instead of bulk products will be the right option for both the health of the consumer and minimizing commercial losses against possible fraud.
WHAT IS THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF DATE?
Date (Phoenix dactylifera) is a very beneficial fruit for health due to its high fiber content, relatively low glycemic index and high antioxidant properties. Date fruit contains 44-88% sugar. It is very rich in potassium. It also contains calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamins (A, B1, B2, niacin, C). While there is 0.2-0.5% oil in the fleshy part of the date, the oil rate in the kernel is between 7.7-9.7%. Dates contain at least 15 types of minerals. Some of these are potassium, boron, calcium, cobalt, copper, fluorine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, selenium and zinc. The protein content of dates is also of very high quality, with 23 types of amino acids. In our age, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes are important health problems. According to scientific studies, dates are considered to be a suitable food for these health problems in terms of glycemic index. Thanks to its high iron and mineral content, dates also have important medical benefits during pregnancy.