Can Eating 2 Dates a Day Make You Healthier?

Eating two dates a day can contribute positively to your health, thanks to their rich fiber and nutrient content, but moderation is key to avoid excessive sugar intake. Dates offer digestive support and a healthier sweetener alternative if consumed mindfully.

How Do Dates Fit into a Healthy Diet? 

Dates are pretty healthy for you with high levels of key micronutrients, said Heidi Silver, PhD, RD, director of the Vanderbilt Diet, Body Composition, and Human Metabolism Core.

“Dates provide a good source of fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, niacin, folate, vitamin A, beta carotene, and lutein, selenium,” Silver told Verywell. Just be mindful of how many dates you eat. “Eating too many can contribute to excess calorie intake.”

The average portion size is about 100 grams, roughly equivalent to four Medjool dates. It’s unnecessary to eat a whole package to gain health benefits, she added.

Four Medjool dates contain about 277 calories and 66 grams of sugar. In comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories, explained Julia Zumpano, RD, a dietitian with the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition. 

“Since dates really pack in the sugar, be mindful to avoid or limit additional sources of sugar,” said Zumpano. “I typically suggest a more modest dose of two large or three small dates, which is about 50 grams and provides half the sugar and calories.”

While two dates a day is a perfectly fine portion size, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be instantly healthier.

Can Dates Lower Cholesterol?

Some research has found evidence that eating dates may also help lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. But Silver said the evidence is still inconclusive.

“A recent meta-analysis also showed no significant effect on LDL cholesterol [the ‘bad’ cholesterol] but a reduction in total cholesterol in persons with type 2 diabetes,” Silver said.

Are Dates a Blood Sugar-Friendly Food?

Pitted dates generally won’t have added sugars in them, but they still can contain a significant amount of natural sugars in the form of sucrose, glucose, or fructose. 

That high sugar level may give you pause about eating dates as a healthy snack, but a key difference between dates and sugary sodas or other processed foods is that they contain high levels of fiber, Zumpano said. 

“Due to the fiber, which slows the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream, they also have a low glycemic index, which causes a smaller spike in blood sugar values,” Zumpano explained.

Zumpano said using dates as a sweetener can also be a healthier alternative to refined sugar. “Portion control is key here. I like to use dates as an alternative to something sweet; you can also use them in recipes to replace sugar.”

What Role Do Dates Play in Promoting Gut Health?

Since dates are high in fiber, they can help your gastrointestinal tract, said Zumpano, but they should still be just one part of a balanced, healthy diet. 

“All fiber helps gut health,” Zumpano said. “ But they need to be eaten in combination with other fiber-rich foods, specifically lower sugar sources of fiber such as leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.”

According to Silver, adding these snacks to your diet can also benefit your microbiome, the naturally occurring microbial cells present in your GI tract. 

“Dates and other fruits can improve the ratio of beneficial gut microbiota—but again, the studies are limited,” Silver said. 

Be aware that eating too many dates could also cause a bathroom emergency. “As with any fruit, eating too many could promote diarrhea, but eating a few each day can help with constipation,” Silver said. 

What If You Don’t Like Dates? 

If eating dates on a daily basis is unappealing, there’s no reason you can’t pivot to other dried or fresh fruits to see similar benefits. 

“Alternatives are other dried fruits like prunes and figs and apricots—but fresh fruits are an even better choice as they are much lower in calories,” Silver said.