Date Palm
OTHER NAME(S): Ajwa Date, Dade, Date, Date Palm Pollen, Datte, Datte Comestible, Dattel, Datter, Dattero, Dattier, Datil, Edible Date, Kharjura, Palmier Dattier, Palmier-Dattier, Tamera, Phoenix dactylifera, Dates, Palmera Datilera, Palmier-dattier
Overview
Date palm is a plant. The fruit and pollen of the plant are used as medicine.
People use juice from the date palm for coughs and breathing problems. The pollen from date palm is used for swelling (inflammation) and sores inside the mouth (oral mucositis) and for conditions in a man that prevent him from getting a woman pregnant within a year of trying to conceive (male infertility).
The kernel from date palm is used in a cream for aging skin.
Date palm fruit contains fiber and other chemicals that might help with digestion. The pollen contains chemicals that might act like hormones.
Date palm fruit contains fiber and other chemicals that might help with digestion. The pollen contains chemicals that might act like hormones.
Uses
Insufficient Evidence for
- Aging skin. Early research suggests that applying a cream containing 5% date palm seed extract around the eyes for 5 weeks reduces the depth and improves the appearance of wrinkles.
- Conditions in a man that prevent him from getting a woman pregnant within a year of trying to conceive (male infertility). Early research suggests that taking date palm pollen by mouth increases the number of sperm and the movement of sperm in infertile men.
- Swelling (inflammation) and sores inside the mouth (oral mucositis). Receiving chemotherapy and radiation for head and neck cancer can cause sores in the mouth. Early research shows that swishing a solution of date palm pollen around the mouth before swallowing helps to prevent the formation of these sores during cancer treatment.
- Breathing problems.
- Coughs.
- Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of date palm for these uses.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Date palm pollen is POSSIBLY SAFE when used at doses of about 2-4 grams each day for 6-8 weeks. Date palm fruit is LIKELY SAFE for most people in food amounts. But there isn't enough information to know if date palm fruit is safe or what the possible side effects might be when it is used in larger amounts as a medicine.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough information to know if date palm is safe to use on the skin or what the side effects might be.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Date palm pollen is POSSIBLY SAFE when used at doses of about 2-4 grams each day for 6-8 weeks. Date palm fruit is LIKELY SAFE for most people in food amounts. But there isn't enough information to know if date palm fruit is safe or what the possible side effects might be when it is used in larger amounts as a medicine.
When applied to the skin: There isn't enough information to know if date palm is safe to use on the skin or what the side effects might be.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: When taken by mouth, date palm is safe in the amounts commonly found in food. But there isn't enough information to know if it is safe in the larger amounts that are used as medicine or when used on the skin. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Date Palm overview.
Dosing
The appropriate dose of date palm depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for date palm. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
References
- Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C. PDR for Herbal Medicines. 1st ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc., 1998.
- Kwaasi, A. A., Harfi, H. A., Parhar, R. S., Saleh, S., Collison, K. S., Panzani, R. C., Al Sedairy, S. T., and Al Mohanna, F. A. Cross-reactivities between date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) polypeptides and foods implicated in the oral allergy syndrome. Allergy 2002;57(6):508-518.
- Bener, A., Safa, W., Abdulhalik, S., and Lestringant, G. G. An analysis of skin prick test reactions in asthmatics in a hot climate and desert environment. Allerg.Immunol.(Paris) 2002;34(8):281-286.
- Kwaasi, A. A., Harfi, H. A., Parhar, R. S., Al Sedairy, S. T., Collison, K. S., Panzani, R. C., and Al Mohanna, F. A. Allergy to date fruits: characterization of antigens and allergens of fruits of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). Allergy 1999;54(12):1270-1277.
- Bauza, E., Dal Farra, C., Berghi, A., Oberto, G., Peyronel, D., and Domloge, N. Date palm kernel extract exhibits antiaging properties and significantly reduces skin wrinkles. Int.J.Tissue React. 2002;24(4):131-136.
- Almehdi, A. M., Maraqa, M., and Abdulkhalik, S. Aerobiological studies and low allerginicity of date-palm pollen in the UAE. Int J Environ.Health Res 2005;15(3):217-224.
- Al Farsi, M., Alasalvar, C., Morris, A., Baron, M., and Shahidi, F. Compositional and sensory characteristics of three native sun-dried date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties grown in Oman. J Agric Food Chem 9-21-2005;53(19):7586-7591.
- Blanco, C., Carrillo, T., Quiralte, J., Pascual, C., Martin, Esteban M., and Castillo, R. Occupational rhinoconjunctivitis and bronchial asthma due to Phoenix canariensis pollen allergy. Allergy 1995;50(3):277-280.
- Eid N, Osmanova H, Natchez C, et al. Impact of palm date consumption on microbiota growth and large intestinal health: a randomised, controlled, cross-over, human intervention study. Br J Nutr. 2015;114(8):1226-36.
- Elkerm Y, Tawashi R. Date palm pollen as a preventative intervention in radiation- and chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: a pilot study. Integr Cancer Ther. 2014;13(6):468-72.
- Rasekh A, Jashni HK, Rahmanian K, Jahromi AS. Effect of palm pollen on sperm parameters of infertile man. Pak J Biol Sci. 2015;18(4):196-9.
- Bagherzadeh Karimi A, Elmi A, Mirghafourvand M, Baghervand Navid R. Effects of date fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) on labor and delivery outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020 Apr 14;20(1):210.
- Al Jaouni SK, Hussein A, Alghamdi N, et al. Effects of Phoenix dactylifera Ajwa on infection, hospitalization, and survival among pediatric cancer patients in a university hospital: A nonrandomized controlled trial. Integr Cancer Ther. 2019;18:1534735419828834.
- Royani I, As'ad S, Mappaware NA, Hatta M, Rabia. Effect of Ajwa dates consumption to inhibit the progression of preeclampsia threats on mean arterial pressure and roll-over test. Biomed Res Int. 2019 Dec 10;2019:2917895.
- Hafez MH, Elblehi SS, El-Sayed YS. Date palm fruit extract ameliorated pancreatic apoptosis, endocrine dysfunction and regulatory inflammatory cytokines in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020;27(34):43322-39.
- Alqarni MM, Osman MA, Al-Tamimi DS, et al. Antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic effects of Ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) extracts in rats fed a cholesterol-rich diet. J Food Biochem. 2019;43(8):e12933.
- Moslemi E, Dehghan P, Khalafi M. Effectiveness of supplementation with date seed (Phoenix dactylifera) as a functional food on inflammatory markers, muscle damage, and BDNF following high-intensity interval training: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eur J Nutr 2023;62(5):2001-2014.
- Jahromi AR, Mosallanezhad Z, Hosini FS, Jamali S, Sharifi N. The effect of date palm on sexual function in infertile couples: a double-blind controlled clinical trial. BMC Res Notes 2022;15(1):55.
- Salajegheh Z, Nasiri M, Imanipour M, et al. Is oral consumption of dates (Phoenix dactylifera L. fruit) in the peripartum period effective and safe integrative care to facilitate childbirth and improve perinatal outcomes: a comprehensive revised systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024;24(1):12.
- Mirzaei M, Asbagh FA, Safavi M, et al. Phoenix dactylifera L. pollen versus pentoxifylline on improvement of sperm parameters in idiopathic male infertility: A randomized clinical trial. J Ethnopharmacol 2024;330:118168.