Effect of dates on blood glucose and other metabolic variables: A narrative review.

Background: There is a common belief that individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) must avoid consumption of dates. This article aims to review and discuss the available studies on dates on different variables, specifically blood glucose.

Methods: A survey of studies related to the influence of consumption of dates on blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, lipid profile, and body weight was conducted between January 2009 and Nov 2022, using various data bases (PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar and Scopus).

Results: The glycemic index (GI) of date varieties ranges from 42.8 to 74.6, and glycemic load (GL) 8.5-24. The glycemic indices of various stages of dates are; Rutab (semi-ripe), 47.2; Tamer (fully ripe, traditionally sun-dried), 45.3, and Tamer (commercial), 35.5. Glucose tolerance-based studies and cross-sectional studies show no significant changes in glycemic indices or association with glycemic worsening with intake of dates. Few randomized controlled trials (RCT) also showed no change in glycemia and weight in the intervention groups consuming dates. Some data (including one RCT) show that the consumption of dates improve total cholesterol and LDL-C.

Conclusions: Available studies show that consumption of dates may not lead to impairment of glycemia in patients with T2DM, however, studies have several limitations like small sample size and short duration. More RCTs pertaining to the GI of different date varieties in different amounts are needed.