Paul Keller
Date syrup is not only sweet, delicious, and relatively low in calories. New studies show that it even has an antibiotic effect. And best of all, you can easily make it yourself!
Date syrup is not only very healthy but also has an antibiotic effect if made correctly. If you don’t want to buy healthy date syrup, you can easily make it yourself.
Make date syrup yourself: Natural antibiotic
“When a spoonful of sugar sweetens bitter medicine, yes medicine sweetens, medicine sweetens…”
Yes, it’s right. Sugar can sweeten so many medicines, meals, and even the day. And not just since Mary Poppins smashed this wisdom off the big screen. It’s no wonder that we Germans have also been heavily involved in sugar consumption in recent years.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the maximum daily sugar consumption should be less than ten percent of the total energy intake to prevent obesity (overweight) and diabetes. The “Foodwatch” association warns that sugar consumption in children and young people, in particular, is well above this recommendation. A worrying trend that has caught on with consumers.
The German Nutrition Report 2019 shows that more than four-fifths of those surveyed are in favor of reducing sugar consumption.
A good way not to do without sweets is sugar substitutes.
A large number of alternative sweeteners such as maple syrup or molasses advertise that they are healthier than normal table sugar – and still give the food that certain sweetness kick. A thoroughly recommendable alternative, which has attracted attention with a very special characteristic, is date syrup. Not only is it sweet and delicious, but it also has a medicinal value similar to that of Manuka honey.
Is date syrup better than antibiotics?
One of the main advantages of date syrup is its valuable ingredients. A research team led by student Hajer Taleb from Cardiff Metropolitan University was able to demonstrate in a series of tests that naturally produced-date syrup has an antibiotic effect on certain bacteria. The date syrup was associated with the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus (trigger for chronic wounds) and pathogenic Escherichia coli (often the cause of intestinal infections). The result: the spread of the bacterial strains was greatly reduced.
The reason for the antibiotic effect is the phenolic compounds contained in date syrup, which are produced during the ripening process of the date. dr Ara Kanekanian from Cardiff Metropolitan University, who leads the research series on the antibiotic effects of date syrup, nevertheless warns against using the syrup as an anti-inflammatory – for example in wound healing. The research is not yet complete. The antibiotic effect could also only be proven in naturally produced date syrup. With artificially produced syrup, which only contains different sugars and flavors but no polyphenols, this effect is not detectable.
However, date syrup also has other positive properties that make it an attractive alternative to sugar.
Is Date Syrup Healthy? An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of natural sugar substitutes
An advantage of the sweetener that is also very interesting for many is that it has significantly fewer calories than conventional household sugar. On average, 100 grams of date syrup contain up to 280 calories. For comparison: 100 grams of sugar contain around 400 calories. In addition, the syrup also provides other nutrients that table sugar lacks. Including about 1.2 grams of protein and up to 1.4 grams of fiber for 100 grams.
On the other hand, the amount of fructose contained in date syrup could have a negative effect. People who suffer from fructose intolerance should swear off date syrup and look for another sugar alternative.
In addition, date syrup is of course more expensive to produce and also to sell than normal table sugar. But: To save a few costs, you can easily make the syrup yourself.
