Featured Image Credit: ITV
Topics: Health, Celebrity, TV and Film
Ben Williams
There is never any shortage of advice on healthier snacking, especially online, where every week seems to bring a new ingredient hailed as the answer to everything from low energy to poor digestion.
That is partly why comments from TV doctor Dr Amir Khan have caught attention, because his latest recommendation is not some hard-to-find supplement or pricey wellness trend. Instead, it is something people will already have seen in the supermarket, but may still treat with suspicion because of how sweet it tastes.
Khan shared the habit on Instagram while discussing the difference between natural sweetness and the sort of sugar people are often told to cut back on. He also stressed that the evidence is still developing, and that balance remains, nevertheless, important.
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The food in question is dates, and the doctor says he now eats three of them every day.
In the video’s caption, he said: "I have started eating three dates every day - people worry because they are sweet then they may affect blood sugars but some small studies suggest the opposite."
After sharing the link to the study, Khan added: “They are only small studies, and more research is needed on blood sugars, but two to three dates can be eaten safely as part of a nutritionally balanced diet."
According to the NHS, via Grape Tree, three dates count as one portion of your daily fruit and veg, and Khan's point was that the fruit may be more useful than people assume. He said research suggests dates do not worsen long-term blood sugar, while their high-fibre content could help explain links to gut health and cholesterol.
Published in the National Library of Medicine, the study points out that — well as being rich in fibre— dates are high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, with some research suggesting they may support digestion and help lower inflammation.
Khan added: "Now, the other health benefits of dates is that they are loaded with one of my favourite things: plant antioxidants and polyphenols, which can help reduce cell damage done by harmful free radicals that have been linked to things like autoimmune conditions, cardiovascular disease, and even some cancers.
"Now, early studies, and I have to stress these are just early studies, show that the antioxidants in dates can even improve brain health by reducing inflammation — that has been linked to things like Alzheimer's disease, though we do need more research to support that. So if you're looking for an alternative sweet treat to refined sugar, you can't go wrong with dates."
That does not mean they should be treated as a free-for-all snack. Dates are still high in sugar, so moderation matters, particularly for anyone watching calorie intake or managing conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Also, eating too much could cause digestive issues, while people with kidney disease may need to be extra careful because of potassium levels.