Folk wisdom says, "Three dates a day keeps old age away." Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that red dates are sweet and warm in nature, able to tonify the middle jiao, replenish qi, nourish the blood, and calm the spirit. However, red dates are both a food and a medicine with their own unique properties. If consumed indiscriminately without considering one's constitution, not only will they fail to provide health benefits, but they can even be counterproductive.
Red dates have many beneficial effects on the body, which is why the saying "Three dates a day keeps old age away" is popular. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that red dates are sweet and warm in nature, able to tonify the middle jiao, replenish qi, nourish the blood, and calm the spirit. Those who are weak after an illness, patients with anemia, and women who experience cold hands and feet in winter can all use red dates to regulate their bodies. However, red dates are both a food and a medicine with their own unique properties. If consumed indiscriminately without considering one's constitution, not only will they fail to provide health benefits, but they can even be counterproductive. The following four types of people, in particular, should eat red dates sparingly or not at all:
1. Those with excessive phlegm-dampness
Such individuals often exhibit a thick, greasy tongue coating, a sweet or sticky sensation in the mouth, poor appetite, and a feeling of abdominal fullness. In severe cases, symptoms may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and swelling of the eyelids and face. The moist and greasy nature of red dates can exacerbate dampness, causing phlegm-dampness to accumulate in the body and worsen the aforementioned discomfort. People with this constitution are better off eating foods that strengthen the spleen and drain dampness, such as Job's tears, red adzuki beans, Chinese yam, and loofah.
2. Those who are prone to 'heatiness'
People with a constitution that tends to be 'hot' often experience symptoms of 'heatiness' such as constipation, bad breath, and swollen, painful throat and gums. As red dates are sweet and warm, leaning towards a warming nature, consuming them in large quantities would be like 'adding fuel to the fire'.
3. Patients in the early stages of a cold
In the early stages of a cold, pathogenic factors like wind-cold or wind-heat are rampant in the body. Eating red dates at this time, with their sticky nature, can often cause these pathogenic factors to stagnate, leading to a 'shut the door to keep the thief in' effect. This makes it difficult for the body to expel the illness, hindering recovery.
4. Diabetics
Red dates are high in sugar, which can raise blood sugar levels and worsen the condition for diabetics. Therefore, people with high blood sugar should not eat too many red dates.