21 Reasons Dates Should Be Your New Superfood Sidekick

7. Prevent Night Blindness

Night blindness, also known as nyctalopia, is a condition in which an individual has poor vision in dim lighting or near darkness. The carotenoids found in dates can help prevent night blindness. Dates are also known to help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, which is a vision problem known to cause both vision loss and distorted vision. Though night blindness is most commonly seen in the elderly, it can impact younger individuals too. Eating a few servings of dates per week while keeping regular appointments with an eye doctor can help prevent night blindness. Dates also contain vitamin C, which supports healthy eye tissue.

8. Reduces Severity Of Anemia

Vitamin supplements are often recommended to treat anemia, though the best way to combat anemia is to eat iron-rich foods. Dried dates and raisins are great sources of both vitamin C and iron. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, and iron makes hemoglobin, which reduces the severity of anemia. Hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells, helps move oxygen throughout the body. Anemia patients have a low hemoglobin count or a less than adequate number of red blood cells. Many Americans suffer from anemia, and one of the main symptoms is fatigue. Some anemia patients may have troubling symptoms, such as a rapid heartbeat or even shortness of breath. Therefore, those who suffer from anemia are often recommended to eat an iron-rich diet. The vitamin C and iron in dates reduce the severity of anemia.