ارزش غذایی و درمانی خرما از دیدگاه منابع اسلامی و طب سنتی و نوین

Background and purpose: The fruit of the date palm is highly nutrient which is mentioned in Holy Q,uran for several times. In addition to being a good energy source, date contains many micronutrients, therefore, it is recommended in Islamic and traditional medicine for health and prevention of diseases. In this study we reviewed the health benefits of date according to Holy Q,uran, and Islamic and traditional medicine. Materials and methods: In this review study, some scientific databases such as Google scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Springer, SID, and Magiran were used. Also, Holy Quran, Islamic narrations and hadith, books about traditional medicine and medicinal plants were studied. The findings were restricted to works published from 1994 to 2013. The keywords for search included date, date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, Quran, nutrients, medicinal plants, and anticancer effect. Finally, the data was categorized. Results: In Holy Quran, date is mentioned more than other fruits. Also, Islamic and traditional medicine sources have shown many effects of date in health and prevention of diseases. Date is considered very nutrient due to containing antioxidants and phenolic elements. There are some compounds in dates such as fiber, carbohydrates, fatty acids, mineral substances, and vitamins that make date useful in the treatment of heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Conclusion: The Holy Quran mentions about some plants such as date. This signifies the nutritional value and health benefits of date. In recent years, significant developments in many fields such as science have cleared many unknown secrets of nature. One of these progresses is the identification of different compounds in date. Such findings when compared with Quran and Quranic narrations will prove the miraculous aspects of Quran.