The Heart-Healthy Benefits of Dates Fruit in Malaysia

Dates are often sold as good for the heart. Some of that holds up and some doesn’t. This post goes through what dates contain, what the studies on dates and the heart actually found, and ends with a short note on wholesale prices (Harga Borong Kurma) for anyone buying in bulk in Malaysia.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney problems, ask your doctor before changing your diet.

The Nutritional Value of Dates Fruit

a. Fibre: Dates have 6.7 to 8 g of fibre per 100 g, going by USDA figures for Medjool and Deglet Noor dates. The NHS says eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and advises adults to aim for 30 g a day (NHS). Soluble fibre does lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, but only a little: a review of 67 trials found about 0.057 mmol/L less LDL per gram of soluble fibre, and called the effect small (Brown et al., 1999).

b. Antioxidants: Dates contain phenolic compounds and other phytochemicals. A review of date research found that most of the work on their health effects comes from lab and animal studies, and that studies of the health benefits are still inadequate (Vayalil, 2012). So any protection for the arteries in people has not been shown.

c. Potassium: Dates have about 650 to 700 mg of potassium and only 1 to 2 mg of sodium per 100 g (USDA). Potassium helps control the balance of fluids in the body and helps the heart muscle work properly (NHS). In a review of trials, eating more potassium lowered blood pressure by about 3.5/2 mmHg on average in adults, an effect seen in people with high blood pressure but not in people without it (Aburto et al., 2013). Those trials looked at potassium in general, not dates.

d. Other nutrients: Per 100 g, dates also have 43 to 54 mg of magnesium, 0.17 to 0.25 mg of vitamin B6 and 15 to 19 micrograms of folate (USDA). These are modest amounts. They also have about 280 kcal per 100 g, most of it from sugar, so a handful adds up quickly.

What studies on dates and the heart found

a. Cholesterol: In a 16-week trial, 100 adults with type 2 diabetes ate three dates a day. Their total cholesterol fell by about 0.21 mmol/L compared with a group that avoided dates, and the change in LDL was not statistically clear (Alalwan et al., 2020). A 2025 meta-analysis of date trials in people with type 2 diabetes came to the same result: total cholesterol fell, LDL did not change significantly (Mirghani & Alhowiti, 2025). None of these trials measured heart attacks or strokes. For more on that trial, see our post on dates for people with diabetes.

b. Blood pressure: We found no trial that tested dates on blood pressure. The potassium in dates counts towards your daily total, and the potassium evidence above applies to people with high blood pressure. People with chronic kidney disease can develop high potassium levels in their blood because their kidneys do not work properly (NHS), so if you have kidney disease, ask your doctor how much potassium is right for you.

c. Inflammation: The anti-inflammatory effects of dates come mainly from lab and animal work, as noted above. They have not been shown to reduce inflammation in people.

d. What actually protects the heart: The WHO lists stopping tobacco, eating less salt, eating more fruit and vegetables, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol as steps shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (WHO). Dates count as fruit. They are one part of that list, not a treatment.

Harga Borong Kurma: buying dates in bulk

Wholesale prices for dates (Harga Borong Kurma) in Malaysia depend on the variety, the size or grade, where the dates come from and the time of year. Every date sold here is imported, and demand peaks before and during Ramadan. Our post on what affects kurma prices in Malaysia goes through those factors, and what to look for in a reliable dates supplier helps when you are choosing a Pembekal Kurma.

The short version

Dates bring fibre and potassium, and a few dates a day lowered total cholesterol slightly in trials of people with type 2 diabetes. That is the strongest date-specific evidence so far. The antioxidant and blood-pressure claims rest on lab work or on potassium in general. Dates are also high in sugar, so keep the portion small and treat them as one fruit in a balanced diet.

References

1. USDA FoodData Central. Dates, medjool (FDC 168191). fdc.nal.usda.gov
2. USDA FoodData Central. Dates, deglet noor (FDC 171726). fdc.nal.usda.gov
3. Brown L, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69(1):30-42. PubMed 9925120
4. Vayalil PK. Date fruits (Phoenix dactylifera Linn): an emerging medicinal food. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012;52(3):249-71. PubMed 22214443
5. Aburto NJ, et al. Effect of increased potassium intake on cardiovascular risk factors and disease: systematic review and meta-analyses. BMJ. 2013;346:f1378. PubMed 23558164
6. Alalwan TA, et al. Effects of daily low-dose date consumption on glycemic control, lipid profile, and quality of life in adults with pre- and type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2020;12(1):217. PubMed 31952131
7. Mirghani HO, Alhowiti A. Dates fruit effects on dyslipidemia among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(1):331-337. PubMed 39867809
8. NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet. nhs.uk
9. NHS. Others (potassium). nhs.uk
10. NHS. Chronic kidney disease: treatment. nhs.uk
11. WHO. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) fact sheet. who.int