This ‘Arab world’ recipe may be the secret to keeping heat, exhaustion, constipation, and hair loss at bay

“As we enter summer and the temperatures climb, here’s an easy recipe to keep calm. A tradition in the Arab world is to keep the stomach and mind cool during scorching heat. Close Sehri or break your fast with this combo to keep heat exhaustion and constipation at bay. A perfect coming together of the garam dates with the thanda dahi, jeera and kalanamak. Try it at home,” she captioned the post.

How to make

Ingredients

Home set curd
Dates, soaked in water for 30 minutes and chopped
Black salt or kala namak
Freshly roasted cumin powder

Method

*In a bowl, churn the home set curd well.
*Add soaked dates, deseeded and chopped into small pieces into the curd.
*Add black salt and mix it.
*Add freshly roasted cumin powder. Mix again. Ready to eat.

“Extremely good if you are experiencing hair loss, low mood, PMS, for maintaining haemoglobin levels, and helps with gas, acidity, and bloating,” Diwekar further listed the benefits of the mixture.

To understand more, we turned to experts to learn whether date raita helps.

While it boasts of some health benefits, its effectiveness for these specific conditions lacks strong scientific backing, said Dr Vikas Jindal, consultant, dept of gastroenterology, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi.

“Dates are not only rich in carbohydrates but are also packed with nutrients and fibre which gives the feeling of satiety and fullness. This can aid in digestion and potentially help with constipation. However, a balanced diet with enough fruits and vegetables is likely more effective,” said Dr Jindal.

Dates provide instant energy (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Dr Jindal elucidated that dates have a high energy content, with 100g of dates containing about 314 kilocalories of energy, making them a great source of an energy boost. “While much of this energy is in the form of sugars (like fructose and glucose), it has ample amounts of fibre and a low glycemic index. This means that 2-3 dates at a time are a safe source of low-fat energy even for diabetics. This is one of the best benefits of eating dates, contributing to weight management and helping in blood sugar regulation,” said Dr Jindal.

 

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A post shared by Rujuta Diwekar (@rujuta.diwekar)

The curd in raita provides probiotics, which may contribute to gut health, but further research is needed to confirm its impact on acidity. “Dates and curd offer essential nutrients, but their connection to hair loss is inconclusive,” said Dr Jindal, adding that while this raita can be a healthy addition to a person’s diet, it’s “unlikely to be an overall cure”.

If a person is experiencing these issues, they should consult a doctor as they can diagnose the cause and suggest appropriate treatment, added Dr Jindal.