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Are dates useful for blood pressure

1 November 2022 · dates, Dates Suppliers

High blood pressure does not usually cause any symptoms, according to the NHS, so many people have it without realising. The NHS lists several things that raise the chances of having it, including a diet high in salt, being overweight, smoking and drinking too much alcohol. This post takes the main causes one at a time and checks what dates can and cannot do about each, using published studies and health-agency pages.

What the date studies actually found

One randomised trial, by researchers in Bahrain (Butler et al., 2022), allocated 79 adults with type 2 diabetes to either 60 g of dates or 60 g of raisins a day for 12 weeks, and 61 of them completed the study. There was no difference between or within the groups for systolic or diastolic blood pressure, and none for blood lipids either. The authors concluded that no beneficial effect of dates on these heart-related measures was seen, though dates did not harm blood sugar control over the 12 weeks.

A 2025 review (Jim et al., 2025) is more positive. It says clinical studies show regular, moderate date eating can reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The same review also notes that standardised human trials are limited, and asks for larger randomised studies to confirm the effect. So the evidence is mixed: the randomised trial described here found no change, and the review that reports reductions also says larger randomised studies are still needed.

Weight

Being overweight is on the NHS list of things that raise blood pressure, and its advice is to lose weight if you are overweight. Medjool dates carry 277 kcal per 100 g in the USDA FoodData Central record, which makes them an energy-dense fruit. The NHS counts a 30 g portion of dried fruit, such as dates, as one of your 5 A Day, to be eaten at mealtimes rather than as a snack between meals. That 30 g of Medjool works out at about 83 kcal.

In a small pilot study (Rock et al., 2009), ten healthy adults ate 100 g of Medjool or Hallawi dates a day for four weeks, and their body mass index did not change significantly.

Cholesterol in the arteries

The NHS explains that too much cholesterol can block your blood vessels and makes heart problems or a stroke more likely. Dates contain no cholesterol: the FoodData Central record for Deglet Noor dates lists 0 mg. Being cholesterol-free is not the same as lowering cholesterol, though. In the Rock pilot study above, four weeks of dates did not significantly change total cholesterol or the cholesterol carried in LDL, HDL or VLDL.

Smoking

Smoking is on both the NHS list and the WHO list of modifiable risk factors for high blood pressure. The NHS advice is simply not to smoke.

Salt, potassium and dates

The WHO says the primary health effect of a diet high in sodium is raised blood pressure, and it recommends adults keep sodium below 2000 mg a day (under 5 g of salt). On the other side of the balance, WHO states that increasing potassium intake significantly reduces blood pressure in adults, and it names dates, alongside bananas and papayas, as foods that contain potassium. WHO suggests at least 3510 mg of potassium a day for adults.

Per 100 g, Medjool dates have 696 mg of potassium and 1 mg of sodium in FoodData Central. A 30 g portion gives about 209 mg of potassium, roughly 6% of that WHO figure. Dates help with potassium in a small way. They do not cancel out a salty diet.

Fat

The WHO lists a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats among the risk factors for high blood pressure. Medjool dates have 0.15 g of total fat and 0.0 g of trans fat per 100 g in FoodData Central. The figures here are for plain dates fruits, without any coating or filling. Whichever Kurma Supplier Malaysia you buy from, read the label on chocolate-coated or stuffed dates, because those figures will not apply.

So, are dates useful for blood pressure?

As one fruit inside a diet that is low in salt and includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, yes. The WHO advice is to eat more vegetables and fruits and cut salt, the NHS says to avoid eating too much salt, and dates bring potassium with almost no sodium or fat. Whether dates lower blood pressure by themselves is not settled; the review above asks for larger randomised trials to confirm it. If you are interested in dates for other reasons, the rest of the Kurma Murah blog covers varieties and buying, and the About Us page explains how orders are handled.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have high blood pressure or take medicine for it, talk to your doctor before changing your diet.

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