BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF DATE PALM

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a global health problem. It is an indicator of poor nutrition and poor health. Based on the Al-Quran and prophetic Sunnah, dates are mentioned as a superfood that helps in the preservation of health. Therefore, we are evaluating the potential of using dates as a treatment for IDA from data published in various reports. The search was conducted for relevant articles published in four electronic indexed databases namely Medline, Ovid, Scopus, Biomed Central, and PubMed. Bibliographies of the screened studies and relevant reviews and manuscripts were also searched using Google scholar. The data reported involved systematic reviews and reports of studies that are according to the PRISMA guidelines. There were only three articles that discussed the effects of the use of dates in IDA. A significant increase was shown (p0.05). This systematic review identified limited reports that reported on the beneficial effects of dates in reducing IDA. There are several gaps in the available evidence, hence, further studies are needed to provide a comprehensive understanding on this matter.KEYWORDS: Anaemia, Date palm, Haemoglobin, Phoenix dactylifera, Systematic review