Dates in a diabetic diet
This section is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor or dietitian before you change what you eat.
What the glycemic index tests found
Dates taste very sweet, but in feeding tests they raised blood sugar less than most people expect. A study in the UAE tested five varieties on 13 healthy volunteers and 10 people with type 2 diabetes. Every variety had a low glycemic index (GI), between about 44 and 55, and the results were much the same in both groups (Alkaabi et al., 2011). A Saudi study of 17 varieties found an average GI of 55, ranging from 43 to 75 (AlGeffari et al., 2016). Both studies used dates grown in the Gulf. We found no GI test on Iranian Piarom or Mazafati.
What happened when people with diabetes ate dates every day
Two randomised trials in Bahrain ran for several months. In the first, 100 adults with type 2 diabetes either ate three dates a day for 16 weeks or avoided dates. HbA1c, the long-term blood sugar marker, did not change, and total cholesterol in the date group fell slightly, by 0.21 mmol/L (Alalwan et al., 2020). In the second, 79 patients ate either 60 g of dates or 60 g of raisins a day for 12 weeks. Nothing got worse. Nothing improved either: blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure stayed where they were, and the authors saw no therapeutic benefit (Butler et al., 2022).
That is reassuring for small, steady amounts. It does not mean dates help treat diabetes.
Count dates as carbohydrate
Diabetes UK says the total amount of carbohydrate you eat has the biggest effect on your blood glucose after eating (Diabetes UK). Dates are mostly carbohydrate. One pitted Medjool date weighs about 24 g and carries roughly 18 g of carbohydrate, about 16 g of it sugar (USDA). Three Medjool dates come to about 54 g. Smaller varieties weigh less, so weigh a few from your box once and you will know what a portion of your dates really holds. Our note on managing date consumption covers teeth, calories and kidneys as well.
Eat them with nuts
In one small study, adding 60 g or 90 g of mixed nuts to white bread cut the blood sugar rise in healthy volunteers by about 30% and 54%. In people with type 2 diabetes the effect was about half that size (Kendall et al., 2011). Nobody has tested this with dates, so treat a few almonds with your dates as a sensible habit, not a proven fix.
Buying from a kedai borong kurma
A kedai borong kurma, or wholesale date shop, sells imported dates in bulk to retailers, restaurants and households, usually sorted by variety (Medjool, Ajwa, Safawi, Mariami and others) and by grade. If you count carbohydrate, a bulk box has one practical upside: you can weigh a few dates once, then split the rest into fixed portions at home.
Choosing dates for everyday snacking
Reading the packaging
Not every box of dates from a kedai borong kurma is graded the same way. Look for the variety name, the grade (A, AA, or AAA), and a packing date. Vacuum-sealed bulk bags keep dates fresher for longer than loose, open trays, which matters if you're buying a 5kg or 10kg box to portion out over weeks.
Portion by the handful, not the box
Dates are naturally high in sugar, which is exactly why they're so sweet. A sensible way to enjoy them daily is to portion out two or three pieces, close to the amounts used in the trials above, rather than snacking straight from an open box. Splitting a bulk purchase into smaller containers when you get home makes this easier to stick to.
Pairing for a fuller snack
Dates pair well with things that slow down how quickly you eat them, like a few almonds or a spoon of plain yogurt. It turns a quick sugar hit into a more filling snack.
Storing what you don't eat right away
Bulk-bought dates keep best in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, and even longer in the fridge if your kitchen runs warm — see our guide to bulk packaging and freshness for the specifics. Properly stored, most varieties from a kedai borong kurma stay good for several months, which is part of what makes buying wholesale worthwhile in the first place.
Conclusion
Dates from a kedai borong kurma are a versatile everyday snack when you buy from a supplier who grades and stores them properly. Check the grade and packing date, portion what you eat, and store the rest well — that's the difference between a box of dates going stale and one that lasts you the season.
References
- Alkaabi JM, et al. Glycemic indices of five varieties of dates in healthy and diabetic subjects. Nutr J. 2011;10:59. PMID 21619670.
- AlGeffari MA, et al. Glycemic indices, glycemic load and glycemic response for seventeen varieties of dates grown in Saudi Arabia. Ann Saudi Med. 2016;36(6):397-403. PMID 27920411.
- 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. PMID 31952131.
- Butler AE, et al. Effect of date fruit consumption on the glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. Nutrients. 2022;14(17):3491. PMID 36079749.
- Kendall CW, et al. The glycemic effect of nut-enriched meals in healthy and diabetic subjects. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2011;21 Suppl 1:S34-9. PMID 21561748.
- USDA FoodData Central: Dates, medjool (168191).
- Diabetes UK: Carbohydrates and diabetes.