Chemical composition and effective compounds of dates and their use in a snack to give energy to athletes

Abstract

Background: Dates are recognized as a rich source of nutrients, so they are considered a complementary food element positioning them as functional food for athletes. Energy balls are nutritious snack foods that people, individuals and athletes enjoy. They are a source of natural sugars, fibers and proteins that are nutritionally balanced. Food supplements consist of protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. 

Objective:Enrichment some food products, especially energy-rich balls for athletes that made from dates as a main component for it. 

Materials and Methods: Date fruits from five cultivars (Dekel Nour, Barhi, zahdi, khlas, sukari) were collected from the orchards of Baghdad Governorate. The fruits were cleaned and dried in an oven at a temperature of 45 ° C until dryn, then the fruits were ground by means of a grinder. The ground forms were kept in sealed glass containers at a laboratory temperature of 20-25 °C until use.

Results: Variability in contents was observed across the different cultivars, with the highest percentage of total sugars, amounting to 86.70%, being recorded in Barhi dates.  Conversely, the lowest sugar percentage was found in date meat, measuring at 69.20%. The fruits recorded the highest moisture percentage with a value of 30.01%. The mineral composition showed that P was the predominant mineral, followed in descending order by Mg, Ca, and proteins. The protein content ranged from 2.14 to 3.20%, while crude fat ranged from (0.15 - 0.44) %. Moisture content in date varieties with early ripening time was between low and high values of 10% to 30%. The comprehensive nutritional profile encompassed minerals and numerous vitamins, most notably B vitamins. Carbohydrates constitute 70% of the date’s composition, including fructose and glucose. Additionally, dates are rich in calcium, magnesium, selenium, copper, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, sulfur, cobalt, fluorine, and manganese. Lately, interest in dates has increased because of their health importance, catalyzing the development of food products.

Keywords: Dates, active substances, chemical compounds, functional foods, oat, nuts