Red dates

What human studies say about red dates

• Blood lipids and glucose · Meta-analysis, 483 participants · 2025
  Jujube was associated with significantly lower BMI and triglycerides, and lower fasting blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. LDL and total cholesterol fell only in some subgroups. HDL, AST and ALT did not change significantly. Limitation: The authors state the overall quality of the evidence is limited, and results varied significantly by dose, treatment duration and disease type. PubMed 40399274
• Fertility and metabolic markers · Randomized controlled trial, 196 participants · 2026
  Pregnancy rates did not differ significantly between jujube extract, metformin, myoinositol and placebo (p > 0.05). Cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and fasting glucose improved more in the jujube group than in the other groups. Limitation: An extract was used rather than whole fruit, and the pregnancy numbers were small (4-10 per group), so the trial may be underpowered for the primary outcome. PubMed 41618368
• Metabolic syndrome markers · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
  Compared with placebo, jujube did not significantly change fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, depression or anxiety scores. It was associated with improved waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and stress scores. Limitation: The authors note methodological weaknesses in blinding and in herb purity and potency testing. Groups were small, with 30 per arm. PubMed 38648942
• Glycaemic control and lipids · Randomized controlled trial, 116 participants · 2017
  Compared with a balanced energy-restricted diet alone, adding jujube infusion was associated with larger reductions in HbA1c, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and cholesterol ratios. The triglyceride difference was borderline (p = 0.05). Limitation: The comparator was diet alone with no placebo infusion, so participants and investigators were not blinded to the intervention. Mechanisms were not examined. PubMed 28271568

Most studies used extracts or doses that differ from home cooking. Full details in the Nourilo Research Library.