Health Benefits of Date Palm Pollen

Health Benefits of Date Palm Pollen, a study by Mostafa Waly, Associate Professor at the Food Science and Nutrition Department CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) provides staple food for millions of people in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Dates are an economically important crop in Oman, as the Omani palm plantations constitute 80% of all fruit crops produced and 50% of the total agricultural area in the country. Oman is the eighth largest producer of dates in the world with an average annual production of 260,000mt. per annum. In addition, the new one million date palm trees cultivation project in Oman is expected to produce an additional 96,000 tons of dates and about 56,000 tons of date palm products such as fronds, trunks, and by-products from the date palm tree wastes. Many studies have been conducted on the chemical composition and health benefits of the date flesh and seeds, yet date pollen was not well studied.

Date palm pollens are the male reproductive cells of palm flowers, which is an edible component of the date palm tree, and has been used in Oman and other countries as a therapeutic agent for male infertility. The aphrodisiac effect of date pollen may be attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds (alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins) in the date pollen. It is interesting to note that approximately 1,000 tons of this pollen are reproduced every year by millions of palm trees grown in the gulf region. Date palm pollen was used by the early Egyptians and Chinese people as a rejuvenating medicinal agent. It is also used worldwide as a dietary supplement. Date palm pollen and male palm flowers were traditionally claimed to be aphrodisiacs and fertility enhancers. Amino acids are the major constituents of this date pollen, including aspartic, threonine, glutamine, proline, glycine, alanine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, histidine, lysine, arginine, and serine. Also, nutritive elements and vitamins such as B1, B2, and B12 have been detected in different types of Omani date pollen, with varying amounts depending on its type.

It was also reported that these pollen grains contain considerable amounts of vitamins A, E, and C; minerals such as zinc, selenium, iron, molybdenum, copper, manganese, cobalt, and fatty acids, including palmitic, linoleic, and myristic acids. A considerable amount of phytonutrients flavonoids and phenolic compounds were also identified in this pollen.

The pharmacological effects of date palm pollen are not limited to males, and it has also demonstrated activities on gonadal stimulating potency, as well as fertility promotion in women. The recent research studies in traditional and folk medicines are suggesting the potential health benefits of date pollen as a new natural remedy for various human diseases (antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-hemolytic, and hypercholesterolemic activities). To conclude, date palm pollen is rich in bioactive compounds with phytochemicals and has the potential to be used in the food industries as a safe additive and functional food.