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About Jujube Fruit / Red Date

Jujube Fruit / Red Date - Ancient Superfood From Far East

The Jujube fruit, also called the Red Date, has been enjoyed for its health and well-being properties since thousands of years in South-East Asia.  

Packed with flavonoids, phenols and antioxidants, the fresh Jujube fruit has 20x more vitamin C than citrus fruits. It is also dense in Manganese and Iron, and boasts 18 out of the 24 important amino acids which are essential to the formation of more than 50,000 proteins found in the human body.

A number of scientific studies have found the jujube to be beneficial for insomnia, enhance mood, general gastrointestinal problems, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, and blood pressure. The high levels of vitamins and minerals help boost the immune system, build red blood cells, and are beneficial for overall energy and vitality. It is considered an adaptogen, which can "adapt" to the body's needs and help reduce stress. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the red date / jujube is known as a warming food, and used to remove dampness, nourish the blood, calm the mind, and strengthen the body. 

To try the jujube fruit, please go to the shop jujube fruit page

How to Eat

Mostly eaten dried, they taste soft, chewy, and have a naturally sweet, aromatic flavour. They make a tasty snack to fight sugar cravings, and are a versatile ingredient. For example, they can be used to sweeten porridge, smoothies, baking, energy balls. They can also be used in cooking in place of dried apples, dates, or goji berries. A top recipe tip is teared Jujube on peanut butter toast!

Enjoy Jujube Fruit as a Snack Teared Jujube on peanut butter toast

In Southeast Asia such as China and Korea, traditionally, people enjoy the jujube as a snack, steep it in hot water for a sweet tea, or use as an ingredient for a nourishing soup. They are often given to women after childbirth to help rebuild blood and replenish nutrients in the body. They can also be found in desserts and even in liqueurs. 

To learn more ways to enjoy the jujube fruit, check out our blog where we regularly publish recipes. Go to blog.

Origin

Despite its alternative name "red date", the jujube fruit is not a date but rather a species of Ziziphus in the buckthorn family. It has origins in China dating back more than 4000 years. Nowadays, it can be found in Southern Europe such as Italy, France, and Spain, in the Middle East, Australia, and USA. The tree can survive very cold weather and does not need much water – a true gift from mother nature.

Our red dates / jujube fruits are sourced from Xin Jiang, an autonomous region in the North West of China (bordering Kazakhstan) where the weather conditions are ideal for the highest quality jujube fruits, with lot's of sunshine during the day and cold nights. 

Sustainability

Did you know that jujube trees are very water efficient and draught resistant? They require very little water to thrive and are planted in arid regions to help fight against desertification. What a gift of nature!

Jujube tree Jujube fruit


Shop Red Dates / Jujube Fruit Here

Shop Red Dates / Jujube Fruit

 

Resources

Study on the jujube fruits’ phytochemicals and their anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiobesity, immunostimulating, antioxidant, and gastrointestinal protective activities.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23480594

Study on the jujube’s ability to kill off cancer tumor cells.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2259261/

This study on jujubes demonstrated an effective sedative and hypnotic function, which can be used to help sleep.

http://www.americanbiosciences.com/pdf/Ziziphusstudy.pdf

This study showed that regular consumption of jujube fruit can improve the overall gastrointestinal environment.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf072664z

Study on the uplifting and calming effects of the jujube fruit.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10996283

Adaptogenic activities of the jujube fruit. 

http://adaptogens.com/c-667.aspx

http://adaptogens.com/c-537.aspx

Abdoul-Azize, Souleymane. (2016) Potential Benefits of Jujube (Zizyphus Lotus L.) Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition and Health. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2016: 2867470.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5174181/

Abedini, MR, et al (2016) Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of Ziziphus Jujube on cervical and breast cancer cells. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine, 6(2): 142-8. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27222827

Benammar C, Baghdad C, Belarbi M, Subramaniam S, Hichami A, et al. (2014) Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Zizyphus lotus L Aqueous Extracts in Wistar Rats. Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, S8:004.

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/antidiabetic-and-antioxidant-activities-of-zizyphus-lotus-l-aqueous-extracts-in-wistar-rats-2155-9600.S8-004.php?aid=25861

Chen, Jianping et al. (2017) A Review of Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit (Jujube): Developing Health Food Supplements for Brain Protection. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017: 3019568.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478819/

Chen, J et al. (2014) A chemically standardized extract of Ziziphus jujuba fruit (Jujube) stimulates expressions of neurotrophic factors and anti-oxidant enzymes in cultured astrocytes. Phytotherapy research, 28(11): 1727-30. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25066116

Ebrahimi, S. et al. (2017) Ziziphus Jujube: a review study of its anticancer effects in various tumor models invitro and invivo. Cellular and molecular biology, 63(10): 122-127.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29096755

Fujiwara, Y et al. (2011) Triterpenoids isolated from Zizyphus jujuba inhibit foam cell formation in macrophages. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 59(9): 4544-52.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21446758

Gao, QH, Wu, CS, Wang, M (2013) The jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit: a review of current knowledge of fruit composition and health benefits. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 61(14): 3351-63.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23480594?dopt=Abstract

Goli-malekabadi, N et al. (2014) The protective effects of Ziziphus vulgaris L. fruits on biochemical and histological abnormalities induced by diabetes in rats. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 11(3): 171-7.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24940719

Hemmati, M et al. (2015) Hypoglycemic effects of three Iranian edible plants; jujube, barberry and saffron: Correlation with serum adiponectin level. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 28(6): 2095-9. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26639503

Jeyakumar, SM et al. (2011) Vitamin A improves insulin sensitivity by increasing insulin receptor phosphorylation through protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B regulation at early age in obese rats of WNIN/Ob strain. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 13(10): 955-8.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21466649/

Ji, X et al. (2017). Isolation, structures and bioactivities of the polysaccharides from jujube fruit (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.): A review. Food chemistry, 227: 349-357.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28274443

Jiang, Jian-Guo et al. (2007) Comparison of the sedative and hypnotic effects of flavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides extracted from Ziziphus jujube. Natural product research, 21(4): 310-320.

http://www.americanbiosciences.com/pdf/Ziziphusstudy.pdf

Kamiloglu, Ö et al. (2009) Total phenolics and antioxidant activity of jujube (Zizyphus jujube Mill.) genotypes selected from Turkey. African Journal of Biology, 8(2).

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/59795

Kubota, H et al. (2009) Effect of Zizyphus jujuba extract on the inhibition of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 37(3): 597-608.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19606518

Kwon, H et al. (2017). The Seed of Zizyphus jujuba var. spinosa Attenuates Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated Hippocampal Synaptic Deficits through BDNF/TrkB Signaling. Biological & pharmacological bulletin, 40(12): 2096-2104.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29199234

Mitsuhashi, Y et al. (2017) 3-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-alphitolic acid, a triterpenoid from Zizyphus jujuba, leads to apoptotic cell death in human leukemia cells through reactive oxygen species production and activation of the unfolded protein response. PLoS One, 12(8): e0193712.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28832644

Naftali, T (2008) Ziziphus jujuba extract for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation: a controlled clinical trial. Digestion, 78(4): 224-8.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19142004

Natural Medicines Therapeutic Research. Zizyphus. (2018, January 25).

https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com

Qiang, Fu et al. (2016) Dammarane-type saponins from Ziziphus jujubeand their inhibitory effects against TNF-α release in LPS-induced RAW 246.7 macrophages. Phytochemistry Letters, 16: 169-173.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874390016300544#bib0050

Shergis, JL et al. (2017) Ziziphus spinosa seeds for insomnia: A review of chemistry and psychopharmacology. Phytomedicine, 34: 38-43.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28899507

Singh, A & Zhao, K. (2017) Treatment of Insomnia with Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. International Review of Neurobiology, 135: 97-115.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28807167

Song, P, et al. (2017) Gastrointestinal Absorption and Metabolic Dynamics of Jujuboside A, A Saponin Derived from the Seed of Ziziphus jujuba. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 65(38):8331-8339.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28868886

Wahida, H et al. (2007) Antiulcerogenic activity of Zizyphus lotus (L.) extracts. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 112(2): 228-31.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17408894/

Wang, LE et al. (2010) Potentiating effect of spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid of Semen Ziziphi spinosae, on pentobarbital-induced sleep may be related to postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors. Phytomedicine, 17(6): 404-9.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20171860

Yeung, WT et al. (2012) Chinese herbal medicine for insomnia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Sleep medicine reviews, 16(6): 497-507.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22440393

Yoshikawa, Masayuki et al. (1997) Bioactive Saponins and Glycosides. X. On the Constituents of Zizyphi Spinosi Semen, the Seeds of Zizyphus jujuba MILL. var. spinosa HU (1) : Structures and Histamine Release-Inhibitory Effects of Jujubosides A1 and C and Acetyljujuboside B. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 45(7): 1186-1192.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cpb1958/45/7/45_7_1186/_article

Zhang, M et al. (2003) Inhibitory effect of jujuboside A on glutamate-mediated excitatory signal pathway in hippocampus. Planta medica, 69(8): 1186-1192.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14531016

Zizyiphus jujuba.

https://examine.com/supplements/ziziphus-jujuba/