A PubMed search for dates and hemorrhoids turns up no trials of dates as a treatment. What has been tested is fibre, and dates carry a fair amount of it. That is the real link between the two, and it is a narrow one.
What the fibre studies found
A 2006 systematic review and meta-analysis in the American Journal of Gastroenterology pooled seven randomized trials in which 378 patients with symptomatic hemorrhoids were given fibre or a non-fibre control. In the fibre group, the risk of symptoms not improving or persisting fell by 47%, and the risk of bleeding fell by 50%. For prolapse, pain and itching, the confidence intervals were wide and compatible with no effect. The authors concluded that trials of fibre show a consistent beneficial effect for symptoms and bleeding. The trials tested fibre, not dates.
The NHS advice for piles points the same way. Its home treatment list includes drinking lots of fluid and eating plenty of fibre to keep your poo soft, not pushing too hard when pooing, and cutting down on alcohol and caffeine to avoid constipation. It says to see a GP if symptoms are getting worse or not improving after home treatment, if piles keep coming back, or if you notice a change around your anus that is not normal for you.
How much fibre dates carry
USDA data lists 6.7 g of fibre per 100 g for Medjool dates and 8.0 g per 100 g for Deglet Noor. The NHS defines high-fibre foods as those with 6g or more of fibre in every 100g, so both clear that bar. For scale, UK government guidelines say adults should aim for 30g of fibre a day, and the NHS notes most adults only eat about 20g.
So dates can help you reach a fibre target. That does not make them medicine, and if you consume dates because of a digestive complaint, that is a conversation for a doctor, not a grocery list. The NHS also says it is important to get fibre from a variety of sources, such as oats, wholegrains, pulses, vegetables and fruit, rather than leaning on one food.
A note on sugar and teeth
Dates are also mostly sugar: 66.5 g per 100 g for Medjool and 63.4 g for Deglet Noor in the same USDA records. And because dried fruit is sticky, the NHS says it can increase the risk of tooth decay, so it is better eaten as part of a meal than as a between-meal snack.
Which dates
For Mariami, see Kurma Mariami Seri kembangan. Mariami comes from Iran and is dark, semi-dry and chewy. USDA FoodData Central has no entry for Mariami, so we cannot give you a fibre figure for it. The numbers above are for Medjool and Deglet Noor, not Mariami. Beyond fibre, dates bring potassium (696 mg per 100 g for Medjool, 656 mg for Deglet Noor) and a natural sweetness that works as a plain substitute for refined sugar in baking.
None of that makes them a cure. It makes them a reasonable high-fibre food to eat with meals, as one part of the fluid-and-fibre advice above. See our healthy foods section for other options.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor about any health concern.
References
- Alonso-Coello P, Mills E, Heels-Ansdell D, et al. Fiber for the treatment of hemorrhoids complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101(1):181-188. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2005.00359.x. PubMed 16405552
- NHS. Piles (haemorrhoids). nhs.uk
- NHS. How to get more fibre into your diet. nhs.uk
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, 2019). Dates, medjool, FDC ID 168191. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, 2019). Dates, deglet noor, FDC ID 171726. fdc.nal.usda.gov