Raisins vs. Dates: Nutrition, GI, Diets, & Health

Calories

A 100g of raisins and dates provide 299 and 282 calories, respectively, making raisins slightly higher in calories.

As both raisins and dates are consumed in smaller amounts, they are not considered high in calories.

Protein

Raisins are slightly higher in proteins and consist of 3g of proteins, whereas dates consist of 2.5g of proteins.

Fats

Raisins and dates are very low in fats; they contain less than 0.5g per 100g serving.

Carbohydrates

Raisins and dates are very high in carbs. Raisins comprise 79g of total carbohydrates, whereas dates comprise 75g of total carbs.

Dates are over 2 times richer in dietary fiber: dates and raisins contain 8g and 3.7g of dietary fiber, respectively.

As for sugars, raisins contain mainly glucose (28g) and fructose (30g), with some starch and sucrose. In comparison, dates contain similar amounts of glucose (20g), fructose (20g), and starch (24g), with negligible amounts of maltose.

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Raisin

3

Starch: 2.7 g

Sucrose: 0.45 g

Glucose: 27.75 g

Fructose: 29.68 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0 g

Galactose: 0 g

Dates

2

Starch: 0 g

Sucrose: 23.84 g

Glucose: 19.87 g

Fructose: 19.56 g

Lactose: 0 g

Maltose: 0.12 g

Galactose: 0 g

Contains more StarchStarch	+∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose	+39.7%
Contains more FructoseFructose	+51.7%

Contains more SucroseSucrose	+5197.8%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose	+∞%

~equal in Lactose ~0g

~equal in Galactose ~0g

Both raisins and dates are high in FODMAPs, sugars that the small intestine digests poorly. Only small portions of these dried fruits can be considered low FODMAP.

Vitamins

Raisins and dates are sources of mainly B-complex vitamins and vitamins C and K.

Raisins are richer in vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin E. On the other hand, dates are richer in vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B9 (folate), and vitamin A.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Raisin

6

Dates

4

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+475%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+140%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+103.8%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+89.4%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+29.6%
Contains more CholineCholine	+76.2%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+66.3%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+520%
Contains more FolateFolate	+280%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.165mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Both raisins and dates are the richest in copper, potassium, and iron and the lowest in zinc, calcium, and selenium.

Raisins are richer in calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese, whereas dates are richer in magnesium, zinc, and selenium. 

Dried fruits are naturally very low in sodium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Raisin

6

Dates

4

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+28.2%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+14.2%
Contains more IronIron	+84.3%
Contains more CopperCopper	+54.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+62.9%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+14.1%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+34.4%
Contains more ZincZinc	+31.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-81.8%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+400%

Phytochemicals

Raisins are studied to have a greater antioxidant activity than dates.

Dates and raisins are rich in phenolics (anthocyanins, various subtypes of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes) and phytoestrogens (isoflavones, lignans, and coumestan). Dates are also a source of carotenoids (β-Carotene, lutein + zeaxanthin) (1).

Glycemic Index & Load

Raisins have a medium glycemic index (GI) of 64 and a medium glycemic load of 13. In comparison, dates have a low glycemic index of 42 and a low glycemic load of 2.

Dates likely have a lower glycemic index due to a higher dietary fiber content.

You can visit our "The Usage of Glycemic Load" to learn about the differences between glycemic index and load and their usage. 

Insulin Index

The insulin index of dates is 64, and the insulin index of raisins is 42. In comparison, the insulin index of pure glucose is 100. 

The insulin index of foods measures how much blood insulin levels are raised after food consumption. For further information, visit our "Glycemic Index vs. Insulin Index" page.

Acidity

The PRAL or Potential Renal Acid Load value of a food calculates the acid or base-producing activity of a food. 

Raisins and date have a PRAL value of -12 and -11.9, respectively. The negative PRAL value indicates that the food is base-producing.

Cardiovascular Health

Low fruit intake is one of the leading dietary risk factors for cardiovascular deaths. Healthy diets with adequate amounts of fresh and dried fruits are associated with better heart health, low blood lipid and glucose levels, increased endothelial function, and decreased inflammation and blood pressure (1, 2).

According to the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study cohorts, including over 150,000 individuals, intake of ≥4 servings/week of grapes and raisins was associated with an 8% lower risk of high blood pressure (1). Several other studies have also reported a correlation between decreased blood pressure levels and raisin intake (3, 4).

According to a study, dates may modulate blood lipid levels, decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, and, thus, improve cardiovascular health (5).

Diabetes

Dried fruits may beneficially affect postprandial glucose levels and blood sugar control in diabetic and overweight individuals due to their mainly low GI and high fiber, mineral, and phytochemical contents (2).

Dried fruits may also induce satiety and improve appetite control and body weight (2).

According to several studies, raisin consumption may significantly reduce postprandial glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels (1, 3, 4).

Interestingly, another study concluded that date and raisin consumption does not affect insulin sensitivity and resistance, beta cell function, or blood sugar control in 12 weeks (6).

Digestive Health

Diet plays a significant role in gut microbiota composition, diversity, and metabolite production. A healthy microbiota is not only essential for gut health but also for health overall. 

Raisin consumption may enhance Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Ruminococcaceae, necessary for the breakdown of complex carbs, and decrease Klebsiella spp. and Prevotella spp., risk factors for UTIs and chronic inflammation (2).

On the other hand, dates may have a greater impact on increasing stool weight and bowel movement frequency, improving symptoms of chronic constipation (2).

Dates and raisins are advised to be limited for people with diarrhea, IBS, and gastrointestinal motility disorders, such as gastroparesis, as they may cause digestive symptoms.

Bone Health

Raisins and dates contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K that are essential for bone tissue homeostasis (7).

Raisins also contain boron, a trace element suggested to have beneficial effects on calcium metabolism and bone formation, as well as reproduction and development, brain function, insulin and energy metabolism, immune function, and more (8).

Cancer

Dried fruits may decrease cancer risks due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity, and estrogen metabolites (3).

A few epidemiological studies show that raisin and date consumption is linked to reduced incidence of stomach, pancreatic, and bladder cancers. Raisin intake is also associated with a reduced risk of nasopharyngeal cancer, whereas date intake is also associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk (9).

Brain Health

Raisins and dates may benefit age-related neurological diseases due to their high phytochemical (antioxidant) contents.

According to animal studies, date, and raisin consumption may reduce the risk or delay the development of Alzheimer's (10, 11).

A study has concluded that daily consumption of 50g of raisins will likely slightly improve cognitive performance, quality of life, and functional activities in older people (12).

Natural Labor

Several studies found that date consumption may reduce labor induction and the active phase duration (13, 14). The mean latent phase of the first stage of labor may also become shorter in women who start consuming dates 4 weeks before their estimated delivery date (14).