Cross-referencing clinical data
A pairing appears on this page only when a trial gave both ingredients together and measured the result. Date has none that clears that bar.
Stitching two separate single-ingredient studies into a pairing is the one thing this engine will not do. When a study of the combination itself holds up at source, it lands here with its citation.
No invented synergy. Where actives were studied on their own rather than together, the record shows each on its own evidence, never a combined effect no trial measured.
Research strength. Research strength says how much work stands behind the combination. It is never a product score.
Independent record. Every finding is cited to a named trial, dated, and never written by the brand.
20 pairings are live across the library today. Checked 20 July 2026.
No study gave these as a pair, so they are not in the card above. But the reason they belong together is settled biochemistry, not a guess, so it is worth knowing.
Dates carry non-heme iron, which the gut absorbs poorly on its own. Ascorbate reduces ferric iron to the ferrous form and keeps it soluble at intestinal pH, and it also blunts binding by the polyphenols in the fruit. Eating dates alongside a vitamin C source raises the fraction of that iron that gets across the enterocyte. This is absorption chemistry, not an outcome measured in a trial.
Date fruit is rich in tannins and other polyphenols that form insoluble complexes with ferrous and ferric iron before absorption. Taken in the same sitting as an iron supplement, the fruit lowers how much of that dose is taken up. Spacing the two by about two hours sidesteps most of the interference. The direction of this interaction is negative, and it is worth flagging on a label rather than hiding.
The same phytate and tannin fraction that binds iron also binds zinc in the intestinal lumen. Dates eaten with a zinc supplement reduce the soluble zinc available to the transporter. The effect is dose dependent and diminishes when the two are separated in time.
Dried dates concentrate potassium as water is removed, so a handful contributes meaningfully to daily intake. Stacked with a potassium supplement or a potassium-based electrolyte blend, the contributions add. People managing potassium intake for kidney reasons should count the fruit rather than ignore it.
Date fibre is largely pectin and fructan that escapes small-intestinal digestion and arrives in the colon intact. Resident and supplemented lactic acid bacteria ferment that substrate to short-chain fatty acids. Whether a co-supplemented strain specifically benefits has not been shown in humans, so this is read as substrate availability rather than a demonstrated combination effect.
Both deliver fructan-type fibre to the colon, so the fermentable load adds up. That is useful for people building colonic substrate deliberately, and it is also the reason gas and bloating stack when both are introduced quickly. Ramping one at a time is the practical approach.
Dates supply insoluble bulk and some soluble pectin, psyllium supplies mostly viscous soluble fibre. Together they raise stool bulk and water demand more than either alone. Fluid intake has to rise with them, otherwise the combination works against the goal.
Dried dates contribute magnesium alongside potassium, so they add to total intake when a magnesium supplement is also in play. The amounts from fruit are modest next to a supplemental dose. Worth counting rather than relying on.
Nothing specific on file for Date. Match the label to the daily amount above, and tell your doctor what you take.
Not medical advice. Show the label to your pharmacist.These are the studies our verdict leans on, chosen from the 1 we read for Date. The full linked list is below.
1 source behind our Date verdict: peer-reviewed studies and registered clinical trials. Every one links straight to PubMed, the journal, or ClinicalTrials.gov. Read them yourself.
Evidence surfaced via Semantic Scholar (Allen Institute for AI) and ClinicalTrials.gov. Ranked by study type and citation weight, not cherry-picked.
Read this carefully. These are 41 voluntary, unverified reactions reported to the FDA (openFDA). The number mostly reflects how popular Date is, not how risky it is. A report is not proof Date caused anything. It is a signal of what to watch for, nothing more.
Source: openFDA adverse-event reports. Voluntary reporting, not an incidence rate.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.