Does drinking water infused with red dates (Chinese dates) cause weight gain?
May 07, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Drinking water infused with red dates does not directly cause weight gain, but excessive consumption may increase the risk of gaining weight. Red dates themselves contain a certain amount of calories; if consumed in excess, the intake of calories may surpass the body's energy expenditure, and the surplus calories could be converted into fat and stored in the body, leading to weight gain. When red dates are soaked in water, some of their sugars dissolve into the water, thereby reducing the caloric content per unit weight of the red dates.
Generally, drinking water infused with red dates does not directly cause weight gain. However, excessive consumption may increase the risk of gaining weight. The detailed analysis is as follows:
Red dates themselves contain a certain amount of calories. If consumed in excessive amounts, the caloric intake may surpass the calories your body burns, and the excess energy could be converted into fat stored in the body, thus leading to weight gain. After soaking red dates in water, some of the sugars dissolve into the water, slightly reducing the caloric content per unit weight of the red dates. However, if you consume excessive amounts of red date water daily, or if you consume large quantities of other high-calorie foods in addition to the red date water, it may still lead to excessive caloric intake.
Individuals with a body type prone to gaining weight, or those with poor dietary habits and insufficient physical activity, are more likely to gain weight from excessive consumption of red date water. It is recommended to drink red date water in moderation in daily life. Each individual's body constitution and metabolism differ, so people may respond differently to red date water. If any discomfort occurs, seek medical advice promptly.
When drinking red date water, you can pair it with some low-calorie, high-fiber foods such as vegetables and fruits to increase satiety and reduce the intake of other high-calorie foods. At the same time, maintaining an appropriate level of physical activity can help burn excess calories in the body and reduce the risk of weight gain.
