Ajwa dates

If you’re overlooking dates—those wrinkly little fruits nestled between raisins and prunes at the grocery store—you’re sleeping on an amazing addition to your healthy-food repertoire. Dates are oval-shaped fruits consisting of a single seed (or stone) surrounded by sticky, edible flesh similar to cherries, mangoes, and peaches.

And best of all: their crinkly skin that shimmers from natural sugars. Not only are they satisfyingly sweet, but dates are also full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that benefit your brain, muscles, metabolism, digestion, and so much more. Here are some of the most important health benefits of dates, according to nutrition experts, along with some ideas on how to eat more of them.