In the early 1700s, as sugar cane cultivation in the West Indies expanded and table sugar became affordable, the average English household consumed around 2kg per year. Now, 300 years later, the average adult in the UK is consuming a whopping 30kg a year or more.

Rather unfortunately for us, producers know they can add sugar to almost any industrial potion, call it “food”, and we will dutifully eat it. Sugar is added on an industrial scale to almost everything we consume, including bread, cereals, salad dressings, soups, sauces and canned goods. A can of baked beans, for instance, may contain four teaspoons of sugar. Convenience food labelled “low-fat” tends to be particularly high in sugar, and even medicines contain it.

Sugar is not harmful in itself, but the amount we are eating without realising is of major concern. Before sugar became our favourite sweetener, dried fruit, fruit syrups, honey and tree sap were commonly used, but in small amounts only.

Refined sugar provides only cheap empty calories and a blood sugar spike, and its long-term effects include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and tooth decay. No longer just a plain source of fuel, sugar has become the equivalent of an addictive substance and, as our intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates has increased, so have all these diseases.

Are there any acceptable alternatives? Artificial sweeteners are not the answer, as we don’t know their long-term effects. My favourite natural sweetener is the oval-shaped fruit of the date palm, originating around 5,000 BC in the Middle East.

Dates are cultivated in arid climates where they can be picked and eaten fresh or sun-dried for long-term storage. Valued as an important staple food, there are many date varieties of differing colours and sizes.

For centuries, dates have been nutritious energy providers for desert travellers, and the beautiful date palm trees offer valuable shelter from the sun. Every part of this versatile tree can be used to make ropes, baskets, boats and huts. Its value is such that palm leaves are associated in Christian tradition with Palm Sunday at Easter as a sign of victory and peace.

Although dates are high in the natural sugars glucose and fructose, they are loaded with dietary fibre which slows the absorption of these sugars into our system, and we are less likely to overindulge. The fibre also helps to promote bowel regularity and improve digestive health. Dates are mineral-rich, containing potassium, magnesium, iron and selenium, and are a good source of vitamins as well as antioxidants called carotenes.

From ancient medical texts we learn that dates were a popular treatment for coughs, bronchitis, colitis, gout and high blood pressure – and even used as an emollient for the skin. During Ramadan, when Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset, it is customary to break the fast by eating a date.

Dried dates first arrived in England in the early medieval period. They are higher in sugar and calories than fresh varieties and can have a rubbery texture, whereas fresh dates taste like caramel and melt in your mouth. For a delicious, succulent snack, take the stone out and stuff the date with a walnut, an almond or some tahini or cream cheese. Dates can be used instead of sugar in cooking and baking, or chopped and added to sweeten dishes. I recommend the fabulous Jasmine Fresh Dates available from leading wholesale health food stores or check them out on Facebook.

  • 49 Ways To Eat Yourself Well by Martina Watts (Step Beach Press, £12.95, visit www.stepbeachpress.co.uk)