UP Diliman students produce ginger-calamansi concentrate for COVID-19 frontliners

Senior college students at the University of the Philippines Diliman have produced an immunity-boosting concentrate for health workers at the frontlines fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Meghan Sevilla and Sofia Tagle, 4th year students studying BS Food Technology, formulated and produced a ginger-calamansi concentrate called Lucal.

According to the university's website, Lucal can easily be consumed when mixed with warm or cold water. The team was able to produce 40 bottles of the concentrate, equivalent to 466 glasses of the vitamin C-enriched drink.

The first batch was given to staff of the Philippine General Hospital and Lung Center of the Philippines. They plan to produce more to be given to frontliners at other hospitals.

The university said the students were guided by UP Food Science and Nutrition Professors Abigail Rustia, Lotis Francisco, Blanca Villarino, and Bee Dumelod, "who checked on their process flow, gave advice, and connected them with raw material suppliers."

Based on information provided by the students, ginger is good for relieving muscle pain and soreness, lowering blood sugar, and improving chronic indigestion. It also lowers blood sugar and is an anti-inflammatory.

Calamansi meanwhile boosts immunity, controls cholesterol levels, and is rich in vitamin A and C. It also prevents diabetes.

The Philippines has recorded 2,633 COVID-19 cases, 107 deaths, and 51 recoveries.

At least 10 doctors have succumbed to the disease, as of March 27.

—JCB, GMA News