DOST’s new fruit drinks to help cool down your summer

By Rodolfo de Guzman, S&T Media Service, DOST-STII

The Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) recently came up with natural fresh fruit drinks perfect for  summer and beyond. Next to ice water, there is no better way to beat the tropical heat but drink fresh and nutritious fruit juices, au naturel!

The new concoctions come in two types: one as ready-to-drink fruit juices and  another in concentrated form.

The ready-to-drink juice products are available in three flavors:  guyabano-nata, ripe mango-nata, and green mango-nata.

The Guyabano-Nata Fruit drink is a mixture of sweetened nata de coco, natural guyabano juice, and sugar.  Every 100 ml contains fruit fiber (2.1 g), vitamin C (134.6mg) and energy (139 Kcal).

Meanwhile, the Ripe Mango-Nata Fruit drink is a blend of ripe mango fruit juice, sweetened nata de coco, and sugar. One serving of 200 ml juice is equal to 55 percentRecommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin C and 7 percent RDA for energy for an adult male. Because of its nutritional content, the juice is ideal for the prevention and management of constipation, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

On the other hand, the Green Mango-Nata Fruit drink is an alternate variant of the Ripe Mango-Nata  drink.   It contains the same nutritional benefits as the ripe mango flavor. Every 100 ml has 130.22 mg vitamin C, 140 Kcal energy and 2 g  fiber.

The juice type is available in 500 ml and one-liter bottles and has a shelf life of up to six months.

Meanwhile, the concentrated form has two variants, the Carrot-Pineapple and the Carrot-Mango, that come in 375 ml glass bottles. The juices can be stored up to a year at room temperatures between 28 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Both variants contain natural carrot juice and sugar as sweetener. These drinks are rich in B-carotene and vitamin A, thus increasing body resistance  against infections and help facilitate  fast recovery from illnesses. To prepare a 250 ml drink, one has to mix one part concentrate and one part water.