MANILA, Philippines — Health experts on Friday suggested to office workers five healthy drinks which will calm them down on a stressful day.

As this developed, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has advocated eating of fruits every day as it would be an effective means of protection from infection, especially during the rainy days.

A study by the Department of Health (DoH) said these are a glass of milk, hot cocoa, black tea, green tea, and cold water.

A glass of milk contains tryptophan, which as it is metabolized is converted to mood-boosting serotonin. Plus its calcium, magnesium, and potassium content, it may help keep blood pressure down.

Drinking hot cocoa raise the body temperature – a feeling associated with comfort, so it triggers a similar response in human brains.

Black tea instead of coffee lowers the stress hormone cortisol after a stressful event.

Drinking green tea – packed with theanine, increases the brain’s output of relaxation-inducing alpha waves and reduces the output of tension-making beta waves.

A glass of cold water and then going for a walk outside the office gets your blood moving and the air invigorates by stimulating the endorphins that de-stress you, health experts said.

Fruits shield for infections
The FNRI said fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, which increase body resistance against infection and common illnesses like colds.

Like vegetables, the FNRI added, fruits protects the eyesight, keep skin smooth and clean, prevent the occurrence of some bleeding gums and easily bruised skin. “They are also good sources of fiber which help prevent constipation common during pregnancy,” it noted.

For adults, the FNRI-DoST suggests eating two to three servings of fruits everyday to fight infections. One serving of any vitamin C-rich fruit is equivalent to one medium size fruit or one slice of a big fruit. Examples of vitamin C-rich fruits it cited were: Anonas, strawberry, ripe papaya, cashew, datiles, atis, guwayabano, ripe mango, melon, tomato, siniguelas, and naranghita are examples of vitamin C-rich fruits.