A year ago, a young Filipina student surprised the scientific community when she developed a “green air conditioning unit” which did not produce any harmful substances known as greenhouse gases that are known to greatly cause damage on the Earth’s atmosphere.
However, little is known as to what has become of this innovation, or if the technology has already been sold somewhere else. This time, yet again, another young Filipina has made a great scientific discovery, which has more practical use for Filipinos who are hearty eaters.
16-Year Old Filipina Finds Potential Cure from Local Plant for Diabetes
A 16-year old student from from Iloilo National High School has recently discovered that the Jamaican cherry, known as “aratiles” in the Philippines, is a potential cure for diabetes, as shared in a report by GMA News.
The young Ilongga, Maria Isabel “Zsa Zsa” Layson, explained that as she grew up, she saw that the fruit was often neglected yet it grows abundantly in the Philippines. She then learned that bioactive compounds like anthocyanin, flavonoid and polyphenol were in the fruit and these components may be used as a cure for type-2 diabetes.
According to Layson, “Nobody pays attention to the fruit [aratelis] and its medicinal properties. They don’t realize that it has potential for becoming a regulator of diabetes.”
She decided to focus her research on the common fruit because she had lost several family members to diabetes. According to the Department of Health, diabetes is the deadliest disease in the Philippines.
Layson’s research led her to win the Best Individual Research in Life Science during the Department of Education’s 2019 National Science and Technology Fair.
Furthermore, her research led her to represent the Philippines in the Intel Science and Engineering Fair in Arizona in the United States last month.
With the accolades and recognition she has already received at a young age, Layson promises that her research won’t end as good for presentations only. She aims to further delve into other diseases by learning about more specific compounds.
Ultimately, one’s work will definitely shine through if the proponent has a firm purpose to see through it ‘til the end or until it actually makes a difference or create a positive impact in the lives of the people whom she hopes to benefit from it.
We are very proud of your work, Zsa Zsa! We hope that you continue to enrich your knowledge and use it to help many others who may not have access to treatments for diseases such as diabetes, which is very common in the Philippines.
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