Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on Wednesday said that it has committed to donating 1.5 lakh packs of Horlicks to health care workers and providers, to help provide immunity as they tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

The first packs have already reached 39 Covid hospitals across India and will soon reach all major Covid hospitals in 12 key cities, HUL said in a statement,

Horlicks, which is being donated to hospitals, is a rich source of Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D, it said.

Zinc, Vitamin C and Vitamin D are vital nutrients known to build immunity against the disease, it pointed out. “There is also laboratory evidence that Zinc, in combination with ionophores, has helped in viral load reduction of previous coronaviruses like SARS. Unfortunately, zinc deficiency in the Indian population varies from 40-60 per cent in different age groups, with inadequate dietary Zinc being the primary cause,” it said.