Discovering the Antiviral Properties of Lauric Acid and Coconut Oil

Did you know virgin coconut oil contains a powerful antimicrobial called Lauric acid?

If you add this tropical oil to your diet, will it help kill germs in your body?

Stories of coconut oil having germ fighting powers started with the research of Dr. Jon J. Kabara, back in the 1960's.

Introducing the Doctor of Fats...Dr. Jon Kabara

Dr. Kabara was a Professor at both Universities of Detroit and Michigan for over 20 years with specialties in Pharmacology and Biochemistry.

His field of expertise was the drug-like effects of fatty acids. He's credited with discovering the antimicrobial effects of fatty acids in mother's milk. It so happens that one of these fatty acids was Lauric acid, found in mother's milk and coconut oil.

Lauric acid is known in the pharmaceutical industries as an antimicrobial. You many have heard of its cousin, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, commonly used in soaps and shampoos for its ability to remove fats (grease) with water.

The good doctor discovered Lauric acid can convert into a monoglyceride, Monolaurin, a power-packed germ fighter. Monolaurin is effective against many viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

What's a Monoglyceride?

A monoglyceride is a fatty acid with one glycerol molecule attached to it. Glycerol forms the backbone of fatty acids.

When your body uses stored fat as energy, glycerol and fatty acids are released into your blood stream. The glycerol molecules are converted to glucose by the liver which gives you a boost of energy.

Got Monolaurin? It's One Heck of a Powerful Germ Killer!

Did you know Monolaurin destroys viruses and weakens deadly bacteria? It's true! This fatty acid packs a powerful punch when it comes to neutralizing viruses and bacteria.

Viruses inactivated by Monolaurin:

Measles virus

Herpes Simplex virus (HSV 1 and 2)

Measles virus

Herpes Simplex virus (HSV 1 and 2)

HIV

Hepatitis C

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Studies show Monolaurin liquifies the virus' fatty membranes,
causing the virus to disintegrate.

Many of these viruses cause infections in people with suppressed immune systems, such as people with HIV. Cytomegalovirus is a serious complication for patients who are positive with HIV.

Bacteria affected by Monolaurin:

Listeria Monocytogenes - This nasty bug causes Listeriosis, a serious infection you can get from eating contanimated food. Killed by pasturizing or cooking food, you can still get it eating contaminated ready-to-eat foods like hot dogs and deli meats.

Staphylococcus Aureus - Causes Toxic Shock Syndrome, cellulitis, boils, scalded skin syndrome, impetigo, and other infections. Most healthy people carry this bacteria in their noses. It can cause infections if it gets into an open wound or skin puncture. Hand-washing is the most important ways to avoid infections.

Researchers discovered Monolaurin could disrupt how bacterias form toxins, weakening their toxic effects.

Monolaurin is also effective against fungal infections, such as ringworm and yeast infections. There are now ongoing studies on the health effects of Monolaurin.

Now for the Million Dollar Question...Can You Kill Germs in Your Body by Eating Coconut Oil?

Virgin coconut oil can contain up to 40-50% Lauric acid. The only other natural source of Lauric acid is found in mother's milk.

So if you eat coconut oil, will you get the same immune-boosting effects that mothers pass onto their babies with breast milk?

Dr. Kabara's research shows the immune-boosting effect is only seen when Lauric acid is broken down into monoglycerides before you digest them.

When babies consume mother's milk, the milk contains an enzyme that breaks down the Lauric acid into Monolaurin. Unfortunately, virgin coconut oil doesn't have this specific enzyme available for use.

Further studies showed your body can only get about 1 - 6% Monolaurin from any available Lauric acid. And this enzymatic conversion also depends on the total amount of Lauric acid found in the coconut oil you're eating.

Dr. Kabara believes you need a minimum 3 - 9 grams per day of Monolaurin for effective antiviral and antimicrobial effects.

That being said, you would need to ingest about 300 - 900 ml. of coconut oil per day. This is a large amount of oil and you'd probably get an upset stomach or diarrhea from eating this much pure coconut oil.

Fortunately, there are other food sources where you can get higher amounts of Lauric acid. For example, Jennies Macaroons is the #1 selling macaroon in the natural food market. Her macaroons contain a whopping 7 grams of Lauric acid per 2 ounces.

These delicious macaroons are lactose-free, gluten-free, sulfite-free, wheat-free and no trans fats. Not only do these coconut treats taste great, you also get a healthy dose of Lauric acid. Who could argue with that?

Realizing the potential for Monolaurin, Dr. Kabara invented a supplement form of lauric acid called Lauricidin.

This cutting-edge product is a potent form of Monolaurin that's easily digested and used by your body. It comes as tiny little pellets of lauric acid mixed with glycerin.

Lauricidin has been tested in universities, government and medical labs. It's the purest and strongest form of Monolaurin available and it's highly recommended by health care professionals for its effectiveness.

Comments:

Eating virgin coconut oil and coconut products will give you a natural source of Lauric acid. How much your body benefits from this is currently being researched.

Based on Dr. Kabara's research, you would need to eat a LOT of coconut oil in order to get any antimicrobial effect. As I already mentioned, you would probably get sick from eating that much coconut oil.

You would get more health benefits from using a concentrated supplement form of Monolaurin, such as Lauricidin.

There's no doubt that Lauric acid and other fatty acids have proven antimicrobial powers.

Eating virgin coconut oil for the healthy fats is a great nutritional plan, but the jury is still out on its role as an effective antiviral when eaten.

I believe the potential for virgin coconut oil as a powerful functional food is huge. It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for this "Plant of the Tropics" and the many health benefits it holds for us.

If you want more information on the research side of Lauric acid, visit Lauric.org. You'll get the latest information on clinical research and studies using Lauric acid against Lipid Coated Viruses (LCVs) such as HIV, Measles virus, Herpes virus, and the Cytomegalovirus.

Research References: