What is monolaurin? Health benefits

Antibiotic resistance has become a global concern. More and more strains of bacteria are becoming resistant to the effects of antibiotics and this is leading to an increase in the number of deaths from diseases that can be treated with antibiotics.

Scientists hope that monolaurin could one day be used to create a new antibiotic or antiviral drug that is able to fight a variety of pathogens.

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Form and dosage

Monolaurin is produced as a dietary supplement and can be taken daily.

Coconut oil and some coconut products contain about 50% lauric acid. Although lauric acid has antibacterial properties, monolaurin is many times more effective at killing viruses and bacteria than lauric acid. However, researchers are still learning how monolaurin forms in the human body.

The lauric acid in coconut oil can be converted into monolaurin by the body, but it's not clear how successful the conversion is. Therefore, it is not clear how much coconut oil needs to be eaten to get the required amount of monolaurin.

Coconut oil is the largest natural source of lauric acid, but this fatty acid is also found in:

Other coconut products such as copra, coconut milk and coconut butter

Lauric acid functional food

Mother milk

Cow's and goat's milk (contains only small amounts of lauric acid).

Monolaurin has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat any medical conditions, so there are no standard dosage guidelines. According to Dr. Jon Kabara - who first published the study that discovered monolaurin and sold monolaurin under the trade name Lauricidin, people 12 years of age and older should start at 750mg and take it 2-3 times a day. The dose can then be gradually increased to 3000mg and taken 2-3 times per day.

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This guide is based primarily on his experience and has not been tested in any research. According to the information on the company's website, children 3 years of age and older can take a low dose of lauricidin at first and gradually increase to a higher dose. (first)

Coconut oil is an edible, non-toxic and widely used oil in cooking. However, people with a coconut allergy should not eat coconut oil.

Health benefits of monolaurin

Monolaurin supplements are commonly used to boost immunity and improve health, but there is almost no scientific data to support these effects. There have been studies on the antibacterial effects of coconut oil, lauric acid, and monolaurin, but most of these studies have been conducted in test tubes and petri dishes.

The antimicrobial properties of monolaurin have been demonstrated, but further studies are needed to verify the effects of monolaurin in animals and humans.

Antibacterial effect

Research shows that monolaurin is an effective bactericide, capable of killing even antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A 2013 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food confirmed the results of test-tube studies that indicated monolaurin's potent antibacterial effects. This study showed that monolaurin could fight Staphylococcus aureus (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria in mice.

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Dermatology Drugs compared monolaurin to six commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of superficial skin infections in children. This study found that monolaurin was effective against a wide variety of bacteria (broad-spectrum antibiotics) without the potential for resistance like conventional antibiotics. (2)

Antifungal effect

Monolaurin is effective in inactivating or destroying a number of fungi, yeasts and protozoa, including some ringworm and Candida albicans. Candida albicans is a yeast that lives in the intestines, mouth, genitals, urinary tract, and skin. This fungus causes yeast infections and can be life-threatening in immunocompromised people.

A recent study has found that monolaurin can treat candida infections and reduce the inflammatory response.

Antiviral effect

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According to the report, monolaurin can inactivate, at least partially, inactivate some viruses such as:

Measles virus

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)

The virus that causes vesicular stomatitis (Indiana vesiculovirus)

virus

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

A 2015 study published in PLOS ONE tested a vaginal gel containing monolaurin on female primates. Researchers found that monolaurin gel can reduce the risk of vaginal infection with SIV (SIV stands for simian immunodeficiency virus, which means primate immunodeficiency virus, like HIV in humans. ). The researchers concluded that monolaurin could be used as a prophylactic treatment for SIV infection.

Harmful effects of monolaurin

Although the FDA has not yet approved the use of monolaurin to treat any medical conditions, it has been granted a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certificate by the FDA. This means that monolaurin is safe to take in foods, even when used in large amounts.

Monolaurin is not harmful, but coconut oil - the source of monolaurin - can cause allergies. Food allergies are common, but severe allergic reactions to coconut or coconut oil are rare, even in people who are allergic to nuts such as walnuts.

There have not been any reported side effects or drug interactions of monolaurin supplements.

Ways to add monolaurin

Lauricidin: Lauricidin is a purified lipid extract with a soap-like bitter taste. Should be taken with a lot of water or fruit juice to reduce unpleasant taste. Do not drink with hot water because hot water will increase the bitter taste.

Eat coconut oil: You can replace other cooking oils with coconut oil, but only partially because coconut oil is high in saturated fat and calories. Although coconut oil is not suitable for deep frying, it can still be used for sautéing or frying at moderate heat.

Although applying coconut oil to the skin can soothe and moisturize the skin, it will not help replenish monolaurin.

Article summary

The amount of scientific research on monolaurin is limited and most have only been done in test tubes. Even so, the results are very promising.

In the future, monolaurin or lauric acid could be adapted and used as antiviral, antibacterial or antifungal drugs. There is now a simple way to get the benefits of monolaurin by taking a supplement. The antibacterial effects of monolaurin may help boost immune function.

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