Monolaurin: A New Approach to Combating Viruses (and other infections)

Monolaurin: A New Approach to Combating Viruses (and other infections)

A cell, such as the cells that make up our body or the single-cell bacteria that live inside us, is a stand alone entity that is capable of eating, growing, and reproducing. Viruses, on the other hand, are unable to do any of these things on their own. In order to live and reproduce, they must insert themselves into a host cell. Therefore, viruses tread a very thin line between being classified as living or non-living.


Viruses are normally about a thousand times smaller than even that of a bacteria and have much fewer parts than any cell. They are composed of:

• Nucleic Acid - Either DNA or RNA that holds all the information the virus needs to insert into a host cell so that it can multiply.
• Protein Coat - This covers the nucleic acid and protects it.
• Lipid Membrane - This covers the protein coat and makes it very hard for our own immune system to get in and destroy the virus. Not all viruses have this, but a lot of the more well-known ones do. 

Why does our body have a hard time fighting off some of these infections?
The lipid membrane is sometimes hard to penetrate, and it blocks the immune system from getting in and destroying the nucleic acid of the virus. Monolaurin is an anti-viral agent that is found naturally in breast milk, amniotic fluid, and to some extent, coconut. So far, monolaurin has been shown to dissolve the protective membrane of 14 different viruses, including the flu, measles, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus, and the cytomegalovirus. Once this layer has been dissolved, the cells of our immune system can easily destroy the rest of the virus.




Why not just eat a lot of coconuts then?

The component found in coconuts is lauric acid, a beginner step to monolaurin. Lauric acid in coconut products is used by the body to create monolaurin in times of need. However, when ingested, only a very small percent is actually converted to monolaurin. Supplementing with monolaurin rather than coconut has shown to have a greater effect at combating infections.





Monolaurin fights more than just viruses.
The benefits of monlaurin is not just its ability to combat viruses. It has also shown to be effective against fighting a plethora of bacteria and fungi that take up residence in out body. The most amazing thing about monolaurin is its specificity. So far, no studies have shown that it does any damage to the beneficial bacteria that reside in our gut. It only seems to attack the bad one. While scientists and researchers are still working out why that is, we can still take advantage of this supplement and the amazing ways it combats infections.

How much should you take?
A normal dose is 3 scoops (3,000 mg) spread throughout the day.

~1 Week Buildup:  A 1 week buildup to the full dose is normally recommended.  Most people have  a "bacterial load" of bad bacteria in their body.  (A side bonus is that monolaurin will get rid of these bad bacteria.)  Monolaurin kills some of those bad bacteria very quickly. By building up to the full dose, you are allowing the liver plenty of time to do its normal job and filter the dead bacteria out of the blood.  

Monolaurin is very safe and has shown no side effects or interactions with other drugs, so a person can take monolaurin until they are feeling better. This can be a few weeks to a few months. People with re-occuring illnesses (especially in the cases of Herpes, Hepatitis, Lyme, CFS, and HIV) can take a maintenance dose of 1 scoop a day to help prevent the virus from coming back.






Resources:

J Drugs Dermatol. 2007 Oct;6(10):991-8. Novel antibacterial activity of monolaurin compared with conventional antibiotics against organisms from skin infections: an in vitro study. Carpo BG, Verallo-Rowell VM, Kabara J.

J Med Food. 2013 Jun;16(6):499-503. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2012.0066. In vitro and in vivo effects of two coconut oils in comparison to monolaurin on Staphylococcus aureus: rodent studies. Manohar V, Echard B., Perricone N., Ingram C., Enig M., Bagchi D., Preuss HG.