Lauric Acid is found in breast milk and coconut milk. According to
Living and Raw Foods, it is converted in the body to monolaurin which
causes the “disintegration of the viral envelope.”1 The antiviral
properties of the monolaurin can fight many viruses including HIV,
Herpes, influenza virus. It has been used in clinical studies to
reduce the viral load of AIDS patients.2 In addition it can also fight
bacteria. Perhaps it is the presence of lauric acid in breast milk in
addition to the immunity of the mother that keeps breastfed infants
healthy. It is often when children are weaned that they begin to get
sick. By continuing to include lauric acid in the diet of babies who
have been weaned maybe we could could help children remain healthy
beyond the time they are breastfed.
We started cooking with coconut oil and using coconut milk when we
first went gluten free. My son had been sick for months and I needed
to heal him and keep him healthy. I use it whenever I cook. My
favorite thing to cook for him was fried rice. I used a lot of leeks
and garlic as they are natural prebiotics which worked with
probiotics to heal his gut. Then I would add minced eggs or chicken
for a balanced meal.
Why has this potential nutraceutical gotten such a bad wrap for so
long. According to alternative-healthzine many US organizations who
had ties to the vegetable oil industry used poor science to condemn
this healthy saturated fat. That allowed the United States to sell
it’s own oils. The countries that produced these oils (malaysia and
the Philippines) didn’t have the economic strength to defend coconut
oil and so this healthful oil fell out of favor.
Now, it is recognized that adults and children could use 10-20 grams
of lauric acid a day to achieve the immune benefits they would if they
were breastfed.4 This would be the amount found in 1.5-3 T oil or 4-8
T of pure unrefined coconut milk (preferably sold in a glass bottle!)
journeytocrunchville - We love coconut oil too! But fell out of habit of using it. I need to pick the habit back up. We found a really wonderful brand through Azure Standard.
Lauren - We will be using more coconut oil in our house too! Thanks for the information.
p.s. love the new header on your blog
roelandt - hi there, I am roe and I am from the Philippines. I was searching for an info about the good sources of Glutathione when I hopped into this page about the healing wonders of the coconut oil. Thanks for mentioning Malaysia and my country, the Philippines for potential sources of this miraculous oil. Yes, we have tons and tons of coconuts in the country but the coconut farmers are not getting enough support since they are focused into harvesting rice. My family owns a farm and thinking of a business, I guess I’ll push the coconut oil business. Just recently they have discovered that young coconuts in the Philippines can produce a Virgin Coconut oil to fight the budding cancer cells. VCO is the leading brand. Most people take a sponfull of it everyday for health reasons. With relevance to the HIV cells and how the coconut oil minimizes them, I’ve read in one article 5 years ago that consuming coconut water decreases the HIV virus in the body at around 50%.
Cathy - We love it too. In fact, I have a post I started on coconut oil that I need to finish. I use it after each shower on my skin, to remove mascara, for cooking, mixed with honey when sick, and we give it to the dog who absolutely loves it. The minute she hears the jar opening she is there!
Anonymous - I just stumbled upon the greatness of coconut oil. We have been on the GF diet for 8 months and hopefully, this wonderful oil will aid in our health.
Do you have a favorite brand? I was currently going to purchase the Harvest Bay and the Nutiva to compare.
gfcfmom - from whattofeedyourkids.com…
Nutiva comes in plastic bottle so I avoid it. Fat leaches most into fat from plastic so I avoid plastic containers. I buy organic coconut oil in a glass container and I haven't found much difference in brands so I buy whatever is cheapest.
Ladycates - Hi! I just ordered some coconut oil for cooking, too but before I read your comment about avoiding the plastic containers.
I ordered the Nutiva. I tried to cancel my order but it was too late. I'll buy the glass from now on but what am I actually losing by buying the plastic? I'm so bothered by it now cause I ordered 2 bottles. Grrrrrrrr
Anonymous - Those interested in the health properties of VCO should go to lauricidin.com and learn a more complete basis for this remarkable oil.
The monolaurin (the active fat) story will amaze you
excessive sweating control - are amazing properties of coconut oil, many of the properties listed on this blog I had no knowledge, so thank you very much for sharing that information with its readers …
Axolotl - I don't doubt that coconut oil can be part of a healthy diet and has benefits. However, I'd like to point out that mother's milk contains immunoglobulins from the mother's immune system which are almost certainly the main, if not the only reason why mother's milk provides some immunity.
In addition, the [single] study done that supports the idea that coconut oil decreases HIV viral load was, to be kind, full of holes and far too small, with only 2 patients experiencing a significant decrease in viral load (out of 15), while others experienced significant increases or no change. You can read the entire thing here: http://www.coconutoil.com/Dayrit.pdf
Cooking Papa - I had dropped coconut oil from my cooking because of articles about high saturated fat content.
I am going to start using it again. My family is from a coastal town in India and we used coconut milk in curries for a long time. In fact my father was told it was the cause of his heart problems.