AIDS/HIV and Coconut Oil
Can coconut oil reduce the viral load of HIV-AIDS patients?
"Initial trials have confirmed that
coconut oil does have an anti-viral effect and can beneficially reduce the viral
load of HIV patients", University
of the Philippines' Emeritus professor of pharmocology Dr. Conrato S Dayrit
said.
A minimum of 50 ml of coconut oil would contain 20 to 25 grams
of lauric acid, which indicates that the oil is metabolized in the body to
release monolaurin which is an antibiotic and an antiviral agent. Among the
saturated fatty acids, lauric acid has the maximum antiviral activity, he said.
Based on this research, the first clinical trial using monolaurin as monotherapy
on some of the HIV patients was conducted recently. Dr. Dayrit's conclusions
after the study: "This initial trial
confirmed the anecdotal reports that coconut oil does have an anti-viral effect
and can beneficially reduce the viral load of HIV patients. The positive
anti-viral action was seen not only with the monoglyceride of lauric acid but
with coconut oil itself. This indicates that coconut oil is metabolized to
monoglyceride forms of C-8, C-10, C- 12 to which it must owe its anti-pathogenic
activity."
The entire results of Dr. Dayrit's study can be
found here in PDF format.
On July 19, 1995, Dr. Mary Enig, noted biochemist and
nutritionist, was quoted in an article published in The HINDU, India’s National
Newspaper as stating that coconut oil is converted by the body into “Monolaurin”
a fatty acid with anti-viral properties that might be useful in the treatment of
AIDS. The staff reporter for The HINDU wrote about Enig’s presentation at a
press conference in Kochi and wrote the following:
“There was an instance in the US in which an infant tested HIV
positive had become HIV negative. That it was fed with an infant formula with a
high coconut oil content gains significance in this context and at present an
effort was on to find out how the 'viral load' of an HIV infected baby came down
when fed a diet that helped in the generation of Monolaurin in the body.”
The reporter commented on Enig’s observations that “Monolaurin
helped in inactivating other viruses such as measles, herpes, vesicular
stomatitis and Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and that research undertaken so far on
coconut oil also indicated that it offered a certain measure of protection
against cancer-inducing substances."
Enig stated in an article published in the Indian Coconut
Journal, Sept., 1995 that Monolaurin, of which the precursor is lauric acid,
disrupted the lipid membranes of envelope viruses and also inactivated bacteria,
yeast and fungi. She wrote: “Of the saturated fatty acids, lauric acid has
greater antiviral activity than either caprylic acid (C-10) or myristic acid
(C-14). The action attributed to Monolaurin is that of solubilizing the lipids
..in the envelope of the virus causing the disintegration of the virus
envelope.”
Dr. Mary Enig has also written a book entitled "Nutrients and
Foods in AIDS," and one of the chapters is published on her website
here.
In a July 1997 newsletter entitled "Keep Hope Alive" an
interview with Chris Dafoe was recorded. Chris Dafoe of Cloverdale, IN who,
based on his lab numbers, thought the end was near in September, 1996. His HIV
viral load was over 600,000, CD4 count was 10 and CD8 at 300. He prepaid his
funeral and decided to take his last vacation in the jungles of South America
with an Indian tribe in the Republic of Surinam. Around October 14, 1996, he
began eating daily a dish of cooked coconut which was prepared by the local
Indians. By Dec. 27th, 1996, a mere 2 and 1/2 months later, his viral load was
at non-detectable levels and he had gained 32 lbs and was feeling great. He had
some other people he knew with HIV try using coconuts in their diet, and they
experienced the same results. The entire interview is recorded
here.
Recently the PATA International-Potato and Products Aid
Alliance To Africa committed to purchase and send several hundred container
loads of Tropical Traditions
Virgin Coconut Oil to Africa for distribution among HIV - AIDS sufferers. They
state:
"AIDS is the modern day Black Plague. Millions have all ready
died from this disease, leaving behind millions of orphans. Millions more will
follow in death, unless a low cost way of controlling this illness is found
quickly.
Several long term world studies sponsored by various health
organizations have found that the high content of lauric acid in unrefined
coconut oil can prolong the lives of AIDS patients by dissolving the covering of
the virus itself. This same action has been found effective against other
infectious, tropical based diseases as well."
If the results from the smaller studies duplicate themselves in
the clinics in Africa, PATA intends to extend the distribution of Virgin Coconut
oil in Africa.
Tropical Traditions unrefined Virgin Coconut oil can be
ordered here.
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