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Monolaurin

Monolaurin is a chemical made from lauric acid, which is found in coconut milk and breast milk.

Monolaurin is used to prevent and treat colds, flu, herpes, shingles and other infectious diseases. It is also used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome and to improve the function of the immune system.

In food, monolaurin is used in the production of ice cream, margarine and spaghetti. In industrial production, monolaurin is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, cleaning agents and insecticides.

How does monolaurin work?

Preliminary studies suggest that monolaurin may be able to fight bacteria and viruses in the test tube. It is not known whether monolaurin also has these effects in humans.

How effective is monolaurin?

There is not enough scientific data to be able to make a statement about the effectiveness of Monolaurin for colds, flu, herpes, shingles and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as for strengthening the immune system. Further scientific studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Monolaurin in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Monolaurin is safe and harmless for most people in the amounts usually found in food. It is not known whether monolaurin is also safe and harmless when used in medicinal quantities.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of monolaurin during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid Monolaurin.

Interactions

There is currently no information on interactions between Monolaurin and medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Monolaurin depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for monolaurin. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Clarke NM, May JT. Effect of antimicrobial factors in human milk on rhinoviruses and milk-borne cytomegalovirus in vitro. J Med Microbiol 2000;49:719-23.
  2. FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Premarket Approval, EAFUS: A food additive database. Website: vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/eafus.html (Accessed February 23, 2006).
  3. Holland KT, Taylor D, Farrell AM. The effect of glycerol monolaurate on growth of, and production of toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 and lipase by, Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother 1994;33:41-55.
  4. Projan SF, Brown-Skrobot S, Schlievert PM, et al. Glycerol monolaurate inhibits the production of beta-lactamase, toxic shock toxin-1, and other staphylococcal exoproteins by interfering with signal transduction. J Bacteriol 1994;176:4204-9.
  5. Ruzin A, Novick RP. Glycerol monolaurate inhibits induction of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis. J Bacteriol 1998;180:182-5.
  6. Schlievert PM, Deringer JR, Kim MH, et al. Effect of glycerol monolaurate on bacterial growth and toxin production. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 1992;36:626-31.
  7. Witcher KJ, Novick RP, Schlievert PM. Modulation of immune cell proliferation by glycerol monolaurate. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol 1996;3:10-3.